The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-26 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 26, 1867.

invalids seek it in winter, and there, or at the little Island
of Santa Cruz, are soon restored to health.
__ _

The outlying islands of the Virgin group are all valuable,
in various ways, and capable of cultivation. San Juan
and St. Thomas both produce sugar-cane, although the
great commercial position of St. Thomas, and the other
more easy means of making money, have caused all kinds
of agricultural pursuits to be neglected. The people have
always been our friends. During the rebellion, when all
ports of the French and British West India islands were
closed against us, St. Thomas furnished our vessels with
supplies of all kind ; gave us information, and turned the
cold shoulder to the rebel cruiser. They offered the latter
no facilities for preying upon our commerce.
The United States can have direct telegraphic com-
munication with St. Thomas. Wires could be laid from
the Capes of Florida scram the shoal water which extends,
with some interruptions (of not very deep water), as far
as Turk's Island, and thence direct to St. Thomas. The
distance would be somewhat greater than to Cuba ; but.
comparatively speaking, it would not be an expensive line,
as there would be so much shoal water.
In tine, I think St. Thomas is the key-stone of the arch
of the West Indies. It cotumands them all. It is of more
importance to us than to any one else. and if Europe was
at leisure, and its attention not distracted by its own com-
plications, we would not be allowed to get the island on
any terms. The chances are that we may not get it
yet. The people of St. Thomas may prefer their present
independent position to being mixed up with our difficul-
tiee.—ltespectfully, &c.,
DAVID D. roma, Vice-Admiral.

THE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES OP
LANCASHIRE.

(From the Manelimier Examiner.)
The success which follwed the establishment of
the Equitable Pioneers Cooperative Society at Rochdale,
about twenty years since, has begotten a host of imitators.
Some have failed, others succeeded, the result being that
at the close of 186.5, according to the statement of the
registrar of friendly societies, 752 of these institutions
were in existence, and that 76 were dissolved during the
currency of 1846. 264 societies had their rules certified
during the latter year. These being new undertakings,
would bring the total up to 940 for England and Wales, if
we understand Mr. Tidd Pratt'. statistics aright.
With regard to their working, we have only the
particulars of 436 societies, a large number having
neglected to send to the registrar their annual
accounts. This negligence for the future will not go
unpunished. By 30 sad 31 Vic., o. 117, a penalty of not
more than M., nor less than 21., will be imposed on every
society which fails or refuses to make out and transmit its
annual account. This is a power which the registrar will
doebtleu use to the benefit of the public, and for the
eompletiou of his yearly reports to parliament. Short as
the return before us is of completeness, it yet shows that
en the 31st December, 1866, there were 173,432 members
of co-operative societies, and that the money "turned
over "iu the course of the year was between 4,000,0001.
and 5,000,000/.—figures which indicate the growing
importance and acceptance of the principle involved
in these associations. parliamentary return,
running over 60 folio pages, with a few meagre
totals at the end, only affords the raw material for
a compilation of statistics, but fails in itself as a
satisfactory exposition of the principal facts. The king-
dom is broadly distinguished in character by its counties,
but in the document before us no one of the counties is
summarised. The reader who wishes to compare Lance-
d:tire, for instance, with Devonshire or Norfolk, must with
laborious detail bring the particulars together for himself.
This should not be, for if the whole kingdom is capable of
presentment in a brief tabular form, surely its constituent
parts are susceptible of a similar treatment. Lancashire
us the birthplace and genial home of co-operation ; in our
county many societies flourish, though, of course, all do
not bear equal fruits. Counting all, there are 144 societies,
but many are small. These would occupy in tabulation
more space than we should care to bestow, therefore we
limit the following selection to such associations as have
300 members and upwards.
The Principal Co-operative Societies of Lancashire, as they
stood on the 31st December, 1866:
N umber et Goods Goods Pronto
Registered Office members, bought told realised
of Society. 1303. In 18e6. In ISGS. in 1886.
Q
Accrington
Ashton-under-Lynx
Bacup
Blackburn, York-street 338... 9,705... 10,338... 497
Blakeymoor 445... 12,406... 12,987... fr3s
Mickley
Bolton, Bridge-street
lirickfiehl, near Rochdale 411... 11,683... 13,476... 1,632
Bury, Market-street 4,100...117,395...135,175...16,191
Chorley, Market-place
Dalton-in-Furness 428... 8,373... 9,253... 799
Over Derwen
Eccles
Healey 301... 8,259... 9,020_ 1,124
Failsworth
Great Harwood
Haalingdea
Heywood 858... 28,240... 31,607... 3,725
Hindley
Whitworth
Halms, Medleekotreet 1,710... 32,642... 38,505 .. 3,576
Lancaster, Newokeet
Littleborough MIL 19,044... 21,042 2,353
Manchester, Dantric-et 31,010...174,81:10...175,044... 2,800
Manchester, Downing-st 2,585... 48,182... 55,197... 3,844
Middleton 581... 13,464... 15,859... 1,552
Militrow

3losaley - 37:161.- 3,541
Oldham, Greesacteiehill 1,406... 68,904... 78,671... 9,272
Oldham, King-street 2,263... 78,665... 87,614...11,376
l'reetwich 502... 8,419... 9,368 . 1,273
Radcliffe

Rarnsbotion_

21,169... 23,835_ 3,477

Rawteaetall,Lord•ehwet 18,110... 21,579... 3,051
Rawtenstall, Cawl-ter.... 524... 13,924... 15,M4 2,0.14
Rochdale (Rquit. M 00.)... 6,246 -220,Z38...249,122...31,931
Shaw

