New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-06
COOPERATION IN ENGLAND.
CAPITAL OWNED BY THE BRITISH WORKING
GLASGOW ACCUMULATED AND USED
SUGGESTIONS AS TO FUTURE USE.
FROM Our Special Correspondent

CIAsS-HOw ACCUMULATED AND Used
SUGGESTIONS AS TO FUTURE USE.
From Our Special Correspondent
LONDON, Sept 25 1867.
The capital owned by the English industrial class
is one of the surprising items Of the times and IT Is
surprising that the Ownefs thereof have never mth-
crtO realized what a power they possess and how
much by a wider application than has hitherto been
given tocoGpcratve effort they might almost at one
stride change for the better most of the
material social. and economic circumstances by
which they are now influenced. The truth Is
inst beginning to dawn upon the most sagaciOus OF
their leaders and representatives here, that mere
waits an immense capital owned by themselVSs-
the toilers and pioneers IN a large denee-Whch Is
now made much more beneficial 10 the GLASSES
hitherto antagOulsic. than II Is 10 the real owners
thereof The lesson % be deduCed from the statistics
which am about to give, ought by no means To be
lost in the United States. where association as an
instrument of self help Is Just beginning ltI real ,
development II needs only avoid the mistakes OF
its progcnitors and types here in order TO reap even
great results IN "a much shorter period OF uule.
Il is of course true that cooperation Is not new
idea. But its practical realization IN the matter OF
supply at least viii not IN England 90 back OF 1915,
while In truth its great development has taken place
within the last Is years. have gathered from a
great variety of authentic sources, many most
valuable statistics, which ] shall insert here as n
means Of calculating the truth-that the industrial
class everywhere have, by means OF wise use OF
their combined capital the best lever they could ask
to lift themselves from the slough OF poverty IN
which "a larger norton Of them are struggling
Lying before me are the returns for 1866 OF MI j.
Hdd Pratt. the register of friendly, beneht' butunG
providcnt. and other forms of associative seuhelr
which the legislation OF Great Britain recognizes as
legitimate. Ii Is doubtless true that the class rulers
of this empire did not realize when they passed me
acts under which this great network OF association
effort has spread itself so widely, what power u.ey
were creating or how expansive would be the prln-
cple embodied in the series of acts OF WhcR me
Industrial and PrOvldcnt Societies act OF Ieeoo
that of " limited Liability and recent one relating
to industrial partnerSlips-aTe most favorable Illus
tatOns. ;
tions have attracted such attention; and developed
the means by which the INDUSTRIAL class can ~ Iei-
ity become their own capitalists. il will perhaps. be
well to show the present condition oil TINS move
ment.
there have been registered mp TO December ~, lo]
IN England Wales, and Scotland. 132 Returns
have been received from 1856 16 have been dissolved
and 24O have neglected to send the annual statement
The law requires this and imposes apenaltX Tor non
compliance, but the Registrar Is lett without lhe
funds and machinery To make TINS eliectNe. since
the date named 25l more societies have been CeIu-
fed This makes. IN all, 1910 cooperative societies.
Dt which DO is evident, by the returns, 90 nave hoi
been successful OF 40 least not much so as 10 make
them DESTROYS of stating their success Some OF
these sOcietes engaged I'M manufacturing have puT-
pOsey RETAINED from sending IN returns, though
they claim "a moderate degree OF success The busl-
ness commonly carried on Is that OF groceIs
and provision dealers. One-iourth. perhaps
also sell dl-coOds boots shoes clogs these latter
articles are chiefly sold in Lancashre and similar
articles. There are eleven flour mill associations
registered They are all m the cotton hihulaclulHs
districts. Among the trades there Is one operative
wire factory. one Sttlt-Indkug. one dlhdll Nolhs-
one lock maker at Wolverhampton, one cooperative
cotton factory and hand loom weayers at Norwich
Two masOns' and builders. both III Yorkshire one
operative boot and shoe factory, one operative lar
riers shop. and Cabnet-makers-th latter are
in London. OF the As associations whose printed
returns attest tleir success 421 are in England are
in Wales and i'm ireland. Of the English ones.
