New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-04
COOPERATION IN ITALY.
ORIGIN AND EXTENT OF THE MOVEMENT IN
COMo-AN ITALIAN Cafe LATTE.

OOMO, LOHlDdTuy, OCU, lI.-OOIuIIullI piVo0
per Cooperation progresses ROchdale for instance,
with population Of 700 thriving city, because OF
the great store, which possesses over 5000 actual mem
bers representing about persons threefourths
Of the entire community In large cities, such as MAN
chester and Milan although the cooperative movement
Is lively sensbly perceived by strangers Tor TWO
reasons First because there bitter and exceedingly
wind opposition against it, while 1t Is ITSELF reserved
modest and even shy VISITORS secondly because has
never attained there very proportions In other En-
glish small towns Halifax and SOweTby Bridge the ne"
economy of cooperation has well nigh engufed the entre
population. But the finest specimen have ever Ws'eu
on the Continent this of Como nestled down SO cony
on the beautiful Alpine Lake OF the same name The
enormous growth Of cooperation in this little city Is
largely due to coalition OF the bakers and butchers TO
strange it, 1t was introduced in 1865 through the EFFORTS
Of workngman named Fontana, aided by the ardent
apostle OF the cause Prof Francesca Ngano Ihey had
no sooner their little store in motion and begun WIN
very few Of the poorest sborers and boamen to real
re profit when the butchers bakers, and other vendors
of the prime necessares Of life associated themselves
bought up all the grain animals and other commodities
OF the market, and set up barefaced monopoly
thinking TO cut off the supply from the CO.
operative store. The same coalition extended slmulta
neousy throughout Italy wherever cooperation had got
footing Bread in price 70 an lnsupportabe figure
Meat butter. and cheese became too precious for the
palae of the poor and his children, and the heart
less robbers-authors Of this misery-began fairly 10
chuce over the success Of their nefarOus plot, when
their rejoicing was cut short by reaction Instead OF
destroying the of the coOperators everybody ran
to it for help From the chmneysweep 10 the man OF
letters they poured In and in week or two the little list
had swelled from 25 70 1000 members and each
paying fee OF initiation and weekly subscription OF
eight cents share, and giving also cash for all articles
purchased until the association was entirely independ
ent OF its fratrcdal neghbOrs The cOOperaOrs held
public discussions and invited lecturers and Como be-
gav6a
trial economy Mass meetings and other demonstrations
were gotten up. Luyatti, Boldrin and Vigano, with
their extensive publications and popular harangues,
the pubc mind on the great sefhep movement Great
Britain aud Germany; and project was immediately
and Reading Room The store, now endowed with pub
lie sympathy money, and friends found Itself Obgeu 70
erect two FIGURING mills whose six Of stone kept
constantly in motion for the daily consumption OF the
members; large bakery sufficient for supplying them
building for their central store containing 40 rooms;
commOdOus branch stores In various parts OF the city
and buchery and sausage establishment. As IN the
latter business large numbers Of becyes calves sheep
&c, are consumed, they lately es'"pils t1eS
a tannery as an economlcai appenohge W wh
furnished employment for several menbers All these
nine branches and the central store are conducted by
only 80 persons shall carry home with me copy OF
the rules printed IN Italian as 1t may De translate ana
saving expenses. But another important appehdage 70
this prosperous society is its public kitchen This esao-
hshmeDt supplies wholesome food TO all hungry apphcan
al cost which, considering the quantity and excellence Of
the articles puts shame all the hotels and restaurants
these latter have adopted that hungry person can
scarcely get enough without paying twice In Northern
| Italy, II / ask for cGDe latte IN the morning,
| get two miniature silver teapots, one containing
milk ana the Otnef conIe ,ors n' o bresd The
whole ensemble fills ordinary coieecup-just enough
aggrayate the appetite The actual cost OF TINS Is TWO
cents the price demanded OF depends upon the d.
rection IN which brushed my hat when made my to
let II call for another portion, the landlord demands
extra paw and get no satisfaction for less than franc
Then the sleek garcon Ia SeTriete expects his 10 cen
times and shrink of wondering how escaped robbery
In America the travellers fate Is But cooperation
deals in justice and furnishes the applicant with fully
last half the price Mendcity is strictly forbidden,
and the offer OF these detesable and often demorazng
perduises Is looked upon as an insult because co,
operation is independence. This Kitchen 49, IN general
respects. similar 10 that Of Lausanne switzerland.
1fe Como Association, although II keeps the accounts
OF establishment entirely distinct from those oil an
other a strikugly fine example OF the cooperative
principle Everything harmonzes as u would seel, Dy
treaty OF reciprocity. There are IN all the societies
nearly 1900 members, men and women and including al
the departments-center and branchesl9 establish
ments administrations; yet all seem animated by
outside world ana has already paid the Government
mpos tax OF q 600 france IL ANNUAL business u now
these societies number at the close OF this year 1000
members and that the average number OF persons
represented by each exceed three which
safe estimate. the actual population OF the cy be-
ing little than OOO there will be about 30 per cent,
or trihe less than oue-thrd Of this Intelligent coinu
nifty earnestly engaged In the and social economy Of
SeltHep. They produce ana consume Only the pest
| and are little independent, legsating voting. law
enacting, ard law-abiding republic; wise enough In
good cause TO be guarded IN speech ana 100 wise either
grieved depraved by tine caumny Of those whose
institutions they inadvertently destroy am limiting ~
tie moral friction that work this minute rubbing out
the usages OF Como and establishing cooperation
its place II things continue TO proceed at their present
rate, years the greater part Of this lovely
mountain retreat Will have submitted TO the scythe Of
! radical reform.
HINDRANCEs TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE
MOYEMENT--POYERTY AND IGNORANCE OF
TIE WORKING CLAsSEs-MEN AND THINGS
IN VENICE ITALIAN BEGGARS 80 BANKING
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF PROVISIONS, AND
WAGES.
VENICE, Oct. 15.-My rapid journey through
Italy does admit Of calm investigation Of the
operative movement, specimen by specimen, IL de.
serves and therefore cOnne my TO s outlines,
consisting OF verbal given by real promoters
the sensible results it produces upon communities and
statistical lists The movement began far back 1898,
and the Printers Association dates its beginning in
Milan from 1903. But these dates are more traditional
than statistical, since normal growth Of Co
operation was discOyerabe before the beginning OF
the present decade at Milan; or, indeed, so
far yet learned, any other part of Italy The
Printers Association, which have been originally
kind Of protective unon got into quarrel and strike
that cost them 10000 francs aud only regdned their foot
ing under the inspiration OF pure cooperation There
but two fundamental working for and against this
movement n this cOuntrycauses deeply positive and
negatvcthe one, absolute need, the other ignorance.
Necessity and the suicrngs entaed by the Obsery
Of natural laws, violated from day to day. drives
the subject thus tortured into measures Of self help,
and It thus often happens that cooperation begins
IN the most wretched localities, and among
the lowest haunts OF life. Such efforts very apt TO
succeed for there is generally wisdom in "a reform
movement that works upward that in that works
downward. People OF culture and means, who launch
themselves into this movement, its mere tools, Oper
atng downward from elevated standpoint, and oh.
serve that they quarrel among themselves for the palm
of honor This especially thecase in Italy But every
cooperative establishment have visited that forced
into existence by stringent necessty-the smart Of the
lash Of violated law-and was thus the birth OF compu
nh.