New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-01-29

Boston, Dec. 4.-I have lately read, with re.
newed pleasure, the now familiar story of the
ROchdale co-opeTatives as retod by Mrs.
Pierce, in The atlantic MoRthIy. Her account
of that strange industrial success, more won
derful to my mind than the Mississippi scheme, tho
Tulip mania, even the Erie frauds, has the
merit in romances, of intelligent breyty. Hear it,
for it is fair condensation of all the facts that have
been told of the scheme by all authorities from tho
historian down through the encyclopedias and
gazetteer to the political demagOgue who points q
moral about the antagonism of labor and capital
with this tale that bellies it, Hear the story thus
capitally retold
NEARLY all the world now knows the story OF the
twelve poor OF Rochdale England who twenty
four years ago met together to consult how they might
provisions extravaganty high and adulterated be-
ed 70 right them another that strikes would do IT, and
still other theories were propounded. when one immortal
genius Oh common sense @ G tTHS s nTe
~ 70 ,nae ~ Tbat thew had They decIdedo
pay each pence week into common stock until they
got enough TO buy few necessary groceries at whole
one of their number as clerk and opened the first co
operative store. Their stock IN trade consisted only OF
about SIS worth Of -four sugar, and butter Their plan
First, sell to each other and to outsiders at the
usual retail prices, but TO give good dTce second 10
sell only for cash dorm Third, To make quarterly dly
OF the profits to the subscribing members
stockholders of the Association the share Of pro beng
or his family purchased at the cooperative store Thus
little, he got back the thrd that wout % ,nvrslSo
have gone TO enrich some cheating grocer CoQPeauNe
and societies OF all kinds have been started many
parts of Europe. and sprng.ng up m ms county
also in every direcuon but this OF the Koehdal9
stands at the head OF the movement and the most sig
nal instance OF It's Its Stockholders now numbef
5000 7OO0 capital Is slOoO0Oo aud the yearly
iohinG dTy goods and shoe stores as well as groceries
butcher shops carries on farm, cotton factory
MILL building society lie insurance ana burial
| society; it owns readngroom and a library; II has
ments of the Of Rochdale and its proudest mon
ument can point TOT whole community raised III morals
| and intelligence no less than IN comfort"
Yet this ready and enthusiastic apprecator Of tho
model as well as pioneer cooperatyes, talks in the
same article which tells of their of 1.-THE
little impression that the cooperative store move
| ment, begun lin Massachusetts, twenty-five years
| ago. has made upon society," 1t is thus we overlook
the near to SEQ distant objects. Thus we ignore the
romantic in our own immediate surround
| ings in life to see it in that OF distant
| others. / would not have believed that SO
practical lady Mrs. Pierce, who advocates CO.
| operative housekeeping in Boston, establishes co.
operative kitchens in Cambridge, and runs over To
New-York to lecture the women of The Revolution on
the fallacies of their revolt would have done it, She
has entirely overlooked, If she were Mrs. Jeyby
herself the, successes in cooperation at home to
naint the beauties of those n-well to be sure, Koch
! dale is NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. have found here in
stances Of success in cooperation not less singular
| in initiation promising in their lnciplency
! than that Of the poor weavers. Let me tell you
few of these little romances, all the more remarkable
because the result of movement begun not twenty
| four, but only three years ago
| TIE FAIL RIVER COOPERATIVE STORE
The first remarkably successful store under the
Massachusetts, Cooperative law was that at FAN
River. Soon after the law was approved IN May,
| foctorv onprotiyes in that agreed to
form f4 fthemn5 iiGs2ii as 5 y.
citation agreeably to the law passed by the Legisa-
| ture of Massachusetts,, and approved May 10 lo"
entitled An Act in relation to the formation OF Co
operative Associations the Association to be located
in Fall River, Mass, for the purpose of trading in
groceries provisions. wood and coal. clothing, dry
| goods boots and shoes and all such other goods as
NAV come under the head of necessares of life The
conito stock shall be $1,000 to be divided into $50
shares of 500 each and for the furtherance oil tho
| above objects we agree to be governed by the by
lawsp This is about the form which the articles Of
agreement prescribed by the law have usually taken,
being in fact modelled upon it and varying only IN
! amount of capital stock, number of shares &c, &c
! The bylaws and other regulations OF the seVeIh
| stores materially differ, however
About q 500 were raised in this way by the Fall
River operatives and operations were begun on Now
l5 1866. under many disadvantages. The first three
months business resulted in actual loss; the trade
was limited and the expenses heavy. The regular
! merchants of the town were nervous in regard to
the effect on their traffic of the establishment OF
co-operative store and a combined effort 10 crush 10
| was made 1t is almost incredible, but am posi-
tyey assured that the merchants endeavored to IN
duce the town authorities to forbid, on the ground
of some nformaty in the articles of agreement by
laws &c. boarding house keepers from dealing WIN
the eooperative store 1t is difficult to credit tins,
hut its truth was insisted upon by my informant
who added that this opposition finally resulted IN
good by arousng the spirit OF the factory operatives
until they became active IN support Oh the lhsutu"
| ,ion Under the excitement 100 shares at $50,
amounting TO g. CO., sold to 30 persons. ana on
this capta the first years business done. Taxing
| advantage of the sympathy for their enterprise
aroused by the opposition of the merchants the
| BOARD of Managers decided to attract ont
| side custom that is the trade OF nonstock-
bolders-by paying a dividend on purchases rs
well as on stock They announced that
| nercentage of the profits OF the store wonid 10
returned 10 all those dealing with II, 10 DC e~cu-
lated ON the basis of their purchases For TINS purpose
n system of checks-now prevalent IN most coofri'
| alive stores-was adopted. Tickets about al ihch
SQUARE marked at various values from cents 10 Si'
| were printed When customer mace puicn"'
he or she received a check, showing the anloo"'O
| II Az the end of each month the checks thus re-
oni,ad wore returned. and the total, representing
tho individuals trade for the month. was placed 10
~ or bep credit. At the end of the year the
omounts were added up, and the percentage Oh
rroats being fixed the dividend on the total amount
| 81 ,rode was paid IN cash. or wares. or stock
| "uave Won ever received any thing !" asked Oh
,adv whom encountered in the store. and who had
TOLD mo of this system.