History of the United Co-operative Baking Society Ltd.

by William Reid

A BAD SMASH.

In the month of January 1909 a bad smash took place in Partick between a motor van from Clydebank bakery and two Glasgow tramcars, in which damage amounting to £174 was done to the van. This accident gave rise to counter-claims by Glasgow Corporation and the U.C.B.S., but it was not until June 1910 that the case was finally disposed of, the Sheriff finding that the driver of the Bakery motor van was entirely to blame for the collision. The case aroused considerable interest at the time because of the legal aspect of the question as it affected the “rule of the road” in connection with the passing of cars which ran on rails in the middle of the streets or roads. By that decision it was decreed that fast vehicles passing tramcars going in the same direction should do so on the left side, whereas the ordinary rule of the road in Scotland decrees that all other vehicles must be passed on the right side. The total cost to the U.C.B.S. of the accident, including litigation costs, was almost £1,700.

In 1909 the Clydebank branch achieved fame by winning first prize in the loaf-baking competition conducted by the S.C.W.S., and the presentation of the shield was made the occasion of a social meeting, at which the president of the Society presided, and the presentation of the shield was made by Mr Stewart, president of the Wholesale Society. At the meeting a number of complimentary things were said about Mr Reid, foreman, and the work of the bakery which he controlled. In the following year Clydebank lost the shield, but were successful in winning several prizes for smallbread.

During the first ten years after the branch was opened the progress continued steady, the turnover for the tenth year amounting to 35,638 sacks, equal to an average output of 687 sacks per week. At this time it was decided to extend the bakery, and eight new ovens were put in. Just before the outbreak of war the branch secured the contracts for supplying the Territorial camps at Jamestown and Dunoon, and as soon as war was declared and mobilisation begun it was kept very busy with orders for military use, and, later, secured a big contract to purvey for Navy men. The output continued to increase steadily. By 1915 it had risen to 1,000 sacks per week, and by 1917 to 1,038 sacks. With the coming of Government controlled flour and the consequent unpalatable bread a decrease took place in the output, from which the branch was just beginning to recover at the period with which this history of its operations ends. During the fifteen and a half years since its erection over 520,000 sacks of flour were turned into bread, and the congestion at M‘Neil Street was relieved to that extent; while the primary purpose for which the branch was erected, that of ensuring to the societies on the western side of the Society’s delivery radius an earlier supply of bread each day, was accomplished to their satisfaction, and the Co-operative production of bread was stimulated by means of the increased orders secured. There can hardly be any doubt but that the policy adopted by the directors of branching out where a branch could be carried on successfully has found its justification in the success which has attended Clydebank branch since its formation, and that until now the fears entertained by those who opposed this policy at the beginning have not been supported by the results achieved.

With the growth and prosperity which has come to Clydebank and the neighbouring portion of Greater Glasgow, and with the further growth of that prosperity which the future seems likely to bring with it, the success of the branch is assured, and the probability is that before many years have passed further extensions will have been rendered necessary by the expansion of trade. Unquestionably the erection of the branch was an experiment. It was a departure from what had been hitherto the established policy of the Federation, but it was an experiment which was justified by the circumstances of the time, and was the first step in a policy which has since brought not only the societies on Clydeside into close co-operation with the Federation, but has had the same effect in the North of Ireland, and it is a policy which is spreading in both countries to the advantage of the Co-operative movement.

CHAPTER XIV.
BELFAST BRANCH.

CO-OPERATION IN THE NORTH OF IRELAND—EARLY BAKING PROPOSALS—DISPUTE WITH LOCAL BAKERS—SCOTLAND TO THE RESCUE—A TEMPORARY BAKERY—EXPANDING TRADE—THE BAKERY COMPLETED—THE OPENING CEREMONY—GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT—GROCERS AS AGENTS FOR BREAD—EXTENSIONS NECESSARY—THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE—CONTINUOUS PROGRESS—A SERIES OF EXTENSIONS—SOME RETAIL SOCIETY FAILURES—HELP FOR DUBLIN STRIKERS—GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS—A REGRETTABLE ACCIDENT—THE FEDERATION’S GENEROSITY—THE WAR AND ITS EFFECTS—OATCAKE BAKING STARTED—THE BELFAST STRIKE—A TRADE UNION TESTIMONIAL—THE INFLUENCE OF THE U.C.B.S. ON IRISH CO-OPERATION.

The Co-operative movement in the North of Ireland is a plant of comparatively recent growth. In the early ’nineties of last century there were only some four or five retail societies in the whole North, and most of them were far from strong—so weak, indeed, that two of them afterwards went down. When they came under the control of the Co-operative Union they were placed under the wing of the Scottish Sectional Board, and that Board undertook a large amount of propaganda work which had the effect of strengthening the existing societies and of leading to the formation of new ones. Amongst those which were formed as the result of this propaganda zeal on the part of Scottish Co-operators the strongest which remain to-day are Armagh and Portadown, but the work of Co-operation in Lisburn and Belfast was strengthened materially by the propagandist efforts of the Scottish enthusiasts.

At that early period the society which then existed in Londonderry was probably the strongest in the whole of Ireland, and it was the first Irish society to become a member of the United Baking Society, but, unfortunately, the closing down at a later period of the work in which the majority of the members were employed led, indirectly at least, to its collapse. Another society which was only able to struggle on for a few years was that situated at Lurgan. Belfast was in a bad way. It had practically no capital and was carrying on by the aid of bank overdrafts. Nor at that time was Lisburn in much better case.