HALF-PAY TO SOLDIER EMPLOYEES.
At the outbreak of war, a number of the employees had been members of the Territorial Forces and had been called up at once, and the board decided to grant them half-pay. Later, when the call for more men came, many of the employees joined up, and the directors decided that those who enlisted should be placed on the same footing as regarded half-pay as were those who had been called up at the outbreak of war. At this quarterly meeting the directors were accused by a representative of the Bonus Investment Society of not being so generous to their employees who were serving with the Colours as were some other Co-operative societies, but the chairman was able to satisfy the delegates that, in those cases where generosity was most necessary—those of wives with large families—the Baking Society’s scheme was the one which gave the wife the larger total income.
This meeting was the one at which the method of giving the minutes in the form of synopses was first adopted, and one of the delegates took occasion to compliment the secretary on having produced synopses of the various minutes which gave the delegates enough information about the business done to enable them to find out what was taking place. At this meeting also a grant of £100 was made to the Belgian Relief Fund, the chairman stating that further grants could be made if occasion demanded. Other donations made were:—£500 to the War Relief Fund, £100 to the Lord Mayor of Belfast’s Fund, and £100 to the fund being raised by the Provost of Clydebank. It was urged very strongly by several of the delegates that the administration of the relief fund should be in the hands of the Government. In the minute of the board meeting of 2nd October, the fact is noted that during the past quarter the Society’s motors had covered a distance of 125,015 miles. It had certainly been a busy quarter.