New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-01-20
COOPERATIVE SCHEMES.
VIEW rNrrRpRIsES OF THE CRISPINs.


operative Industry. There conooctod very elabor'
ate plan, involving concerted action by innumerabe
societies representing all sorts of trades i'm all paris OF
the country, in subscribing large Of money to be
expended no one knew precisely how, and under the
direction OF no one knew exactly whom There was a
very ambitious scheme for rearing a very imposing
structure I'm the upper part the ctn which the Trades
Unions could hold their stated meetings in Temple
Of Industry, and in which the officials of the Bureau
could have their ample offices, and s leave enough
room TO be let % pay handsome Profit on the invest
ment. There was also plauSibly urged a most fasci-
mating theory which portrayed the Bureau establish
ing cooperative manufactures all over the country regu
lating wages and controlling the "grasping and ayari-
cious employers in fact bringing about a special
millennium FOR workers for wages OF course the scheme
resulted in nothing. The who join and support the
Trades Unions may he very much mudded in their pOht
cal economy and unable to understand why 1t Is impos
sibe TO compel other peop9 buy their labor at more
than its market value 10 the purchasers but they are
clear enough on the question Of subscribing money for
visionary enterprises. This scheme inspired little ath
and the followers of its apostles very sensbly declined
to subscribe their money TO establish the Bureau Of Co
operative Industry Hence the Industrial Palace, or
Temple as the most poetcal and visionary delighted 10
call IT, remains unbuit and the original projectors CON
tinue 20 miserable exstences in the hboous d-
ties OF insuung life and prOpcrty holding ooroners ID
quests and lobbying in Congress and Legislature for
be 10 Known tndN the lfLcll d'tNbf''tSo VI '1 f'J
were ve.tabe Grotalts Of the novel, mot in trade
thcmseves but devoted chiefly TO confusing trade mat
tiers with politics and rendering " all middle, all
lnudde." Their scheme eminently absurd; Tor II
proposed begin the wrong end and instead Oh St
tutng Bureau by successful cooperation sought TO e
tabsh cooperative enterprises every by means OF
the Bureau.
This wear more practical schemes are afoot and though
most If them are only in embryo they already prom
icd success greater than at any time held out 10
the Bureau projectors. They sti ambtious-anost
too elaborate plan given 10 the public TO inspire
confidence in that small class OF practical workmen who
save from their waSes-but they are not visionary
schemes They have productive labor for capital and
their purpose is to manufacture articles which prime
necessities not uxure and therefore in constant and
regular demand. Among these schemes are seven shoe
factories projected by the Crispms, six Of which are to
be confined the members Of this organization and the
seventh to be Tree TO all who may choose to subscribe
The a,namcd all practical c00peratives viii at once de-
clare succeed. The interests which II Is proposed
20 unite are 50 many and diverse that violent Earring
and jealousy is unavoidable W. II. Sylvis, the most
uouular and influential officer the National Labor Or
cauza0n has had retcdh his heart ont in just such
an effort to unite the ronmOders of the country in es-
tabshiuc an immense foundery at Pttsburg. The dis
cord which was unavOdaby produced still dsturbs these
ORGANIZATIONS and projects Of the kind are now nvari-
ably listened to by those who know OF his failure with
doubt and indifference The six smaller factories pro
iected bv the Crpns have better chances OF success
and with udcous management ought TO succeed beyond
peradvcnturc The projectors however have great DIFF
fcutes to encounter. and need not only to labor haru
hut to study the roue before them III tAe bshV ol o'hs
experiences
The now cOperatves begin their enterprise under the
great disadvantag Of having it forced upon them The
most OF those who engage in the new factories taxing
stock therein have entered upon the Work as last re-
sort What they already look upon with perhaps deiu
is hard
suppose, to be compelled by mischance or mistaken
strikes to leave good employment at fair wages in a
season of great severity OF weather and unusual dull
ness of trade and all unprepared seek new WORK, ana
not finding it, turn 10 fields not understood ana
labor hard without fair prospects before and with urgent
demands and necessities behind Thousands Of despcnd
ent men have had fortune thus thrust unrecognzed and
unwelcomed upon them There many thousands
more in this great city who would be all the better event
uay II suddenly forced from easy places in which they
labor on contented, without hope Of advancement,
10 make extra eXertOns in other pursuits.
Seeing their "strike" a failure, the Crispins
have turned 10 cooperation, N many doubts
and misgvings, and really bring to it none Of the
high hopes they profess and which their schemes ought
10 inspire The prospect is not pleasant one but they
Will be surprised how quickly difficulties VIII fade
away when once they begin work with energy, and now
great and how readily available resource they possess
In their labor and skill There is nothing, after ALL more
coined
cocnized We know Of an instance occurring in this
city within the last month in which eight skilled artisans
proposing COOPERATION were offered capital of $1,000
lie only security asked being the anticipated product OF
their labor OF course the men were KNOWN their labor
was recognized as of the very best kind and they had
tabshed by long years Of faithful and conscientious
work personal reputation for trustwOrthiness
The new cO0peratiyes will understand soon enough the
difficulties beginning without money, most of them
10 fresh hpi X STRIKE"
Unions it understood though not positively known
are aiding them in this juncture. preerrng wisely to
help them TO work themselves than to support them
in enforced deneSs Few successful cooperative schemes
have ever grown out of strikes" and none which we
can recall where the Trades-Unions have not been
asked for aid WOrngmen ought not to forget THAI the
truly successful co0peratives have been men
who, with the fixed purpose of gong into
business for themselves, have carefully saved until
their Joint savings formed sufficient capital TO establish
the proposed factory The formation of the most sue
cessfu Cooperative Printers Association in the country
WAS FASTENED but not instigated by strike. The %
members who originally formed it were over year and
half in securing by the payment of weekly instamens
Of A. each sufficient capital purchase the stock and
fixtures of printing establishment. But from the mo-
ment that this work completed their success was
assured and their Association has now doubled IN num-
bers and grown comparatively wealthy of their small
capital The Troy Cooperative Iron Foundry was
started in the way from the savings for more than
two years of some forty journeymen iron-molders A
strike in May 1906, ordered by their Society be-
fore they had paid in all the capital they expected TO
start with but without hesitation, they plunged into
co5neration with the sum on hand and found ii ade-
ouate for their purposes. They now number IS
members and do a purely manufacturing business OF
s25OOOO or s3OGOO year. The Rochdae pioneers them
selves now become mOnaires. began by subscriptions
Of 40 cents week. and their first stock in trade was bought
with SIS of paid-in capital The Springfield Class) Co
lucrative Store which OF the largest in that thry
ing city becan with the buying OF box OF soap at
wholesale by the hands in maehne-shop Little expe
repees educate more rapidly than grand theories and
ali those OF coperation teach that dangerous to wall
~ .-;,os ar failures force iOurneymen into cOOpcra