Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-06-20
THE LABOR PROBlEM M d.
Progress Of fCO-Operstion BefNveen this
Country and Europe.


4 favorltc cooperative scheme which is
winning hundreds of converts in this vicin-
ity, is The Cooperative Building Associa-
ton. The most considerable Of these or
CARNATIONS is that Of which Mr. John W.
Farmer is President. 1t has already an
apparent capital OF : ,0O0.OOO. y like as
sociaiion in Brooklyn, and another in New
York are progressing favOrabiy, The plan
of operation in these societies is thus de
scribed by one of their secretaries:
|. The shares are = 900 each.
> The entrance fee is - cents per share
3. The subscription is ) per share per
week.
4. Members can hold one or more shares.
>. Muney will b c advanced to members
in sums of $500 and upward TO purchase
property, the member executing mortgage
to- the society, the advance to be repaid in
monthly or quarterly instalments, extend
ing over a period of five, ten, or fifteen
wears at the option of the borrower, with
seven per cent. interest thereon.
s. Any member becoming n borrower
from the society ceases to pay the weekly
contribution his share, and can receive the
amount he has paid back, or he can leave
it i'm the society and receive his share of
The profits on the same. The only pay
ments to- he made are the monthly Orquar
:erly installments, upon payment of which
the property is released by the society,"
BY this means the member knows the
amount he has TO pay and the exact time
he has to pay it.
4 Az IN investment til r. cln b
nothing better as the profits To- be divided
annually will realize from seven to nine
per cent. thus forming good savings fund
until member obtains property to- suit
him, or, if not intending to purchase, pay
ing more interest than can be obtained
elsewhere. Al the same time the security
will be unexceptiOnable, as all deeds anu
funds will he invested in trustees of known
good standing, and chosenb by the members,
and none but first mortgages taken by the
Society.
s. The subscriptions being only one dol
lar per share per week, places it within the
means of all TO become members.
HOW TO sTARr Co-oPERALivE STORE.
We would not advise an association To
start a general store, at least not at the out
set. but to confine the business TO articles
of table nsumption-produce, groceries,
etc. A capital of ! 5000 i. ample for store
of this kind. Suppose now that a number
of men are desirous of entering into this en-
terprise. The amount of money required
is $1,000. which may be represented by a
1thousand shares of stock at the par value
of 81. When the stock has been subscribed
permanent officers of the association should
he elected-the general management Of the
store be entrusted to board of directors
$4,000 will pay for fixtures and buy an am
pie stock of goods with which to commence
operations, leaving $4,000 for wOrkin cap
ital. Then, one or more agents should bc
employed to buy produce in the country
directly from the producers, so rs to save
the large profits which commission mer
chants and wholesale dealers ordinarily
exact The prices of the goods sold by thu
store should be al the lowest market rates
AID should be made 10 stock holders ant
others upon the same terms. Then every
three or six months an inventory of the
stock should be taken, the accounts bal
anced, and dividend of the profits de-
clared to the stockholders. The none,
thus divided would be equivalent to tn,
profit that consumers now pay to middle
men. Now let us see what the approx
mate profit would he. 1t is safe TO sa,
that The sales Of such store would aver
age $500 day-quite likely it would dou
BILE that sum. Retailers generally calculat
on gross profit of % per cent. on thei
sales, and we will allow the same for til,
cooperative store. On business of 500
the gross profit would therefore be $50 pc
; day, or Sl5,650 per year. The expense
would be about as follows: