Page 425 - The_story_of_the_C._W._S._The_jubilee_history_of_the_cooperative_wholesale_society,_limited._1863-1913_(IA_storyofcwsjubill00redf) (1)_Neat

The Movement of 1906.
discussions. Early in 1906 the policy of the Insurance Society in this
respect was criticised by Mr. J. H. Bate in London and Mr. Archer
(of Sunderland) at Newcastle; and the latter speaker also ([uestioned
the society's membership of the insurance tariff association, a
membership which the chairman defended. The Hartlepools
Society (of which Mr. Tweddell was secretary and Mr. Robert Smith
assistant secretary) already was contemplating the step of forniiufr
its own insurance fund, unless the C.W.S. fund could be made
available for all societies' insurances; and the Middlesbrough
Society was ready to follow suit.
Letters and representations began to reach the C.W.S. Com-
mittee. The considerations urged in favour of C.W.S. action were
those which were advanced in pubHc later.
The C.I.S. policy of
dividing risks meant that " an enormous amount of co-operative
business was going outside the movement to private companies."
Meanwhile the companies themselves were amalgamating. " Since
1888," said Mr. Smith in 1907, " 32 out of 60 British insurance
companies had ceased to exist by reason of absorption," and " the
poHcy of combination was not to give the benefit of economies to
the public, but to keep up premiums and pocket the gains." At the
instance of a letter from the Sunderland Society the C.W.S. Finance
Committee resolved (November 29th, 1906) to hold a special meeting
on the insurance question, after which meeting they reported in favour
of forming a special department " to deal with all forms of insurance,
for societies as well as ourselves." Later it was resolved to ask
authority from the Quarterly Meetings of March, 1907, for
commencing such a department, but only after first approaching the
Insurance Society. In consequence a deputation from the latter
met the C.W.S. Finance Committee on February 15th, 1907; to do
no more, however, than renew the offer of 1898. Yet the effect of this
meeting was such that the C.W.S. Committee afterwards changed
their attitude, and decided not to take the proposed action at the
quarterly meetings, " thus affording further time for consideration
and negotiation if approached by the Insurance Company."
Outside the C.W.S. boardroom, meanwhile, the movement for
a unification of co-operative insurance was gathering strength.
Early in 1907 (March 23rd) 150 delegates met at Stratford, London,
when Mr. J. H. Bate read a paper on co-operative insurance.
Mr. Bate suggested either the C.I.S. and C.W.S. combining, or the
C.W.S. undertaking insurance, or the large retail societies forming a
mutual insurance society; and the resolution carried urged the
Y 337