Oxford firm marks its centenary with pension scheme for employees”: (transcription of the Oxford Mail’s text):
Mr WGR Archer, head of Archer Cowley & Co, the Oxford removal firm, announced at a dinner on Saturday night given to employees and their wives and friends to celebrate the centenary of the firm, that during the year it was proposed to institute a non-contributory pension scheme for members of the staff.
“The details are being worked out now” he told the guests, “and we shall bring the scheme into operation in the centenary year.
“If we wait for any Government to introduce a pension scheme, it looks as though we should have to wait a very long time.”
Mr Archer, for many years a leading figure in Oxford business life,succeeded his uncle, the late Mr James Archer, as head of the firm in 1919.
His two sons are also associated with him in the management, Mr Fred Archer and Mr Arthur Archer, and they, with members of their families, were present at the dinner.
The firm was toasted by Mr W Isard, of Tunbridge Wells, president of the National Association of Furniture Warehousemen and Removers.
No Strike Record:
On behalf of the association he congratulated Mr Archer on the milestone which had been reached by Archer Cowley, and added that the centenary was all the more important because the business was still being conducted by the Archer family.
He also paid tribute to the esteem in which Mr Archer and the business were held by the association and its members.
“We are very proud of the records of our trade and the good relations which exist between the employers and those who work for them”, he went on.
“That is shown by the fact that no one can remember a strike in our trade - an example which might well be followed by others.
“And that happy relationship is shown, too, in our association; just as we don’t have fights in our business, we don’t fight among ourselves and all our members try to be helpful to each other.
“Your firm can now look back on completing a century of service, and with two more generations in the business is well set for the future.
“There can be no doubt that from every point of view family businesses are the best to work for - and the best to give service to the public.”
In reply, Mr Archer said the firm was as proud of being a family business as it was of giving personal service, as it had for 100 years.
Although the business had been in existence for a century, the Archer family had been in Oxford for some centuries before that, and in 1518 one John Archer became a leaseholder of City property.
“There are records of the Archer family for 450 years back, and it looks as if that record will go on for many years, with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren he declared.
“We could not have celebrated this centenary nor could we have gone on giving good honest service if were not for the splendid staff we have.
“We have always been fortunate in the men we have had working for us, and the result is that we can go out from Oxford to any part of the country with confidence.
“The work is hard and often very exacting, but it is always done willingly and cheerfully.”
He spoke, too, of the pride which he and his forebears had for Oxford of which he and his forebears had been Freemen for many generations.
Presentations
Four employees, with well over a century of service in the firm between them, received presentations from Mr Archer. They were led by Mr Alec Cudd, who had worked for the firm for 43 years.
The others were his son, Mr Bernard Cudd, and two brothers, Mr Monty Gurden and Mr William Gurden.
On behalf of the staff, Mr Oswald Bennett presented Mr William Archer with an umbrella in appreciation of his “inspiring leadership and great service.” Mrs Archer received a bouquet.
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Musings by Phil: (9.3.17):
Interesting that WGRA was the only one to speak on behalf of the family. Not FGBA nor AWA, nor anyone else.
Interesting too to read the references to all those other generations of Archers and to: "and with two more generations in the business (it) is well set for the future.”
Ditto the references to: "“There are records of the Archer family for 450 years back, and it looks as if that record will go on for many years, with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren he declared.”. I think I know what WGRA is referring-to. I have it in my records somewhere, and must put it on this site. But I don’t think it is clear that those Archers are necessariy related to us. Same surname. Same city. But that’s not enough really. It would be good if I could investigate that point. Heigh-ho. Life is short!
Nice to have clear statements about Alec Cudd and his son Bernard. Ditto Monty and William Gurden. I thought William Gurden was older (perhaps he was, of course), and from an earlier generation, and had been WGRA’s gardener.
Ditto the references to the Freemen of Oxford. Perhaps I should make contact with them. Perhaps not as a member but just as in ‘interested observer’ or something like that.