THE SOCIETY’S POSITION.
Much important work was done in the three years from 1902 to 1905. Clydebank bakery was erected; Belfast Bakery was commenced, as was St Mungo Halls, and both were nearing completion; three tenements of houses had been erected in Govan Street, with shops on the street level, and these shops were ultimately all occupied by Kinning Park Society. One result of this policy was that the Baking Society ceased to retain the bread damaged in manufacture, and this trade was taken over by Kinning Park Society. Henceforth, until for a short time they retailed the bread they made in Rothesay Bakery, the Society did a wholesale business only. Notwithstanding the opening of Clydebank Bakery, the sales of loaf bread from M‘Neil Street were greater than they had been at the beginning of the period, while the turnover in smallbread, oatcakes, and biscuits had all increased considerably, and the total production for the last six months of the period under review was 92,336 sacks for the three bakeries, as compared with 73,821 at the beginning of 1902. During the four years the membership had increased by thirty-four societies, and the value of the sales by £61,092 for six months. The rate of surplus had been fluctuating between 2/ per £ and 1/8 per £, and for one half-year it was 2/2.
Big things were also in prospect. The need for new offices was forcing itself on the attention of the directors; and, with the prospect of increased trade in front of them, consideration was already being given to the utilisation of their ground at the north-west corner of South York Street, although the time for extensions there had not yet arrived.
CHAPTER XVI.
FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH.
STEADY PROGRESS—EXTENSIONS—NEW OFFICES—THE QUALITY OF THE BREAD—THE TEAROOMS—ORDERS FROM EGYPT—ORGANISATION—A SPECIAL COMMITTEE—MR ALEXANDER HAMILTON RETIRES—THE SOCIETY JOINS GLASGOW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE—AUSTRIAN CO-OPERATORS VISIT THE BAKERY—ANOTHER UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS—RAILWAYMEN’S CONGRESS ENTERTAINED—BAND SUCCESSES—PROPAGANDA WORK—CLYDEBANK BAKERY SECURES FIRST PRIZE FOR BREAD AT S.C.W.S. BAKING COMPETITION—THE SOCIETY AND ITS EMPLOYEES—COMPULSORY TRADE UNIONISM—A SHORTER WORKING WEEK—THE OLDEST SCOTTISH SOCIETY—THE CO-OPERATIVE INSURANCE SOCIETY.
The growth of a great organisation may be likened to that of a river. Away up in the mountains where the river takes its rise every stone has weight to turn it aside. It trickles down the hillside with noisy babble, here almost stagnant, there going forward with a rush; ever gathering strength as it is joined by other streams. But by and by it reaches the plain. The strength of its rush down the hillside carries it forward with gradually diminishing pace until finally it subsides into an easy forward motion, placid and smooth, yet deep enough and strong enough to bear on its broad breast the ships of a hundred nations.
So it has been with the U.C.B.S. At first it was like the tiny rivulet, directed hither and thither by the rocks in its path, with its progress seemingly altogether arrested for a time, then going forward again with a rush and gathering impetus as it went. The last great rush may be said to have been taken when it transferred to M‘Neil Street. Its progress down to the final placidity of the valley was rapid but gradually diminishing in speed as it reached the level of the plain, so that having traversed the hills of difficulty and gathered to itself tributaries as it flowed onward, it was now settled into a strong but smooth onward flow. Henceforth the difficulties and dangers were gone; henceforth also was gone the rapidity of the current of prosperity; to be replaced by calm, steady progress which swept forward with the irresistible strength of a mighty river. No longer was there doubling of output in a year or two; no more was it necessary to add extension to extension in order to keep pace with a rapidly growing trade; yet an increase in turnover which averaged 250 sacks per week in a year and 1,000 sacks a week in four years was made. It was a huge increase; actually it was larger than any which had gone before it; yet it was not so impressive as the smaller increases which had preceded, for in relation to the total trade it was much smaller.