New-York tribune., 1867-04-09
UORKIyG MEMS UNIONS.

The Laboring Class of Great Britain receive
less than half the wages estimated III gold
which are paid for similar service in the United
States while the cost (u gold of living i'll the
two countries is nearly equal Food is cheaper
here; clothing there shelter, in the average,
much the same. Hence, the British laborers
are constrained either to live more coarSely
and fugally than ours do, or 10 eke ont their
scanty incomes by superior economies And
thus il chances that Cooperation has made
strides in England which this country has by
no means paraleled.
Halifax is an English manufacturing town.
whereof the gigantic carpct-millS ol hessls'
John Crossley & Sons are the most striking
feature Here, an effort mt Cooperation IN the
purchase and sale of food was made. more
than thirty years ago, by few OF the labor
ing poor, and again and again resulted IN
failure. The third experiment was given mp
IN 1913 Still mdaunted, the devOtees began
again in 1850, as the Halifax Working Mems
Cooperative and Proyident Society" 1t was
"A feeble beginning, and received set
back in 1865 10y the defalcation of its (unpaid)
treasurer, who was minus 500. OF course,
many of its 3lG members left, drawing ont
their funds; yet the association rode out the
storm, and in 1861 was reconstructed as the
"Halifax Industrial Society" Having by this
time attracted the attention and acquired the
confidence of the masses, it now entered upon
career of rapid growth and extensive useful
ness Ii paid its stockholders per cent. III 1850
and per cent in 1861; whercupOn the
Laboring Class rushed i'll to share It's adyant-
ages, until it has inow G,0OO members, capital
of over S2jO000, did business last year to the
amount of SS00,00O at total cost OF less than
five per cent, and at net profit oi more than
sGj,0OO, which was shared by its members,
instead of being paid away to others. In other
words: the working men of Halifax PAID for
their provisions, groceries, &C., &c, before they
consumed them, instead of running i'll debt, and
working all their lives for dead horse they
bought them at wholesale prices, and OF the
very best quality and, after having supplied
themselves at low prices, they shared the re-
sulting profits. II would he far within the
truth to say that the workers for wages in Hal
flax are richer by at least the S9j0,00O capital,
and supply their principal wants at least twenty
per cent. cheaper by reason of Cooperation
They began, of course by laying in a stock
of provisions, groceries, &c, and selling or dis
tributing them by means of store; next,
they bought horse and cart, and commenced
dealing out coal; next came canal-boat
whereOn to bring their coal (bought by the
cargo) from the mines; they have now twenty
five railroad trucks for coal and sixteen horses.
They now buy cattle and sheep and sell meat;
they buy cloth and make and sell clothes;
they buy leather and make boots and shoes;
they do large business in coal; they have large
dining rooms, for the use of their members;
they have some manufactures started, and
farm of sixty acres, with great central
store and seventeen branches in Hall
fax and the neighbOring villages. Their
stock in hand OH the 1st of July last
was worth $4,000, the rest of their capital
being invested in their stores and other build
ings Their net profits for the first half of 1866
were $4,000, after deducting a loss of $1,000
on their iDfantile manufacturing experiment.
Their farming (on leased land) paid net
profit equal to $500 per annum on an invest
ment of $3,700 Keen, shrewd business men
might have made more money than these
humble co0perators; but in what other sense
could they have done betterg
OF course. success has induced imitation.
Building and Quauying Company; Halifax
Cotton Company, two Flour Societies Chat is,
combinations of consumers TO build or rent Il
Touring mill, buy grain by the cargo, grind it,
and divide the four and many other such, are
operating i'll Halifax and its neighborhOod,
and are generally prosperous. Moreover, the
great carpet manufacturing concern of Crosoley
A. Sous, covering ac,oo oi s.o.AId, .AG employ
ing q capital oi SS;,J9Q,Q01 has been ucorpor-