Page 50 - The_story_of_the_C._W._S._The_jubilee_history_of_the_cooperative_wholesale_society,_limited._1863-1913_(IA_storyofcwsjubill00redf) (1)_Neat

The Story of the C.W.S.
president, James Smithies the treasurer, J. C. Edwards the secretary,
David Baxter (Manchester) and John Hankinson (Preston) the
auditors, and Charles Howarth, Thomas Cheetham, John Hilton,
and J. Nield (Mossley) completed the Committee. Mr. Nield was
chosen at the second meeting, and took the place of WilUam Marcroft.
Forty-eight societies had joined, and with the co-operative trade
aggregating two and a half millions the Committee looked forward
hopefully. At the start they meant to deal in sugar, fruits, spices,
rice, sago, soap, candles, treacle, tea, and coffee. Flour, it must be
remembered, was already being milled for societies by Rochdale and
other co-operators. Profits were to be " applied by direction of the
haK-yearly meetings either to increase the capital or business of the
Society, or to any other purpose authorised by law;" while "the
remainder " (at first sight a rather mysterious term) " shall be
divided among the members of the Society in proportion to the
amount of their purchase at the agency during the half year." It
was Howarth's idea that " there must be a limited depot, as well as
an agency, for the convenience of small stores." The financing of
all this effort was within those economical limits that we associate
"
with pioneers. In the first balance sheet " preliminary expenses
amounted to no more than £16. 9s. 6d. As for services rendered,
if an official ever received, as Cooper did in 1867, £8 for four years'
work, it was a great haul.
With the C.W.S. in existence we lose something of the unity
which the one fraternal group of workers had shared since the first
association at Lowbands Farm. Thenceforth there existed the
North of England Society and the Conference Committee. The
latter continued its labours until the amending Bill of 1867 became
an Act, and until the Co-operative Insm-ance Society was established
in the same year ; and finally it did not die, but was translated by
its absorption into a new organisation, ultimately the present
Co-operative Union. In those days the co-operators saw no better
way than to create a separate society for every function. To-day,
however, a different tendency is at work, and unity, not separation,
is the watchword.

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