THE U.C.B.S. AND THE S.C.W.S.
At the end of 1888 the Wholesale Society had become members of the Baking Society, and had taken out 240 shares. This was done, doubtless, in view of the fact that the Wholesale Society had consented to act as agents for the Baking Society’s biscuits. On the other hand, the trade which was being done in flour with the Wholesale Society was far from satisfactory, and at a meeting of the Baking Society’s committee, which took place in February of 1889, attention was called by the sub-committee to the fact that, of over 2,000 sacks of flour which had been purchased during the month, only 300 sacks had been bought from the Wholesale Society. It was agreed to call the attention of the Wholesale directors to this fact, and to state that the trade was going past them because their price was higher than the same flour was being purchased at elsewhere. As a result of this letter, the Wholesale Society appointed a deputation to meet with a deputation of the directors of the Baking Society for the purpose of considering the trading relations between the two societies. Exactly what the result of the meeting was, however, is not shown in the minutes; all that these contain being the statement that Mr M‘Culloch gave a very full report of what had taken place. From the frequency with which this subject had been cropping up in recent years, however, it was evident that there was something wrong somewhere. At this late date it is not possible to do more than guess at the reasons why the Wholesale Society was not in a position to compete, but it was probably owing to the fact that the Baking Society was now so large a purchaser of flour that it was able to buy from the millers on as good terms as the Wholesale Society itself could do.