The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-01-16

--t. ,- FROM MARYLAND ga Il
..E WI -aiz BALTIAoRR, Jan & 1853. \
TO the Editor d the WOzK.aHA.s ArvsoAr..a
ra-l ~ eo-oPERATIoE A yAIAURBH tEl
In recent issue Of the ADEocArx you
started the question which heads this letter.
The questions in my humble opini on, 10 too
general. Ithink if it was modified in the
following manner, IL would be very accepta-
BILE, and admit Of reader ISOLATION. Sop.
pose we modify in the following order: Is
cooperation in America failure Il seems
to me that we must reduce 10 TO this form
for if you look at its progress in England,
France and Germany, where there are mia
lions Of dollars invested in IL, end paying
handsome div idends to oil Interested, al
doubts, ~ to its success, must be dissipatsd.
But, is cooperation IN America > failure !
This question brings US home, and to our
selves It must be admitted that many who
have invested their little means ID this en-
tetprise, have lost. some all and SONG nearly
AL they had invested In It 1t is alse true
bu0t many Vi OSo 1SoOSA8tAOn1 WuSCu t430
started on this principle have signally failed.
Bot it does not follow, az . Consequence, that
because those associations have failed, that
cooperation is failure. There would be %
much Justice and reason in the assertion that
CONNER u Is failure because some Of the
leading commercial houses, on both sides of
the Atlantic, have gone by the board, a.
there 10 in assuming co-operation is failure
because of the failure of some of the associ-
ations which haye tried to work on this prin-
ciple, .fi nm bt.-dh sH "a sar tG III.
Beforewe can declare to the world that
corporation is failure, we must prove the
principle to be false, and that success, upon
such principles is an utter impossibility.
This, am more than inclined to think, could
be done. TIE failure Of those associations,
and store 8, which embarked on this princi-
pie, may be traced to natural causes. such e
insufficient capital, bad locations, wan. Of
business knowledge. tact aud capacity, on
the part of those having control of the busi-
ness ;Aimpatiesce Of success, petty jealousy
! on the part of certain members, want Of
confidence in general, and general misman-
| agement. might also add, very large
spriukling Of moral cowaFdice. aaT iu'
W To some one, not all, Of these esuses
may the failure of cooperative enterprises
be sit lbated. We have tried the pFihoiplss
] here, with about the same rresults as else
where. We have had our failures and sue
cesses. 1 willsmention TIVE cases in point,
\ as an illustration. will select the case Of
the Mutual Consumers Fancy Store in Gam
den, and she .JouTneymen. House Carpen-
ters' Cooperative Joint Stock Company.
The Consumers Mutual Union was fcu0dsd
on the cooperative principle, ut $1,000 per
share, paysble in weekly lnstalmsnts OF ten
cents per share. Purchasers were allowed
r-- per cent on their annual purchases,
and the pet profits were to be diVided among
the stockholders. With . capital Of 81, 600
thew rented store, in o good locality, and
had it fitted up in q neat and comtnoaious
\ manner, and opened TO- the N hs Under Tee
Esppsrinteudency of Mr.. J.. E. Lee e. = gen
i tIeman. OF large expeTlence l. sz-,,.,. -
lh~es- This sto-> >rcsed acAeH - - !
t1.Eg SsrcUkns .ss.css, j s,orss slissrs- -.
i .aae as s-osary ssoFs s,,eai !. n .,ezt..
I a. sat stasrhsy ssre s5iieen>ss sns3rer
/ ysef stsfe Inc 1rse SIN monthA she bus,-.i
rnessup paid aH sxpens.s. and allOwsd q hand
some dividsnd. They Nan .1..t.I : hr,nch
store in the sassssn sscsio0of - c;tv .irhi.,
store was failure. and s6s{sl- -ss.~,,e,.a. |
| the store on Camden street. was "a at TO-
private individual The stookh0saers lost |
eonsideFabls blythe operation .oolhNSo ~
|, The shszt esistsacs Of this ASSOCIATION
nishas. INSTRUMENTATION af tina sms.atisncs = I
.suocss. ..d the - A. -e.rch;o.,.,o o..
.h;i;,;s. H. .hss .s-oc..;c,, ,h-.-G a.
s.'-.,ss.. - 80 ~. s-:s:.s -.
S..P Pus s Sr s,I's s - 49, ~
- as..- -. - 80 y 49, - -
wonid ss;H - - :. .r;s..ncs "a -.
aonr,sh;~s' A,,s;,ss. - Tia 80 go - -
on - s1s<s,ss $3.50 ~
~ a;r;S,a- 49,. :. 80, - c-;ns,i.S 49,.
-. ~-f-'--'
800 - ;I,......4;o. ~ s.:i,,
ron ss.s..s.s .sisss;o.-- ~ l..st;n.s
The 'sevins Wamsn,s Co-operat;re Teil- |
orie D So. hIishme.t-an atm another from.
disf0nsstv hut-, n ynpst he heFnA, in mind
that ,these fa;lur&. .resnlaaA from 4, unsitive
y;ol..{c.. ~ 80 ls--o{ .hna;na.a- md sra IN
no - - M go. sSafsos ~ tha nti.,.
c;nls Thau..m. .s.-it.. - - - .n-
nsn f,a-. l;sa es..ss.s IN .r;rate A. .i.1ivi-
dnsl hns;ness. Rut Ne have one which NAV
be cailsd the nioaaar CO. onermti va easa hlish-
msnt Of this, e;tv.. II msan tha .Journsrnen
House Carpenters' Co-orerativo Building.
Association. This associetien crew ont Of
the ,Hense sCarpsnsers UniOn.l In 1856 it |
was propassd 10 start q. 90 0permtise earpsn<d
tsrs' shOp. -hut nhe Union, swonldi not tskxf
hold ofst' The frisnds Of Tia moYsmenk
however. .started, an sssoc,ation. outside, It'd
Union. under TIA titls Of YThe. JournsYnen