Page 64 - 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. —
from the Northampton Industrial and Provident Society, although
the benefits were " not in any way comparable with those now
conferred by the C.W.S."
In another instance, the Chelmsford Society, comfortably
settling down to a steady trade in some particular butter, cheese,
or flour very much to its members' liking, used to find itseK
disturbed by the apologetic merchant—very sorry, but his other
customers objected, and he must, therefore, refer co-operators to
his nearest retail agent. Or in London, again, a Lancashire stores
manager would find it prudent to buy from a wholesale house or
manufacturer in his own name, rather than as an official of a
co-operative organisation. On the other hand, as we have seen in
certain cases, a boycott by its artful wholesale house would have
been something of a blessing to a society, for example, where
members might be complaining of the quality of the flour, with the
struggling society hardly daring to change its source of supply
because of indebtedness to a particular miller. And, certainly, prior
to 1867 no organised or general attempt was made to cut off supplies.
Beyond accepting advertisements of London ventures floated
under the flag of co-operation, the then newly-established Grocer
showed no interest in the co-operative system until the merits of the
collective methods were proclaimed at the Social Science Congress
of 1863. In these days of its youth, this now sober journal seems to
have taken pride in what it supposed to be masculine vigour. The
Congress was a "petticoat meeting; " and "the idea that each
particular community should establish its own mill, its own grocery
store, its own clothing store, and so on to exhaustion " was " so very
ladylike." Hence it proceeded to use language which must remain
rather shocking to its present sedate and, on the whole, fair-minded
conductors. The " statesmen of highest fame and eminence " who
praised co-operation evidently were acquiring " a mellow softness
of character, which (it said) may be womanly or may be childish."
When the Daily Telegraph advocated co-operation in 1864, its long
leader was represented to be " ridiculous, fulsome, and eminently
senseless." Yet in 1865 (March 4th) the Grocer explained that after
all it attached little importance to the movement. Co-operation
had thrice failed, and the august powers that protected private
trading again would decree its end :
Without any particular effort on our part, as representatives of the
legitimate grocery trade, the new idea will eventually succumb to the influence
of the natural laws that rule our commerce.
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