Lancashire and Yorkshire 1.-THE principal lnanuIac-
turing ceners have all the larger associations ana
nearly One-haf of the entire number of the success
aul ones. Lancashire reports ll4, yorkshire tul,
total of 2lj London reports ID all lO4; most OF when
are small grocery stores. Among the Associations D.
one farm, having - members, ana clearing q slau
margin of profit. 1t Is situated IN Cheshire. The
membership numbered at the close OF 1850 10 t6l per
EOns with share capital of tlO4oU# and loan cap
ita of El1S4; trade Liabilities to,l3ui assets ana
property ElOC9ei9 and balance OF cash on hand,
.tIgS3. This makes tOtal OF t<UJ'"e- WIlch il We
estimate exchange at s.. viii. in American currency
give total value OF SIS }233 or about Sll2 20 each
shareholder if an equal division was made. Thirty
OF these associations sold goods during the year TO
.,noT"t evceeding e1OOOO0 The Rochdale
.IlouH, ~ p;S ,,ICS. Seciaf,- met 0n
80 rod II, ISi.c n membership Of G34G and a
share capital of Eg4S9 1t sold groceries &c TO the
amount of t249l cash, and realized profit OF t3l,
ISL The capital of these associations is generally
issued in shares at - each. Some few have -
shares Nearly all do cash business less thah TWO
hcure grant crediUfO members within the amount of
their paid up capital while very few give credit 10
"a larger extent 10 the cooperative moEeheh' j.
utmost altogether due the destruction OF the credit
system which 10y means OF truck shops ana tauy-
men" eat up the entire earnings OF the WoT6ng peo
pie. The entire sum received for goods sold during
1866 by these societies amounted to 444Jj.59b. Tie
expenses amounted 10 t$5544' ana the
This is certainly a most favorable eXhlb-
d. and taking all the associations regis
Scred and operating there cannot be less than
.f3.OO0OOO. or about $2lOOOO00 invested mainly by
qhe working class of Great Britain in this manner.
Thsis of course among the OstdiTect and profitable
investments they have. There Is no means within
my reach this date of estimating that which Is III
vested by them directly III the new industrial part
lership now growing rapidly IN this country. l
shall make especial inquiries 10 ascertain during my
visit TO the manufacturing centers.
From the foregoing il can be in some degree ascer-
saned what wisely-drected efforts and sei-help viii
accomplish. But the result VIII be more surprising
when we come to add up the c9ptal possessed by
movements based on the principle OF associations.
Great Britain is full of societies Tor aiding the
JnemIers when sick etc. known Friendly and
Benefit Societies. At least, eighty per cent of the
membership of these organizations may be included
within recent definition OF the Working Class.
~ given 10y of the abest writers, 10 the effect
that the terms "' working class. working men
sneans those who work. chiefly with their muscles
aOr wages and maintain themselves thereby" 1t Is
quite difficult 10 obtain any accurate estimate OF
shc captal of these associations Mr.. j. Idd PTatte
return of last year shows returns from lO societies
with a membership of l514,42J, and funds 10 the
amount OF t5162O1S. lheIe were registered IN all
- 50 societies, but the number gwen Is all whose
returns sent in before the report was issued.
There also many small associations not registered
at all Probably there are 1000 such societies as are
referred to III me, United hlngd9m' ~ ~
Mr.. Charles Hardwlck Ia good authority
stated before the COnges International
Gle Bienfasance that the entire Friendly
Societies OF Great Britain possessed re-
served fund of $2OOOOOOO sterling about $4,000
90 American. William Watkins, writer these
questions. and who is engaged as Actuary, &c. IN
recent pamphlet 70 which shall have occasion 20
refer again, estimates the reserved capital at Co.
OOOO sterling Their annual income cannot be less
than Ej0O00O0 sterling The two largest benevolent
OrdcrS-Odd Fellows FOTesters-aOne have securely