The New York herald., 1869-03-20
COOPERATION IN NEW YORK.

and -Four Hundred and Fifty Building
Lots-Other Cooperative Societies.
Cooperation, which is regarded by many as the
great panacea for all the ills that afiict working
men, has not been success in New York. Indeed,
cooperative societies apparently thrive better any
where else than in this city. or the half dozen
societies formed with the intention OF abolishng
''middlemen" and procuring and retailing goods at
first cost not one now exists and are remembered
only by those who lost money by their connection
with them. The class Of people in New York that
would receive the greatest amount OF benefit by
belonging to such societies-the poor-wil have
nothing to do with them. Very poor people are
too often very improvident and would not
go to the little extra trouble which the
connection with q society would necesstate
for the purpose OF saving two or three
cents on q pound OF sugar ten cents on package
of nour. Hence the societies that were formed were
made up Of those careful old gentlemen who watch
pennies very closely and men and women that knew
but very little what "co-operation' really meant.
Then everybody connected wanted to ''boss' the
store TO be superintendent or q "buyer.n The
active leaders Of the movement that failed to get
elected to such q position branched or and deter
mined to form a society Of their own and thus get
elected superintendent or something else.
STORE NUMBER ONE.
About eighteen months ago there were some seven
or eight societies IN an embryo state. They adopted
constitutions and by laws and rules, &C., and then
waited for more members and funds, which never
came. Only one OF the societies arrived at maturity
and overcame the greatest OF barriers getting store
and funds enough to stockit This store located
at the corner OF Twenty-ffth street and Seventh
avenue, and commenced operations with about 200
members. seven hundred dollars were expended in
the purchase OF goods for the store where the art
cles were here disposed OF at moderate profit,
which latter was intended, OF course, at some fu
ture day share among the members. Ali went
smoothly for few months, when members began
to grumbe at the quality OF various commodities
and the want Of variety. AT the end OF six months
1t was found that the rent and gas and officers saa-
ries-especally officers salaries-had gobbed up all
all the profits, and indeed the concern was seve-
raj hundred dollars in debt. This being the case.
no new members could he 0btained the old ones
were urged to come forward with more money and
they DID TO some extent. The store dragged out
a feeble existence for six months longer, when more
money was needed. II 1t was not forthcoming the
members decided to let the shutters go up, and up
they went, and the stockholders dispersed 500
OF pocket and with a decided repugnancy to CO.
operative stores. Thus ended cooperative store
No. i.
STORE NO. TWO.
The only other society that succeeded in obtaining
store the society OF the sSolidarity.n Ii was
formed by some OF the leading members OF the Work
ingmen's Union, but the name was unfelicitous-
Solidarity Half the members did not know the mean
ing OF the word, and outsiders associated IL with
and would have nothing to do with it. The Solidarity
obtained store In q basement corner OF Twenty
NTH street and Third avenue. Here was sold all the
articles that can usually be obtained at a grocery
store. The society went further and took orders
for the cutting and making OF garments at ten per
cent advance on the cost OF material, and induged In
the greatest o. luxuries-a newspaper. The said
paper was called the Sdifddrity and was issued
weekly, its aims being TO advance the Of labor
and cooperation. The paper. however, was not a
success; neither was the store. The former sur
vived about six weeks; the latter as many months
Officers salaries and rent OF store and gas bills ear
up all the profits realized and the result was that
the Society OF the Solidarity failed In its objects
made to sell provisions ir, New YORK on the co-oper
alive plan; There have been one or two coal clubs
started during the winter season. but their existence
was short and eminenfly unsatisfactory. The only
successful cooperative enterprises In New YORK
the
Qf which there are three In number. The FIRST OF
these was started In July, 1867. by young English
man. Who after struggling against ,1s eTelaa9sse Of
press, succeeded in enlsting some workingmen
IN his cause and In few months the society
numbered i've hundred members, who took up
si5000 In shares. the payment OF one dollar per
per week entities member 10 900 when sufficient
has been paid In warrant an appropriation being
made. Some OF the members take up two snarea.
some i've, according TO their wants or means When
| Tue society was full-it being limited to 500 mem
ners-the rush for membership was wonderful.
When men discovered that II was "fulr' they were
wiling 70 pay large sums TO members TO resign
| second society was Organized The FIRST
| society has now 49, members among which are
I
| houses completed In course OF erection some
uouole e4steu LOT considerable time in relation 10
| maklng the APPROPRIATIONS. When money had accu.
mulateo 80 that an appropriation could be made IL
| was put mp at auction, the member willing ia nav
! the highest premium securing the APPROPRIATION.
| Members actually pan as mucn as 5000 for the lsa
OF 81 900, agreeing TO ray the premium in weekly
instruments. The result proved In almost every
case, that the member could not pay this large sum
the society foreclosed on his house and compro.
mise was effected. Had tins system continued the
| society would have had a bad ending; but last week
IL was resolved that the premium Al O1o sia mt
exceed $50. II any member = desirous OF paving
more than that sum to secure the appropriation the
money must be paid down. fhe society holds a
mortgage on the property OF the members VINO paw
| the rent weekly into the society and IN tns way
llquidate their debt TO the Union and beeome the
owner Of the house. Most OF the properly held by
| the members Is IN Hudson CITY, Williamsburg Brook-
yn ana Meirose; but two have houses In Ne. York.
The
SECOND SOCIETY
was formed in the same year. and now has 4s2 menl-
hers, nineteen being females, and have shares valued
al a., 100000 seventeen rejoice Ia holdng piece
OF property. The method OF dsposIDg OF appropria-
ions differs from that Of the first society. the mem
befs drawing lots 10 see who shall have the use OF
the cash. No premium IL paid In this society The
money advanced thus far to members ~ S30000 and
some $4,000 yet remains In bank. Out OF this branch
| organization grew
THIRD SOCIETY,
| which was organized last May and now boasts Of
800 members, VINO have taken up shares amounting
| 70 soVOeOO Eleven thousand dollars have been
/ In promising condition.
:, COOPERATIVE BUILDING LOT ASSOCIATION.
lhls n .ne name Of an organization founded last
i1L WIN ,le view of supplying members With land.
The weekly subscriptions are used for the purchase
OF land, which Is sold IN lots TO the mem
members, holding shares valued at st25O00. Pro
pery has been bought In Brooklyn and other
places valued ut $4,000 and 400 lots have been dis.
tribued 10 members, valued at $50 to f450 per lot.
The weekly subscriptions amount TO nearly All. 0oc;
hence the members obtain lots quite rapidly This
innQ hay "A nm