CO-OP STREAMLINE PLANS ATTACKED
They won’t work, says chief
Mr. R. R. Griffiths, managing secretary of Rushden Co-operative Society, today described the proposed merging of Northamptonshire's 19 Co-operative societies as "beyond the realms of practicability."

He claimed that if the Co-operative Union’s merger plans went through “Co-operation as we know it in this area will disappear”.

However Mr. Griffiths pointed out that the final decision on amalgamation would rest with members of each society.

[Part of a longer article – this eventually was agreed]

Irthlingboro and Rushden Co-op merger
THE COMMITTEE of Irthlingborough Co-operative Society is recommending its members to accept a merger with the Rushden Society. The secretaries of the two societies, Mr L. Partridge (Irthlingborough) and Mr R. R. Griffiths (Rushden) yesterday issued a joint statement.

It reads: "The committee of the Irthlingborough Co-operative Society Ltd. has consulted with the committee of the Rushden society with a view to merging its business with Rushden and after careful consideration to recommend such a merger to the members of Irthlingborough society.

"This week the staff of Irthlingborough society attended a meeting which was presided over by the president of Irthlingborough Co-operative Society Mr. F. R. Langley, who stated the proposal to join with Rushden was for the benefit of the members and staff of Irthlingborough society."

GUARANTEED
Employees will be guaranteed continued employment in Irthlingborough and members' capital would also be guaranteed at the full amount, the statement says.

The terms of the merger which had been approved by the committee of the Irthlingborough society were discussed and questioned by the staff.

On August 12 there will be a special general meeting of shareholders of Irthlingborough society when the merger will be considered and this meeting will be followed on August 28 by a confirmatory meeting.

Co-op link-up
RUSHDEN Co-op is to take over the management of Irchester society on February 23. A special meeting of the Irchester Industrial and Provident Co-operative Society, founded in 1864, agreed to this on Monday night. Irchester had been advised to merge with a bigger society.

The Co-op, which has 1,200 members, had previously approached Northampton, which had rejected the move.

When news of the link-up was announced about a week ago, the secretary of Irchester Co-op, Mr. J. Mitchison, said: "I must stress that this is not a merger. The motion is that the management be vested in Rushden.''

Higham Co-op in shock merger move
IN A SHOCK statement issued today the committee of Higham Ferrers Co-operative Society recommend members to accept a merger with Rushden society. The statment issued jointly by the two societies and signed by Mr. R. R. Griffiths, managing secretary of Rushden society reads:-
"The committee of Higham Ferrers Co-operative Society Ltd. have consulted with the committee of Rushden Co-operative Society Ltd. with a view to merging its business with Rushden and after careful consideration, are to recommend such a merger to the members of Higham Ferrers society.

"This week the staff of Higham society attended a meeting which was presided, over by the president of Higham Ferrers Co-op Society, Mr. F. J. Lambert, who stated the proposal to join with Rushden was for the benefit of members and staff of Higham Ferrers society.

''The employees will be guaranteed continued employment and members' capital would also be guaranteed at the full amount. The terms of the merger, which had been approved by the committee of Higham Ferrers society, were discussed and questions by the staff answered. On October 6 there will be a special general meeting of shareholders of the Higham Ferrers society when the subject of the merger will be considered and this meeting will be followed on October 21 by a confirmatory meeting."

Mr. Griffiths would make no comment today other than that details would be made known to members on October 6. Mr. Colin Rockingham, Higham Ferrers secretary-manager, said: "This statement was issued in conjunction with both societies."

CO-OP MERGER IS ON
HIGHAM FERRERS Industrial Co-operative Society will merge with Rushden Society on November 2. This became definite last night at a confirmatory special general meeting of Higham Ferrers members at the Working Men's Club. Of the 34 present only one voted against the merger.

Earlier this month, at the first special general meeting called to discuss the merger, an overwhelming majority of the 75 present voted in favour of the merger. Mr . Colin Rockingham, secretary/manager of the Higham Ferrers Society, said the meeting last night went very smoothly.