The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-01
The working of Cooperative stores in
England.


statisticians of the Old World, but with band
of INDECENT weavers, possessed of little or no
education, knowing little or nothing OF theo-
ries, and dealing only with plain facts. The
authors of the system of cooperation which is
now being discussed so freely throughout this
country, and which threatens to work to
great extent revolution in our markets, were
a dozen workingmen of Rockdale, England
A sketch of the rise and progress of the first
cooperative society is furnished by Eugene
Richter, and is instructive as illustrating the
great things which industry and frugality can
achieve without any aid from capital,
whose support has been for years deemed es-
sential to any enterprise. 1t was in NOvem-
Der, 1843, that dozen poor weavers met at
tavern in Rochdale, manufacturing town in
England, to "consult concerning ways and
means of raising themselves out Of their
wretohed poverty into comfortable exist
ence." 1t was then agreed that the advice
of one of their number, whose name is not pre-
served, should be adopted. He declared that
off we cannot get higher wages, the only
thing to be done is to make what we do get 90
further. II we cannot increase our income, let
manage our OutgO more economically. lC
may be that, with what we thus save, we may
commence an undertaking which shall give us
an income in addition to our wages NO doubt
each one by himAet can do but little; yet what
If we set back TO back, and Join hands as to-day
we have Joined speech, for the improvement OF
our condition? What is impossible for one man
Is easy foT three, is truth that is as old as the
world. Only look around in the world to-day!
Here are railroads built, canals dug, under
takingB of every sort commenced, which would
be hopeless for a single tndtViduaPS strength,
but which are easy enough for many united. L
II RwKywy nwNgWl WlTnlt Hof
enough to buy up railroad stock. But need we
begin at once with building railroads? Could
nothing more than the furnishing of the most
indispensable necessaries of lifeP Our savlngs
might even now be sufficient for that II we put
them into the pot together!
This oommon-sense idea was adopted. Each
laborer paid in twenty pence week, and the
E'Rockdale Society of Equitable Pioneers" was
started. From that association sprang all the
cooperative stores now in operation, and after
it is being modelled all those now being
originated in the United States.
The progress made by the "Pioneers" was
really astonishing. During the first year they
received but $135. Yet they persevered,
and after an existence of twenty years we find
the following statement of their condition in
1865 1T had increased to 1926 members, and
during the first quarter of 1866 its sales
amounted to f52, $40 ($255, 89O), on which the
profit was f6516 1881, ,54O), or IL $40 per
cent. The stock of the members in the society
amounted to ELS, $40 ($379, ,472), or about
ELS ($72'6O) each.
Not only has success crowned this one effort,
but the example has been initiated all over
Great Britain. From that one in l843 the
number had grown to 80 in 1856, to so in
1860, while, from an official report which was
laid before the British Parliament, it appears
that in 1868 there were already 460 such asso-
ciations at work in England, whose member
ship amounted to nearly 100000. Their sales
were over SO, 200, ,000 their own property was
f600, 900, while the profits shared among the
members, for the year 1862 amounted to
more than G200, 900. In 1865 the eight socie-
ties alone of Rochdale, Bacup, Halifax, Old
ham, Bury, and Manchester numbered "a, 4,4l4
members, with a property of over 100000
and business of over 100000.
The success and growth of these cooperative
stores in Great Britain have demonstrated that
it is perfectly feasible in practice for the labo
rer, by uniting to dispense with the media
ton of a salesman between the producer and
the consumer, and to supply the demand
directly, thus securing to himself the profits
which would otherwise have gone to the pur-
chasing capitalist The means by which this
end is achieved is the purchasing of goods at
wholesale rates, and selling to the members of
the association such things as they need at
cash prices; or else securing the same end
by charging the regular rates, and declaring
dividends to holders Of stock in proportion to
the purchases. The cardinal principle is cash
payments, and when that is enforced success
must follow, if the officers of the association
be but honest men, and if proper system of
credits, the one upon the other, is established.
The manner of conducting business is ex-
plained by Mr.. Richter. He says:-
"Whatever be the amount customer lays
out he or she receives tin ticket, on which is
stamped the sum paid-such tickets being
Vouchers for the receipt OF the money. The
buyer preserves these tickets until the expira-
tion Of the current quarter, when ne Drlngi
Them 10 the store, and for whatever amount o
them he can produce he Is entitled TO proper
tionate share ofthe profits ofthe concern durlni
the quarter The whole OF Ills purchases in Ia, I
hounds: II the profits averaged ten per cent, h'
would be entitled to ten or twelve shiilings; anC
he might either receive Cne money IN casn, ~
have the same transferred 10 MS hccounSoreui
in his pass book. IA, 4, ,.,
nuarterly After an interest at the rate Oh NV
SlsT cent per annum has been deducted IRON
tha shares of the members, and 2% per cent. o
fhs nrofits have been applied 20 the euucaILonA
fund' the balance is placed 70 the credit OF In IN