DEATH OF BISCUIT FACTORY MANAGER.
Mr John Gilmour took charge of the Society’s biscuit factory shortly after it was commenced, and he continued to manage it until his death, which took place on 9th October 1914. He was highly respected by both directors and workmen for his devotion to business and his tact and kindness in dealing with those under him. He was succeeded by Mr William Ninian, who had the distinction of being a Bakery-trained man and who was acting as Mr Gilmour’s assistant at the time of that gentleman’s death.
At the quarterly meeting, the chairman made fitting and sympathetic reference to the loss which the Society had sustained through the death of Mr Gilmour. He also referred to the retiral from active work of one of the Society’s bread bakers, Mr W. Lees, who had been in the employment of the Society for forty and a half years. During the quarter an electrically-driven motor had been at work in Glasgow for the Society. It was proving very satisfactory and the board, he said, considered that before long these electrically-driven cars would replace horses on the streets, although petrol-driven cars would still be used for the long journeys.
At this quarterly meeting, some of the delegates wished to know why the board had decided that they would no longer resist an increase in the price of bread seeing that in their minutes they stated that their contract for flour was still unbroken. The chairman, in replying, pointed out that flour at the moment was about 10/ higher in price than before the war, and the board thought it better that the price should be raised by a halfpenny now than that it should be put a penny or three halfpence later, when the stock of cheap flour was completely exhausted. He also stated that eighty-six of the Society’s employees were then serving in the Army. At this quarterly meeting, also, the question of granting relief to what were termed “innocent enemy aliens,” in other words, British women who had married subjects of nations at war with Britain, and who through the operation of war were left destitute in this country, was raised through an appeal on their behalf issued by the International Co-operative Alliance executive. A proposal was made to grant £25 to the fund which was being raised, but this was defeated by a two to one majority. The cake show was held this year as usual, but, as was to be expected, the sales were not so great as in some former years. The price had been advanced on the average one penny per pound. In their report to the delegates to the December quarterly meeting, the directors stated that they would regard it as an instruction to make no increase in the prices of their goods so long as they were able to work without actual loss.