New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-10-11

which We were 90 profoundly chtcfeu o"u cnVou'
aged as little shilling pamphlet just sent US from
England. entitled 'Selfhelp by the People His
tory of Cooperation in Rochdae: By George
Jacob Holyoake." II is a simple but profoundly
interesting account of Cooperative Trade move
ment, commenced in the manufacturing town Of
Rochdsle fourteen years ago, by some thirty or
forty poor and humble workers, mainly wesyers
who assumed the corporate name Of The Roch'
&" dale Society Of Equitable Pioneers" and with
less than $40 in their treasury and all income OF
Two pence per week from each stakeholder (Which
some OF them were often unable 10 pay, undertook
the rather Formidable task Swallowed forth II the
following programme:
The objects and plans Of this Society are to form
arrangements for the recunsry benefit snt the I'M
provement of the social and domestic condition OF ts
members by raising sufficient amount of capta IN
shares Of pound EACH to bring into operation the
following plans and arrangements:
Tie establishment Of Store for the sale of pro-
visions clothing, &c.
49, The building purchasing, or erecting number
Of houses in which those members desiring to assist
each other in improving their domestic and social con-
diton, may reside. -
:" To commence the manufacture Of such articles
a. the society may determine upon for the employ
nent Of such members may be without employment
or who may be suffering in consequence OF repeated
reductions in their wages.
90 As further benefit and security 10 the members
Of this society the society shall purchase or rent an
estate or estate, of land. which shall be cultivated by
the members who may be out of employment, or whose
labor may be badly remunerated.
Then follows project which no nation has ever
attempted and no enthusiasts yet carried out:
a. That, a. soon ~ practicable, this society shall
proceed TO arrange he pouers Of production, dstrou-
iion, education and government or in other WORDS
to establish self-supporng homecoony OF united IN
~ 9th n e-tablslllR
colonies"
Who would guess that men 30 powerless and at
the same time so smbtious-mOst writer's would say
so visionary-eould hold together for fourteen
years and achieve what are already recognized as
grand. benefcent results 7 Yet they have most
undeniably done so.
1t was on the 2lst of December, 1914, that
these true pioneers, having aboriously accumu.
lated total cash capital Of f25 (&l40), opened
their store in warehouse in Toad Lane, which
they had leased for $50 per snnum. Let Mr..
Holy oake describe this opening
Fifteen years ago, Toad Lane, Rochdale, was not
very inviting street Its name did il injustice.
The groundhocr Of warehouse in Toad Lane was the
place selected in which TO commence operations. Len.
cashire warehouses not then the grand things
they have since become, and the groundhoor Of Mr..
Dunlop's premises here employed was obtained upon
fhtc OF three years NJ \ w per w IL
liam Cooper was appointed cashier; his duties were
very light at first. Samuel Ashworth dgnified
with the nomination of salesman; bis commodities
consisted of nfntesma quantities of -four, butter,
sugar and oatmeal The entire quantity would hardly
stock homeopathic grocers shop, for, after pnr.
ch,sing and consistently paying for the necessary liz
lures ga Els was al they had to invest in stock.
And on desperate evening-it was the longest
evening of the yearthe 2lst Of December, 1874, the
Equitable Pioneers commenced business; and the
few who remember the commencement, look back
upon their present opuence and success with smile
Of their extraordinary opening day II had got wind
among the tradesmen of the town, that their
competitors were in the field and many
curious eye wac that day turned up Iosd
enemy; but, ike other enemies Of more historic re:
nown, they were rather shy OF appearing. few OF
the cooperstors had clandestnely assembled to wit
their denouemeat; and there they stood, in
that dismal lower room Il the warehouse, Ike the
conspirators under Guy fawkes in the Parliamentary
cellars debating whom should devolve the temery
Of taking down the shutters, and displaying their
humble preparations. One did not like TO do il, and
smother did not ike to he in the shop when was
done however having 80 far there was no choice
but to 60 further and at length one bold fellow, utterly
reckless Of consequence rushed at the shutters ana
in few minutes Toad Lane was in atitter Lancashire
has IFS p1nns as well as Parsin fact all towns have
their characteristic urchins, who display precocous
sense of the ridiculous. The dofers are the gamias
teen who take off full bobbins from the spindes and
put on empty ones.f Like steam 10 the engine,
they are the indispensable 1ries to the mills
When they absent, the have to play and often
when the men want 8 holiday, the doffers get to
understand by OF those signs very well under
stood in the fIeema onry Of the factory craft, and the
young rascas away in body. and, Of course, the
have TO play until the rebeious urchirf return to
their egance On the night when store as OPEN
ed the doffers came out strong in Toad lane peep
ing with ridiculous mpertinence round TIL corners
venstiDe their opinion at the top OF their voices or
standing before the door, inspecting with erinaelous
insoence the scanty arrangement Of butter and oat
meal: al length, they exclaimed in chorus, Ayi
the owd weavers shop is opened at last
That is a scene rather in contrast, you will
agree, TO the ova.ions which have celebrated the
Laying OF the transatlantic Gable, and yet-but
We Will wait and see.
We cannot of course trace the history of this |
enterprise in detail. Suffice il that the number of
co0perators slowly and esprieiously increased;
that many difficulties were encountered and pa
tiently overcome; that the Store, which was at
frst open only on Saturday and Monday evenings,
was after while open on five evenings in each I
week, and then on Saturday afternoon also; that ,
members falling into distress were allowed TO with
draw the greater part Of their little capital; that
the capital and sales pretty steadily increased, so
that the weekly receipts for goods, which were at
frs. but fraction, 10 $50 at the end Of the
first years Ia S40Q at the close of the fourth year
10 nesrly $9C0 year later; and to $1,000 at the I
close of 1850; and in April, ISL, the Store was
for the frst time kept open all day, its capital
having now increased 10 SI3, SEQ very re'peets-
bic sum on which 10 DO strictly cash business In ,
the prime neeessaries Of poor mems life. With /
- .:..I :, . M. J;if; cuit "a do many things,