History of the United Co-operative Baking Society Ltd.

by William Reid

ADVERTISING THE SOCIETY’S PRODUCTS.

Mention has already been made of the success with which the Society met in their exhibition of the bakery productions at the Congress Exhibition. This success seems to have encouraged the directors to further efforts in this direction, and so we find the first mention made, in the minute of November 1890, of the institution of what has since been, until the war brought it to an end for the time being, the most popular function of the Scottish Co-operative year—the Bakery annual cake show. The results of the first show were most gratifying. Encouraged still further by this success the committee decided shortly afterwards to have a stall in the Glasgow East-End Exhibition. At this stall bakery products were sold as well as exhibited, with the result that in the ten weeks the sum of £179 was received for the sale of pastries, etc., and the committee were so pleased with this result that they gave the young lady who had been in charge of the stall £2 as an evidence of their satisfaction with her work.

Almost from the start the Society had been affiliated with the Glasgow and Suburbs and Renfrewshire conference associations, but now they decided to affiliate also with the Central Conference Association, and shortly afterwards with the East of Scotland Association. This extension of their affiliations showed that societies situated at a distance from Glasgow were now taking an interest in the work of the Federation, and were becoming purchasers of their productions. About the middle of this year the bakers made a request for a reduction of their working day from 9½ hours to 8½ hours, thus making the working week one of fifty hours. It was also decided to alter the rate of interest payable on loans to 4 per cent. for money at call and 4½ per cent. on money deposited at twelve months’ notice of withdrawal.

It was towards the end of 1891 that the Society inaugurated that hospitality to other organisations for which it has since become so justly famous. The half-yearly meeting of the Scottish Convention of Co-operative Societies took place in Glasgow in September, and it was decided that the delegates should be shown over the bakery premises and afterwards entertained. Later in the same year an invitation was extended to the ladies of the Co-operative movement and the members of the women’s guild to visit the bakery and be entertained to tea. The meeting was a great success, over 400 ladies attending. About the same time photographs of the buildings and plant were taken, and lantern slides were prepared for exhibition purposes, a set being presented to the Central Board of the Union, while a set was retained. Two thousand show cards for distribution amongst the societies were also purchased, and it was decided to exhibit the Society’s biscuits again at the Congress Exhibition.

In order that the biscuit factory might be equipped on the most up-to-date lines possible, the chairman, secretary, and foreman baker were appointed a deputation to visit the C.W.S. biscuit factory at Crumpsall. On their return the chairman reported that much valuable information had been gained from the visit by both the foreman baker and himself.

The Society has ever been noted for its generosity to deserving causes, and it is not surprising, therefore, to find that when the delegates were called upon to choose between a donation of £200 and one of £100 to the funds of the Seaside Homes Association they decided on the larger sum. In order to interest the employees in the Bonus Investment Society, to establish which power had been granted by the delegates at the December quarterly meeting, the directors decided to have a social meeting with the employees, which took the form of a concert and assembly. At this meeting the benefits which they would derive from becoming members of the new society were eloquently portrayed by various speakers.

The oatcake trade was now becoming a feature of the Society’s work, and four hot-plates were erected specially for this trade. The scone trade was also developing at a rapid rate, and sixteen hot-plates were erected for it. In order that space might be found for the extensions which were proposed, Mr Geddes, who had been using as a boat shed a shed which was the property of the Society, was induced to give it up, and it was fitted up as a temporary stable, with accommodation for eleven horses. About the same time the Society reduced the hours of their women workers by five per week.