The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-05-05
MONDAY EVENING, MAY 8. 1873.
Cooperation in England.

We have several times indicated that the
most effectual way to crush out monopoly
in this country, was to organize against it
to adopt the tactics of Todleben in the
defense of Sebastopol, and demonstrate
that monopoly is game at which two can
play. The difficulties in the way of our
adopting these tactics, heretofore, have
been chiefly encountered in the obstacles
presented by the railroads-they joining in
the grand monopoly movement, and re-
tusing to take freights except on their own
terms and at such times as they might
choose. But the railroad managers in Illi-
nois have been forced into tacit arrange
ment among themselves, in consequence of
the pending legislation in that state and the
powerful farmers movement to break up
the monopoly, by which a car shall be left
at every way station for freight, and, when
full, shall be forwarded at regular rates
and on time.
This arrangement opens the way for CO.
operative dealers in western produce, so that
the system which has operated so adyan-
tageously to the laboring classes In England
can be effectually carried out here. At
recent congress of the cooperative socie-
ties of Great Britain and Ireland, recently
held, with large attendance of delegates
from all parts of the kingdom, very impor-
tant facts were elected, which will be of
interest to our people, and especially
to those classes similarly situated in respect
to pecuniary means with those on the other
side of the Atlantic.
The President, in the course of a
heightened address, referred to the rise
and progress of the cooperative movement
IN various parts of the kingdom. In the
Northern and Midland counties these
societies are to be found in considerable
numbers, and are increasing almost daily,
both in numbers and activity, but among
the Southern counties, the movement can
not be said to have taken any substantial
hold. The returns which have been made
to Parliament are not complete, but TAG
societies in the year 1871 had 262, 1888
members, possessing a capital of co ,521, =
900, doing business to the extent of
e9, 1861 per annum. The profit made
by these TAG stores was little short of
GS00,000. The most remarkable thing,
however, in connection with corporation
was probably the success of the wholesale
stores in Manchester. That establishment
has 277 shareholding societies it has
800 societies doing business with
1t; it has capital of el40,000,
and does trade to the extent
of e1,250,000 per annum. During
the last four years it has done a trade
amounting to $4,000, 900, and in the same
time it has only made G200 in bad debts.
He thought that was the most encourage
ing feature in connection with the report.
Cooperation had made, however, less pro-
gress in Scotland than elsewhere in the
kingdom, having only two hundred and
fifty societies, seventy of which have re-
ported to parliament the state of their
funds. The chairman concluded his
address by enforcing the social advantages
of encouraging the working classes to ac-
qure business habits by giving them an
interest in trading societies.
We believe that similar oceties in this
country would be of immense advantage
to the people in our cities and larger towns,
and that it would be found to be the most
efectual way to break the back of monop-
oily, or those ring combinations which in
terpose such rascally profits between the
producers and consumers of the country.
The Railroad Question.