Steeps, near Rochdale 312... 9,141_ 10,188_ 1,074
Tottniortlen
Touted 350... 11,977... 14,290... 2,206
Watertoot
- - • -

In this account there are 40 societies represented. The
names are not given becalm they' appear more frequently
to be distinguished by their locality than their title. " Co-
operative • industrial co-operative," " provident," lee. are
the favourable' adjectives in their designations. The objects
of the respective societies in general are for the sale
of groceries, drapery, and clothing. One, with an
innocent ambiguity of phrsse, returns itself as engaged in
"butchery and clogging." The table exhibits but two or
three items, but they seemed best calculated to convey in
a brief manner the extent of the business carried on by
each store. The selected societies mustered 73,000 mem-
bers, and they sold goods in the course of the year amount-
ing to 1,500,000/. and a fraction over ; hence, under the
last-named phase, they equalled one-third of the aggregate
sales of the kingdom. The accounts aro usually audited
once a quarter by members, and occasionally by non-mem-
bers. In the matter of realised profits, the last column
of the statement is probably an unreliable exponent
for comparing one society with another, and for
this reason, that the price fixed on articles over
I prime cost, we believe, varies. The stores may be
I distributed at a small advance to cover working expenses
and depreciation • or, they may be sold at the market
price of the place, and the members receive their advan-
tage periodically in the shape of dividends.
The profits are usually applied to interest on shares,
dividends to members, occanonally to non-members, de-
preciation of stock, reserve fund, and not unfrequently to
the payment of an item termed `educational,' which we
believe is not meant for schooling in the ordinary sense, but
for the maintenance and supply of • reading-room- 11
very pleasing adjunct to some of these undertakings.
The sums applied to the purpose are generally moderate,
varying between 20/. and 501. But in one or two instances
they are much larger. The Oldham Society (King-street)
devoted last year 217/. to the " educational fund,",and the
Rochdale Equitable Pioneers no less than 6811. to "edu-
cation." The ltawtenstall Sooirty gave out of their profits
S.N. for " library and newsroom."
The oldest, the most prosperous, and the type followed
by other organizations—the Equitable Pioneers—deserves
a few more words than we can give to the others. At the
I latest date officially published these were the principal air-
cumstances recorded. Established In 1844, it had 6,246
members on its books at the close of 1866. During the
year 1,075 new members joined, and 753 old ones with-
drew, hence the clear accessions over withdrawals
amounted to 920 members. The shares are If, each ;
the total received from that source during the
society's existence was 51.981.4 The withdrawing
members in 1806 took out for their share the
large sum of 30,7/. The share capital amounted to
97,489/. ; the loan capital was small, 4184, but the interest
I received on loans was 70/. The amount paid by the
society for interest during this year was 3,823/. The rate
of interest is not stated, but at 5 per cent. this sum
would pay for a loan of 70.000/. for twelve months. Cash
paid for goods purchased was 220.2384. ; goods sold,
249,122/. ; )refit realised, 31,931/. The profit was thus
applied :
Interest
Dividend on purchases 25,829
Education
Reserve fund 252
Depreciation of fixed stock
Charities
The whole of the working expenses for the year, that is
to say, wages, rent, rates, and taxes, and all incidental
repairs, &c., was 7,7451., which upon the value of the
goods sold is equivalent to 31. 2s. 6d. per cent, The cash
in hand, that is, at the banker's, treasurer's, or with other
officers, figured at the respectable amount of 25,0;4/. The
assets of the society were valued at 99,9891., which, for
the convenience of remembering, we will call 100,000!.,
and the total liabilities at 81/. Credit is neither given nor
taken, and the society's accounts are subjected to a quar-
terly scrutiny by auditors chosen from among the members.
The North of England Co-operative Society counts far
more members than the Pioncera, namely, 31,0:10; but
their transactions, though very considerable, are less than
the Rochdale society by 70,00 W. or more in the year.
Of the two or three societies in Lancashire which have
entered the field as co-operative manufacturers and
capitalists we have said nothing. The distributive societies
whose function is to buy goods at wholesale • rices, and
then divide them among the members►ccordingto the
wants of each individual, require but common prudence,
skill, and honesty in working to obtain success. Needful as
such qualities are in all business undertakings that are
to be remunerative, there is something much beyond
them required when workpeople contend as competitors
with great capitalists. The co-operative store is a simple
prudential arrangement— the co-operative factory must he
a much more complex enterprise, the prudence of which
in any case actual trial alone can prove. The Rochdale
Co-operative Corn-mill shows upon • sale of 292,0001.
worth of goods 18,000!. profit, but this society are general
dealers also, and what they gained as millers only we
cannot say. The Co-operative Cotton Factory in the'same
town made sales to the extent of 108,0001. ; the realised
profits were 4,6201. This concern appears to be confined to
spinning and manufacturing cotton.
Within these two or three years the principle of
co-operative stores has found favour with certain
sections of the middle classes in London. The civil
servants of the crown have established two large
stores under different committees. The first was formed
in the City, and the second at the West-end. The City
store is open to the goveniment clerks and to any of their
friends whom they may choose to nominate. The West-end
society reckons a more opulent class among its members
than the earlier institution. Ifembership is strictly con-
fined
to government employes, clergymen, and officers of
the army and navy. The moons of both has been great
beyond ail anticipation, and the naturalisation of the eo-
operative principle in buying and selling hell been thus
fairly inaugurated with a class in the social ranks above
those with whom it originated. For the good lesson Lon-
don must thank the Rochdale Pioneers,