Page 80 - 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.

they were aided in this by the generally-increasing margin between
wages and average costs of living. Taking wheat as specially
important, from 1871 on to 1897 the average price per quarter, as
shown in the excellent chart pubUshed by BroomhalV s Corn Trade
News, declined through all fluctuations from 5-is. to 25s. This was
a factor which counted when, after an incomplete and short return
of better trade in 1880-81, a long depression had to be faced before
the welcome recovery of 1888-91. And another main fact must not
be overlooked. Through periods of good trade and bad, the wealth
of the country steadily grew. Estimated at six thousand milUons
sterling by Giffen in 1865, the same authority calculated it to have
reached over ten thousand millions in 1885; while present-day
estimates are approaching twenty thousand millions. There is no
doubt that, speaking generally this arresting fact quite disposes of
many lamentations over hard times. And it gives reason to hope
that the fairer distribution at which all working-class movements
aim would reduce the effect of periodical and natural changes to a
comparative insignificance.
While touching upon the increase of wealth smce the sixties and
seventies parenthetically, one may remark upon the industrial
habits of those times. The working day was longer, but the
attention to duty was much less constant and regular. Particular^
this apphed in the then less-developed trades hke boot and
shoe making, as the weekly reports from the first C.W.S. boot and
shoe factory, after 1874, bore witness. Taking one or two extracts
from these, we find the manager writing to the Committee and
saying " the workpeople would not object to having a Monday
holiday, but would not like to be stopped m their work on Saturday
morning." These piece-workers had a Bohemian custom of making
it up at the end.^ In another instance, the same manager reports a
small production for a holiday week, " none of the men turning up
before Thursday." And in a third instance " he expects they (the
"
factory generally) wiU lose a few days at the races —the Leicester
racecourse then adjoined the town, and was free, while the present
ground is two or three miles away, and there is a charge of Is. for
admission.
If one can see dull statistics of prosperity change, fairyUke, into
long lists of marriage banns at Christmas or Whitsuntide, or hear
' Official figures showed that 40 per cent of the riveters were absent every
Monday from March to June, 17 per cent every Tuesday, and 12 per cent every
Wednesday ; and this despite a press of orders.
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