The New York herald., 1869-01-19
CO-epcration.

We publish to-day m extended notice OF
what ID called the cooperative system. This
notice unfolds the history Of the cooperative
movement In England (particularly in connec-
ton with the unprecedented success Of the
Rochdals societies), in Germany, in France,
in Belgium, In Italy, in Russia and in the
United States. The last full report OF the
Rochdale societies Is for 1866, published in
1867, and enumerates for members 6,226;
for share capital, .07, $40 ($4s9, ,245); sales,
E249, 1872 (&1, ,6l0), and profits realized,
Esl, ,941 ($159, ,705). But these figures,
astonishing success % they repre-
sent, do not show all. They do not
include the business Of El4S, ,5SS ($742, ,665),
with the profits Of .l2,bl1 (e62, $3.50 Of .
corn mill running fifteen stones In 1865, nor
the receipts for three months Of the invest
ments Of capital Of so, 900 ($455, ,O0O) in the
manufacture Of clothing and In providing the
members with meat and other articles in 1856.
The unexampled success Of the Rochdale
societies has led to the establishment, accord
ing to the unoficial statement of Professor
Huber, German sGuGnk Of no less than
thousand cooperative societies in England,
with two hundred and nfty thousand members,
with > cash working capital Of seven million
i've hundred dollars and an annual trade Of
about twenty-five millions. Well may it be
said that system which can realize such
marvellous results in the course Of
twenty-four years, beginning with the
formation Of the Rochdale societies in
1874, with capital of only twenty-eight
pounds, or one hundred and forty dollars,
must have all the elements Of success within
itself and must be the best practical method
yet discovered and applied for the benefit Of
the workingman. It is no Utopian scheme.
It simply proposes to make the workingman
his own capitalist. And in this country
(where, thus far, it has unfortunately failed on
account of-first, unskilful management
secondly, undue haste to start out on large
scale, and, thirdly, improper use Of the funds
contributed) it must yet succeed in securing
the moral, mental and physical elevation Of
the workingman, in rendering him independent
of the frequent fluctuations of what is termed
ssthe labor market" and Of the monopoly Of
capital, s'making him in reality what every
man is in theory in republicans own boss,
his own MASTER"
Especially is this reform practicable and
desirable 80 far as our American savings
banks are concerned. The notice Of the CO.
operative system, to which we invite the atten-
ton of all classes in our community, demon
strates the fact that huge disproportion OF
the profits of our savings banks over and
above the interest paid to the depositors flow
into the pockets Of the stockholders. The
savings banks occupy here on larger
scale the same place as the middle
man, whom the cooperative societies
Of Europe aim to do away with. More
than seventy-five per cent of the money in our
savings banks comes from our laboring popu-
lation. Why should not this population be at
once stockholders, depositors and borowers3
Why should they surrender, for instance, to
stockholders the ten millions Of excess earned
upon their deposits Of one hundred and thirty
two millions, as reported in February, 1867, In
this city alone2 The notice to which we have
alluded states that the deposits in the savings
banks Of our own city foot up over eighty six
million dollars, sixty millions Of which un-
doubtedly come from workingmen. What an
immense amount Of good could be done with
half Of that money were It employed in CO.
operative associations, making the working
man his own capitalist, his own savings bank,
his own employer, his own middle man between
himself as consumer and the producing and
trading world and between himself ss pro-
ducer and the rest Of the world as consumers! |!
The revival Of the cooperative movement now
on foot in New York should be heartily pro-
NOTED by the press and the public. Co.
operative building societies have been
formed which purpose to supply the lsboring
population with comfortable homes In the envi-
rons Of the city. Cooperative stores have
been projected which shall offer almost all
kinds Of merchandise at reasonable prices and
which shall be conducted on a strictly cash
basis. II is to be hoped that in these renewed
enterprises the mistakes Of the past win be
avoided and that here, as well as In Europe,
the experiments Of the Rochdalc Pioneers
will be completely successful.