SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1520, 16 August 1912, Page 2

SOCIETY OF ENGINEERS.

NEW CO-OPERATIVE STORE. The Amalgamated Society of Engineers, held a social gathering in G'odber's Rooms, Courtonay Place, on Wednesday evening in celebration, of the opening of the society's co-opera-tivo store. There was a largo gathering of members and lady friends. Mr. Charles M'lntyro presided. Among tho guests was the Hon. I'. 31. B. Fisher, Minister for Marine. Letters apologising for absence were received from the Hon. W. H.; Hemes (Minister for Railways), and Mr. A...M. Myers. M.P. Tho Hon. Mr. Fisher, in proposing the toast of ,thc "Amalgamated Society," eaid that if they were to bo successful members must put personal feelings aside and select men who were best fitted to run tho business.. Tho object of co-operation, said Mr. Fisher, was to reduce the cost of necessaries of life to tho consumer by cutting out the profits of tho rotniler, and if tho enterprise grew, to oventually cut out the wholesale profits. To succeed in doing this, the co-operation of everyone was necessary.

Mr. M'lntyre ia responding, said that the Amalgamated Society was a society of workers, not shirkers, and that "they would sooner work out than rust out.". Tie staled that there were over 200 branches of the society in the world, with a membership of over 121,000. Since the society was first established, sums amounting, to Jt'o,ooo,ooo had been paid out in benefits. It was from tho' ranks of tho society that they got such men a.s the engineers who went down in the Titanic, standing at the engines till the last minute.

The toast of "Co-operntivo Stores" was proposed by Mr. M. B. Williams, who said that tho principle of co-operation had not been availed of much in New' Zealand up to tlin present, because there had been practically no need for it. There was a need now. Ko then gave a sketch of co-operation in England, statins that tho movement had been originated by a man named Owen 'n Lanark, at tho close of the eighteenth century. The two essential needs in any co-opera-tive system -wre sound management and the loyal support of all shareholders and associates. Tlie speaker coupled Mr. Sutton's name with tlio toast.

Mr. T. X. Sutton, in the course of his reply, delivered an addres* on the growth of co-operation nil over the world, mentioning the success which various co-op. ernlivn concerns had altnined.

During the course of the own ins musical items worn rendered by I lie in?: Mf=»r.=. .r. Holmes and TT. Maud (duet), Miss Foster (soi«:s), Mr. T!. B. Williams (somr). Miss Foster and TL Maud (duetl, Mr. Stanley (comet solo)! >fi'. \V. Knowle- (impersonation). ,nmj Messrs. Flight. C.'oyle. Prober!, and Slan]pv frniarlet from tho Wellington ("itv Rnndl; Mv. T. Sutton tsnngV Mrs. C. Morris was the accompanist.

Wood*' Oreat Peppermint Cum, Ij, Bd, For Ctojiio Cfceat CoaplAinti,'