Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-01-03

try; they bought wretched little shop il
a lonely lane, they scraped together few
pounds, laid them out in the purchase O.
simple supplies by the quantity, and at {
certain hour of the night, after their work
was done, they distributed them among
the contributors On the first Of Novem
Der, 1874, twenty 5ht subscribers formed
the society, and bound themselves to pay
two pence week; the experiment succeed
ed, and to-day, after an existence of twenty
two years, they own capital of more than
two hundred thousand dollars, do business
for six times as much, and distribute annu-
ally enormous dividends, generally amount
ing to fifty per cent. But their success is
only partly expressed by the sums they con-
troll. They have accomplished variety OF
additional and most important purposes. s.
They keep immense stores of provisions
and ofclothing, bought at wholesale prices
from the first producer; they build and buy
houses for their members, giving to the
purchaser long credit; they undertake the
manufacture of certain articles designed by
the society in public workshops, where
members who are thrown out of employ
ment can always find work and pay for
their labor they have been able to pur-
chase land in order to provide for men I'M
fit for factory work and to procure votes
which in England depend partially on
landed property-for the support of their
interests, and they have even succeeded in
obtaining surplus for the establishment of
free schools and public halls, in which libra
ries are kept, lectures are delivered and
social intercourse may be had, free of
charge, by all the members
To crown the noble work, they have
adopted the principle of brotherly assist
ance to all similar institutions, and have
not only never yet refused it to those
who were in need, but have actually be-
slowed their iberaity spontaneously upon
outsiders, as when they presented the city
council of RochdaIe with the necessary
funds for the erection of a public foun-
tain. The one thing they have failed in,
was the proposed establishment of a COM
mon hotel on temperance principles.
Besides these direct purposes of the asso-
citation, however, there were other advan-
tages of no small Importance which they
obtained incidentally. Thus they were led
by their desire for good bread to erect a
model mill for the manufacture of good
-four. It cost an enormous sum, but is now
a source of great profit, as their flour is
sold everywhere at high price. They
founded cotton factory of their own, and
this is now the principal establishment in
Rochdale.
Their success led to the establishment of
similar societies all over England, and
already in 1868 there were nearly four hun
bred officially reported, leaving out, no
doubt, large number not registered, as
the report was voluntary. In France also
the example has been followed, and the
silk weavers of Lyons, for instance, have
not only numerous and thriving societies
of this kind, but they actually own the
largest and most profitable stores in that
great city. and derive from their sales an
immense profit. In Grenoble truly Won
derful results have been obtained. The
society there is free to every one ; the
laborer buys with his small earnings mark
ers representing SO much food, which he
can either carry home or consume in the
localities of the society, but i'll order to en-
courage his taking his meals with his
family, he pays only half as much for what
he takes away. The society furnishes him
with nearly two pints of soup, a ration of
meal -four ounces), a large supply of vege-
tables, nearly half a pint of wine, four
ounces of bread and small quantity of
cheese and dried fruit for-exactly fourteen
cents The result is, that not workmen
only, but literally men of all professions,
from the humblest weaver to the priest Of
the parish, and the professor of the Uni
versity, avail themselves of these great adj
vantages. Similar results have been OBJ
tanned in Germany in spite of the great
difficulty with which all such enterprises
have to contend there on account of the
Inevitable interference and strick control
of the government, which naturally inter
feres seriously with the free movements OF
such societies,