CO-OPERATION 119 



In the matter of public supply the hand of the co-operative 

 movement has been traceable practically at all points. And for 

 a very substantial part of its commissariat work the Government has 

 been dependent upon Co-operative Societies, more particularly the 

 Co-operative Wholesale Society at Manchester, which it has rightly 

 consulted, seeing what immense advantages that society had in its 

 power to bring to the public service through its widespread, perfected 

 organisation^ the huge machinery of its commercial relations for 

 supply extending over all the globe, the technical proficiency of its 

 managers and its enormous resources. If there has been a steady 

 supply of necessaries of life, if prices have after all been kept on an 

 endurable level, and if " rationing " has been reduced to a minimum, 

 that is to a considerable extent due to the Wholesale's assistance. If 

 housewives have rejoiced in the " flat " price of tea, kept at a mode- 

 rate height, throughout the kingdom, it is the Wholesale Society 

 which they have to thank for it. If a fair supply of dried fruit has 

 been maintained at, once more, after all, a fair price, that has, again, 

 been owing to the purchases made by the Government through the 

 Wholesale's agencies in Spain and Greece, on the society's lines of 

 trading. If supplies from the East have been kept up to the mark 

 and at not excessive rates, that was, again, thanks to the society's 

 directing the trade, showing the Government how, by means of its 

 practice of direct supply — instead of lining the pockets of profiteer- 

 ing intermediaries — goods could be secured at a cheaper rate and 

 more reliably. Soaps, salt, matches, tartaric acid, condensed milk, 

 desiccated cocoa-nut, soda crystals, and more besides, all were kept 

 within humble purchasers' reach to a not mean extent through the 

 Wholesale's helping to meet the demand. In respect of flour, too, 

 the most important raw material for the staff of life, the Wholesale 

 Society's assistance eased the way for the hungry population. In 

 America, both in the United States and in Canada, and in Denmark, 

 the Wholesale Society's buyers became the Government's recog- 

 nised buyers, who conducted the business on Wholesale lines. Its 

 experts proved most valuable members on Government committees 

 and consumers' councils, and the services of more than a score of 

 Wholesale managers were formally enlisted as the Government's " ad- 

 visers." And if soldiers received their parcels of Christmas pudding, 

 and also of other articles, promptly and in sufficient quantity, once 

 more the Wholesale Society has helped towards such result. And its 

 " parcels for smokers," on a duty-free basis, must have proved very 

 godsends to soldiers at the front. A quarter of a million such parcels 

 went out, with no less than 50,000,000 cigarettes, 150,000 cigars 



