New-York tribune., 1869-03-19
CO-OPERA TION.
LECTURE BY Mr.. GREELEY.

Cooperative Hall in the BOwery was last
evening filed to It's utmost capacity with mechanics
tradesmen. and others. including several ladies, to
hear lecture on Cooperation from Horace Greeley.
Mr. Greeley his by citing tho familiar
example OF the parnershlp system upon which whale
ships worked illustration Of the principle OF
cooperation I'm its simplest application. Tho idea en-
bodied in that arrangement had been developed OF late
years variety OF FORMS aud 20 the principle OF these
the lecturer proceeded direct tho attention OF his
audience He spoke In the first place, Of cooperative
stores groceries, explaining the way in which these
might be established and pointing ont the advantages
and benefits accrung from them to tho associates In
such undertakings Everything OF COURSE would depend
upon management From lack Of prudence aud integrity
stores hero had been Instances where complete failure
had attended the experiment. but I'm all cases In which
their had been ntrused TO men OF business
experience OF prudence and OF strict honesty they had
proved eminently successful The great advantage OF
the weconducted cooperative grocery the
that articles OF superior quality could be obtained
much lower cost than what inferior articles could be
got for at the common grocery shops Gong into the
wholesale market with cash, and purchasing In larger
shnents could afford TO sell better articles than the
ordinary dealers, charging n profit OF only 10 per
good management. these establishments could turn
over their entire capital once month, and alowng5
per cent for all expenses OF management there would
remain upon tho capital clear profit OF so per cent at
the end Of the year TO each shareholder II the principle
OF cooperation applied TO stores not generally
ppt H 1 hc found I'm Ibe more easv tp @
with the same class in Europe But he did see why
, n s amer Inv cofperaon n only the right men were
placed the head Of the establishments The idea was
exploded that poor men were TO buy poor
goods. Hs thought that poor mon, equally
with rich should have good articles Tor their
money and these well organized cooperation would
enabe them TO obtain The lecturer then referred to tho
Equitable Pioneer Society OF Rochdale tEngland), to
show wut might be done by honest, energetic men n
movement OF this kind He then proceeded To consider
the question OF Cooperative Labor lie was not well sat
sed with the relations of labor and capital as they ex
Isted among Va, and he had no sympathy with the un.
necessary caor raised in some quarters against capital
As rapacious tyranBica and cruel Capitalists ought
not 10 be blamed for trying to mako the most out OF their
capital. any more than w9rklngmen should be condemned
FOR striving 20 get as much as they could Ior telr labor
To buy cheap and sell dear although by no means the
the capitalist aud as tho tradeSmen were alike
there should be no recrminnon. Of the kind alluded
TO- With regard TO strikes, he did not object to work
men striking il they Thought that by that they
could secure what they believed 10 DO their Jus1
tested against the standing still which followed the
strike What ought 10 be done by workingmen was to
struck che struck last year. the quarrel be-
them and their employers seemed to stand right In
sty for these frequently recurring msunde rstandings
50 dana gng only the parties Immediately con-
wanted more houses " The city Of How-lork ana
when building -tood s me community suffered put @
workmcn whose business was 10 build would form them
I & pna 10 SHye he general ep
troll OF the organization, aud u they could not nnd any
among themselves equal 10 tho task cf management OBJ
tanng OF such outside their association
suppose n thousand forming such society, with the
shares all paid up, they would have money sufficient TO
purchase their own building materials aud they might
easily build goodsizcd house three four small
houses every week at Suc prices as would give them
fair remuneration FOR their Labor Ono great advantage
Of such plan would be that they would receive what
ever money they had earned, Tor tneTe would ho
no boss 10 absorb any portion or IT..
Another ADVANTAGE would be that the la99rers
would govern entirely their own h0urs OF WORK iIoeo
who chose work ~ hours might do TO- ana be pad Tor
i and tho man who preferred TO labor Tor only eight
hours could please himself, and yeNed question would
thus be easily nj rest Such organizations, the lee
nrmy believed were tho next step to be taken to-
ward tho anelioraton Of the human family ana bs con.
sequenty urged that action should DO aen III ther
nation IN this city MIN ~ =, LUZ G,3 1 % Snped to
that Important branch Of indnstry-tne making OF
clothes He believed that the taors In New lork were
moi so well paid as other tradesmen But there was
nothing to prevent them from subscribing among theh
selves capital Of S0OOO and opening taorinH cstau
nshment the cooperative plan, purchasing thslr own
materials all Of tho best description, employing the pest
selling the product OF their Industry and skill instead OF
selling their labor, they did at present lie DeneYe
bn abio 10 turn over their capital month When In
London he had bought his clothing Of cooperative es
way All tho traders indeed required was only small
amount of capital and that THO capital DC turned
principle As an example OF snccessni cooPerStaon' M
establishments at Troy in this State, which for several
yoars past have been making stoves and other cnstros
ware liberal profit to tho workmsn ne th9n 9rso .so
TO building assocaon diIS GwsIsg ff GfciG msks every
would get house one week, another man would get hs
| nnOther week, ana 80 on grauuhlly uhbl c"Oia y
would In period OF Is years become the owner ot
house purchased with money no wOuId a'o h". .ti ~
rent N he had not bought it In connection Win TINS
point. and in showing tho Dement'S arising S tS etursr
related briefly the history OF tho Mount Vernon
Number nUTHs Sf mechanics in NeWo Subscribing dollar
aud half a week for that purpose They paid VoOOo M ior
it, and tho of each quarteracre iGt & 10 th ,he
| subscribers was S75 At the present time, lhs no
poorest lot could be purchased for OOO anu so9
Tic lots were worth 5000 and rs the place was
rapidly the value OF the property would conhuo % 70 m
crease In concluding the lecture, MT Greeley spoeap
unnn The great value OF Building Societies. from e en-
oacy in teaching men tho habits OF economy ana thIi
and of tho value o Industrial eooperaoh i a. ,h
labor 10 employ itself direct ITSELF ana pay Itself Az he
close OF the lecture few remarks wero lnaae Dy hi
pearaIl and he Chairman Of the meeting ahd Vote Oh
| thanks 10 Mr. Greeley was carried by accamation