Page 71 - The_story_of_the_C._W._S._The_jubilee_history_of_the_cooperative_wholesale_society,_limited._1863-1913_(IA_storyofcwsjubill00redf) (1)_Neat

Large Societies and Small.
societies' purchases were chiefly butter and sugar did not allay
any feeling. These articles earned less than the 3d. in the £
which was then the average C.W.S. dividend. Hence it was con-
cluded that big societies benefited at the small societies' expense.
On the other hand, a vigorous and telling defence of the big societies
was led by William Nuttall and William Cooper, and when it was
proved that easily the best supporters of the Wholesale were
neither the great nor the small societies, but the middle-sized, the
big versus little issue failed to count. Returning to the question of
representation, after a stormy special meeting, held at the close
of the ordinary meeting on August 15th, 1868, the recommendations
of a sub-committee, which had reported largely in favour of the
suggested change, eventually were negatived by 110 votes to 92. It
was not a large majority, but it has sufficed from that day to this
to secure a representation based directly on societies' membership.
A similar fear of dominance at this same meeting led to an
anticipation of the present movable district gatherings in the
proposal " that the next meeting be held at Derby." The proposition
secured no support beyond that of its mover and seconder, but
it was decided that the November assembly should be at Rochdale.
It was felt that this might counteract the anti-wholesale spirit
then at work in the town, which hitherto had so honourably
led the advance both of local and federal co-operation. But none
anticipated that the gathering would also serve a different purpose.
It met, however, to render the last honours to a Rochdale man—one
who, with those of his fellow-townsmen on the C.W.S. Committee,
no doubt had felt these chills of unexpected opposition. Early in
the year Charles Howarth, of Heywood, the constitution-maker of
the Pioneers' Society and one of the founders of the C.W.S., had
ended his work, and now a second breach was made in the little
band of twiee-pioneers by the early loss of Howarth 's intimate
friend, William Cooper. Death continued busy during the period
immediately following. James Smithies, another of the men of
1844, and subsequently secretary of the " Wholesale," was mourned
at the Quarterly Meeting of August, 1869, and still another founder
of the federation, Edward Hooson, of Manchester, was taken from
the Committee by death at the close of the same year. Resolutions
of obvious sincerity in the minutes of the Quarterly Meetings express
the high regard in which these fathers of co-operation were held.
Further, a grant of £20 was made to the widow of Charles Howarth,
and an equal subscription given to a Cooper memorial fund. These
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