Days when married men in the grocery trade received no more than is now paid to a boy or girl fresh from school, are recalled by Mr. Albert Jacques, secretary-manager to Higham Ferrers Industrial Co-operative Society, who has just completed 50 years in the Co-operative movement.
Mr. Jacques plans to retire at the end of October.
Starting early in 1897 with the Leicester society at their Gresham-street branch, Mr. Jacques drew 4s. 6d, a week at 12 years of age.
As one of a family of 12 he had to look around for extra pocket money, and began cleaning the bicycles of the other three members of the staff for a few coppers a week. In time, his ambition to buy his own bicycle was realised.
For 18 months previously he had been a butcher's boy in the evenings and Saturdays for the weekly sum of 1s. 6d.
After seven years at the Gresham-street store. Mr. Jacques went on to a considerable number of branches in Leicester as a "relief" at holiday periods.
Training Classes
As a young man he attended training classes in various subjects, including book-keeping and the technical side of the grocery trade. His teacher was Mr. William Bradshaw, manager of the Grantham society and later of the C.W.S. at Manchester, where he was knighted.
As first assistant at the Walnut-street branch, Mr. Jacques earned 25s. 6d. a week.
Married in 1910, he left Leicester early in 1911 to take up the position of store manager for Cosby Co-operative Society, near Leicester. A wage was not paid, but instead a commission of sevenpence in the pound was offered. Mr. Jacques was also expected to find his own help, and his wife was his right-hand "man." They worked a 70-80 hour with no mealtimes-from 7.30a.m. to 8p.m. on most days, till 9p.m. on Friday and 10p m. on Saturday.
In January, 1916, Mr. Jacques was called for Army service and went to France, being invalided home early in 1918 and demobilised in the February.
Grocery Manager
After his Army career Mr. Jacques took up his first appointment with the Grantham society, of which Mr. William Bradshaw was secretary/manager. He was central grocery store and warehouse manager, while the butchery manager was Mr. Tom Best, the present owner of Langton Abbott.
It was in 1921 that Mr. Jacques went to Higham Ferrers as grocery manager. The membership at that time was 590, and to-day it is 1,321.
After holding the position for 12 years, and following the retirement of the late Mr. William Randall, Mr. Jacques was appointed secretary/manager. When he "took over," the trade of the society was £17,244 for a half-year. Sales for the last half-yearly period amounted to £38,181.
Mr. Jacques, in pointing out that a junior now commences at 25s. 6d. a week, said that when he and his wife worked together at Cosby they received less than £2 10s. a week jointly.
He says that he has had a pleasant and happy association with the Higham Ferrers society, although the past seven years, with the complexities of rationing, have placed a big strain on him.
Higham Co-op
|
