The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-11-13
Moral Effects or Cooperation.


I
I REpLv TO cRoAkERs.
| The following interesting and reliable
facts are taken from q work on the "Pro-
gress OF the Industrial Classes recently
published by the London correspondent by
the ADVOCATE:
But the cooperative movement cannot
be sufficiently appreciated unless it be fol-
lowed into its higher rbranches,-wholesale
trade, or produetion. What an instance Of
developed capacity in the working class 10
shown BY that North Of England Whole
sale Cooperative Society. Limited" Of Man.
chester, which, as ito advertisements in the
90 operator tell no, after two years OF life,
ID now doing business at the rate OF quar-
ter Of . million sterling per annum Take
again the Wolverhsmpton and Brewood
Industrial and Provident Plate Lock Manu-
featuring Society,"" founded during strike
by the Plate Locksmiths Of that town in
1854, with seven men and 2l3 capital, and
which, after enduring the nercest competi-
tion on the part Of the masters,-Who forced
down prices to crush it to that extent, that
the society was actually losing Els per week
on its sales,-has nevertheless succeeded in
maintaining itself, conquered footing &C.
cond to none 10 the trade, had IN August last
sixty men at work, producing 9l00 worth Of
goods weekly; sent TO the Dudley Exhibi-
tion last year q case OF plate locks which
were put on q par with those OF Msssrs.
Chubb and Oottersll and have Bow, accord
Ing to friend who visited them Oath April,
1857, "as much business as ever they can
do" Il is to be regretted that .his Society
has not sent ito returns to Mr.. Tidd Pratt.
In London, again, the " Working Gilders'
Cooperative Association which began
with E8 capital, never received more than
$lS, never registered at all as nm Industrial
Society, yet did last year over E2500 Of
business, and has lately transformed itself
into a " Frame. makers" and Gilders' Asso-
citation Limited" !" by amalgamati0n with the
business OF q former employer and landlord,
the whole management Of both branches OF
business being transferred, BY the express
desire Of the employer who coalesces with
the cooperative shop, 10 one OF the manag-
ing directors. The joint establlshment
stands very high in the trade, employs about
forty men, and is doing business at the rate
OF $4,000 a year.
Il is true indeed that, with few exeep-
tions, associations for cooperative produc-
ton, formed on the principle OF dividing
profits among the workers, are but OF limit
ed extent; the large four mills Of the North,
the various bakeries, etc being only sstab-
lisbed for purposes of consumption, and d.
viding profits upon purchases. OF the
movement for cooperative production in
1902, but few remains subsist the best
known being perhaps the orking TGilors''
and Working Hatters" Associations Of
Manchester. Within the last few years,
however, q similar movement has recon-
menced in the Metropolis, of which the sue
cessful !" Working Gilders' Association
may be considered to have been the pioneer
Among the results of this are to be reckoned
the London Cooperative Cabinet Manu-
featuring Industrial Society,"" 1865 (eetab-
liahed, though by working men, like the last
named company, on the :" industrial partner
ship" principle Of allowing large share Of
profits to capital), followed more recently
Sy the opSiisan SGoopsr.;.s Deal
Limited" by Cooperative Societies of
Working Dyers, Packing Case Makers, and
Working TailOrs.
Cooperative production, however, has a
moral vBlue which il not indicated by the
number of men whom it sets at work. or the
figure Of its business. VI cooperative
workshop has sufficient elements of vitality
to outlast the inev table struggles and
storms Of its first few years, It begins to de-
velope most remarkable series OF results.
Cooperation first expels from the shop
drunkenness and all open disorder, which
are found to be perfectly incompatible with
its success introducing i'm their place q
number OF small adjustments and cOntri-
vaaces of q nature to facilitate work or pro-
mote the comfort Of the worker. BY de-
grees it exterminates in turn the small tricks
and dishonesties Of work which the opposi-
ton Of interests between employer aad en-
ployed too often excuses in the worker
eyes it is felt to be the interest OF each
and all that all work should be good, that
no time should be lost. Fixity Of employ
ment meanwhile, coupled with q common
interest, creates new ties between man and
man, suggests new forms OF fellowship, till
there grows up sort of family feeling, the
only danger Of which is that OF its becoming
jealous and exclusive towards she outsider
Let this state Of things last awhile, and
there is literally evolved new type Of work
ing man, end ued not only with that honesty
and frankness, that kindliness and true
courtesy, which distinguish the best speci-
mems OF his order wherever they may be
placed, but with dignity, . self-respect, q
sense OF conscious freedom which are pecu-
liar to the co-operator. The writer Of these
lines met with this type first in the "Asso-
Citations Ouvrrieres' Of Paris he has since
had the happiness Of seeing it reproduced,
with variations as slight as l6e difference of
nationality might render unavoidable, in
English cooperative workshops, and he
therefore believes that its development may
be confidently looked forward to as a normal
result Of cooperative production. The great
problem Of such production lies indeed in
the choice Of q manager. Is is sadly true
that in the majority Of cases hitherto these
men prove unequal to their tack that the
exercise Of rover too often tempts them to
dishonesty, to reckless speculation, to arbi-
trary condnct. Where, however, the right
man can be found, the most admirable re-
sults arise from the habit Of an authority
which rests not upon the possession OF capi-
tal, but upon that cOmbinasion Of istellec-
tual and moral qualities which is absolutely
necessary TO secure both Ossward success,
and w.lliag, harmOniOus Discipline within.
the workshop. In the long ran, . successful
cooperative manager mast always be real
" frst-rate man.
II the rarity Of wOrkingmsn 6t nj all points
for the duties oil management be as vet the
main hiDdraEce 20 the spread Of CO. perative
production, there IL another valuable form
Of association i'm which She management i
supplied by the very class Aithert0 used 70
exercise it. We mast here recal. an obser-
vatiOn Formerly made, that for productive
PURPOSES cooperation 10 now passing into
the form OF the Limited Co@paay under the
Joint Stock Acts. IN which wr for the most
part fall 70 trace it, except in individual
cases. Several cooperative mills and other
bodies are thus registered Is Joint Stock
Companies One group, hO<ever, Of what
may DC termed cO-Operaaive companies has
been brought into peculiar prominence. and
to some extent into mutual relations through
the zeal Of Mr. z. o. GreeninS. OF Manches-
ter. Tha PmniA mmwa~A or -.