Page 49 - The_story_of_the_C._W._S._The_jubilee_history_of_the_cooperative_wholesale_society,_limited._1863-1913_(IA_storyofcwsjubill00redf) (1)_Neat

The CW.S. is Established.
agreed to " take the suggestions of E. V. Neale, Esq. with
. . .
respect to providing for admitting members and societies."
Accordingly twelve " original members " were enrolled, whose
names are worth preserving. They are: Charles Howarth, James
Smithies, J. C. Edwards, John Hilton, William Marcroft, James
Dyson, Henry Hewkin, Thomas Cheetham, Wilham Cooper,
Abraham Greenwood, Samuel Stott, Edward Hooson. As each of
these desperate company promoters took up only one five-shilling
share, it cannot be charged against them that they exploited the
movement. Also, the co-operative society at 15, Camden Street,
Liverpool, was appealed to for the temporary use of their ofHce for
what we now first hear of as the " North of England Co-operative
Wholesale Industrial and Provident Society Limited." But these
were deviations from a direct path. No further original members
were admitted " except those nominated by co-operative societies
. . . by a resolution of some general meeting." And when the
amending Act of 1867 annulled the limitation of investment by
societies, and with it the necessity of " representatives," this class
of member disappeared, an alteration of rules being entered in April,
1868, which restricted membership to registered societies and
similar corporate bodies. Little more is heard also of Liverpool.
The first rules fix the registered office there, " but the office may be
altered by the Committee of Management." A Whitsuntide
Conference (1863), agreed upon for Liverpool, apparently was not
held. Two unreported " meetings of the members " for the
acceptance of rules took place on June 8th and July 25th respec-
tively; and from the reference in the certificate of registration
issued by Mr. Tidd Pratt on August 11th, 1863, one may suppose
that the delegates preferred to transact this sometimes tedious
business in the rather more summerHke atmosphere of the seaport.
However this may have been, certainly the first meeting of the
legally-constituted society was held in Manchester, in the relative
eminence of Union Chambers, Dickenson Street, on Saturday,
October 10th, 1863. The first " general " meeting was also held in
Manchester on November 21st, 1863, and Manchester became the
almost unquestioned place of meeting thereafter.
The close of 1863 thus witnessed the Wholesale Society in being.
Actual business had not yet commenced, but arrangements to that
end were being perfected. The federation now had its own officers
and Committee distinct from the original promoters, although
inclusive of several among them. Abraham Greenwood was the
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