The opening ceremony is said to have been one of the most imposing Co-operative functions ever held in Scotland. The buildings were gay with flags and bannerettes, while a military band discoursed sweet music in the courtyard. The premises were thrown open to the public, and it is estimated that more than 30,000 people passed through the building between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. More than 500 delegates were present at the luncheon, when Mr Alexander Fraser, president of the Society, presided. Stirring speeches were delivered, and the premises were declared open amid a scene of great enthusiasm.
In the evening a monster social meeting took place in the Wellington Palace, at which there were present upwards of 1,000 people. Speeches were delivered by Mr William Maxwell, chairman of the S.C.W.S., and Mr Henry Murphy, Lanark. It was generally admitted that the demonstration had proved the greatest advertisement which Co-operation in Scotland had ever received, and that the virtues of the movement had been brought to the notice of thousands of people who had never before given it a thought. The result was that a great impetus was given to the movement in Glasgow, and the great development of Co-operation in the city which has made Glasgow a stronghold of the movement began about that time. No doubt further stimulus has been given from time to time—the Congress of 1890, the opening of the S.C.W.S. central premises in Morrison Street, the Seaside Homes bazaar, the various Co-operative festivals all had an influence—but to the Baking Society much of the original impulse is due, just as to it also—through the refusal of the directors to increase the price of bread unnecessarily in the early months of the war—the latest impulse must be credited.
AN UP-TO-DATE BAKERY.
The bakery was planned on what were then the most modern lines. It contained twenty-eight ovens. Twenty-four of these were Scotch bread ovens, while three were specially built for the production of pastry, scones, etc., and one was a revolving oven for the production of pan loaves. In the original plan there was a proposal for a travelling biscuit oven, and space for this had been left in the bakery. The flour loft was on the top floor of the building, and everything was arranged for convenience and rapidity of output. The facilities provided for an output of some 700 sacks per week, and when the new premises were planned it was thought that there would be ample accommodation to meet the requirements of the Society for a number of years, but so great had been the development of the Society’s business while the bakery was in course of erection, and so rapid was the increase when the new premises were opened, that soon the question of extensions was again to the front.
PROPAGANDA WORK.
In tracing in a connected form the work of the committee in deciding on and carrying through the work of erecting the new bakery, however, we have been compelled to leave other important work unnoted. Just at the time when the discussion of the proposals for a new bakery was taking place intimation was received from Kilbarchan Society of that society’s intention to begin baking on their own account. The letter from the society was read to the meeting which was called to consider the erection of a new bakery, but had no effect on the decision, and shortly afterwards the Kilbarchan people changed their minds about baking for themselves and decided to remain members of the Federation. It was otherwise with some of the societies further west. Greenock East-End Society withdrew in September, Greenock Central and Paisley Equitable soon afterwards, while Partick Society was in a bad way, and a deputation from the board was sent to the committee of that society in order to try and make some arrangement about regular payments. This they were able to do, as the Partick committee agreed to pay for the bread they received at the end of every week, at the same time making payments toward the reduction of the balance which they owed the Federation.
But if societies were withdrawing as they became strong enough to start bakeries of their own, other societies were coming in to take their places, while the societies in Glasgow were growing stronger and stronger. Gilbertfield and Cambuslang societies joined up early in 1885; Cessnock Society, an offshoot from Kinning Park, became a member a month or two later. South-Eastern Society and Parkhead, two societies which had been members in the early days but had withdrawn, were again admitted to membership; Renfrew Society again became purchasers; Newton Mearns and Maryhill societies became members; Westmuir Economical Society became a purchaser and, later, a member. Newton Society also joined the Federation, and Blairdardie returned to the fold after an absence of several years. Then came Hallside, and by the end of April 1888, Shettleston, making the thirty-sixth member of the Federation. All this increase in the membership was not spontaneous, however; it was the reward of much propaganda work, the writing of many letters and the paying of many visits by the members of the committee. They were building, and, later, they had built a huge bakery. It was their intention that it should be working to its full capacity at the earliest possible moment, and so they went about their propaganda in a systematic manner, dividing up the area into districts, which were placed in charge of certain members of the committee, to be worked up at every opportunity.
RECOGNISING LOYAL SERVICE.
During the whole of the time which it took to build the new bakery the Society was working at a disadvantage. Notwithstanding the leasing, first of Scotland Street bakery and then of that in Hill Street, it was impossible to keep pace with the demand for bread. The result was that the committee decided to sound the foreman baker on the question of whether the men would be willing to begin work an hour earlier in the mornings. The men when approached agreed readily, and thus the difficulty was met to some extent. In recognition of this willingness on the part of the men to meet them, the board decided spontaneously to advance the men’s wages by 1/ per week. One cannot help but contrast this willingness of the men to help the Society in a difficulty with incidents which have occurred at later dates, when the bakers could not be induced on any terms to work extra hours in order that difficulties might be overcome. The first attitude rather than the second one is that which makes for the avoidance of friction and the creation of a fraternal spirit between the directors of a Co-operative concern and their fellow-members who carry on the work of the Society. It is, unfortunately, a fact which is to be deprecated that employees are disposed to treat Co-operative societies worse instead of better than they treat other employers, and the process of reasoning which leads to such results is somewhat difficult to follow.