Page 508 - 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.

Now let us calculate, on the basis of the table given, what would be the
weekly consumption of those articles named by the 40,000 members; also the
weekly and yearly money value of the same.

One Week's Weekly Money- Yearly Money
Kind of Articles.
Consumption. Value. Value.
£
Coffee 6,923 lb. 266 13,832
Tea 5,951 lb. 991 51,532
Tobacco ... 4,125 lb. 825 42,900
Snuff 108 lb. 22 1,144
Pepper 243 lb. 15 780
Sugar 1,400 cwt. 3,500 182,000
Syrup, &e.. 400 cwt. 350 18,200
Currants ... 107 cwt. 160 8,320
Butter 717 cwt. 3,440 178,880
Soap 338 cwt. 524 27,248

Totals 10,093 524,836

I have taken the prices paid by the Rochdale store, and adjusted them
to something like an average.
There are mentioned in the tables several articles, any of which would of
itself be sufficient to make an agency profitable. The agency might at the
beginning supply those articles only which there was a sure profit upon. It will
be seen from the statistics given that the present state of our movement
mil permit, and in fact warrants, a further step being taken in co-operative
progress. The problem for solution is to hit upon a plan which shall suit the
present spirit and intelligence of the great body of co-operators.
Gentlemen, I submit to your criticism a plan which, I think, will meet the
requirements of our purpose.

The plan I propose is this: That an office be taken either at Liverpool or
Manchester, as may be thought best suitable for the purpose. All stores
joining the agency will be reqmred to act promptly in giving orders, and making
remittances for goods to be bought on their account. Orders sent to the
agency will be aggregated ; the purchaser will then go to the markets, and there
buy the quantity and quality of those kind of articles required to supply the
demand upon the agency. The purchaser, having bought, will give either
printed or written directions to the houses from whom the purchases are made
to draft such number of tierces of sugar, puncheons of treacle, boxes of
eoap, boxes of candles, barrels of currants, and firkins of butter, &c., to
the different stores on whose account they have been bought. On the plan
of an agency there will be little, if any, warehouse room required, and that
little will be necessitated by very small stores not being able to purchase
in bulk. Otherwise an office would amply suffice for the purposes of the
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