The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-04-21
evening State Snarnat.
MONDAY EyRG. APRIL 81. 1873.
Cooperative stores.

As people, we Americans put up witt
more impositions and annoyances than any
civilized nation in existence. We submit
to being badly served, i'll fed, bullied by
hotel clerks, cheated by our grocer, water.
ed by our milkman, and trampled upon by
the rising generation. We pay double
prices for almost everything. We arc
reckless of expenditure, and apt to value
our purchases more for what they cost us
than for their real value. We are as asham-
ed of poverty as we should be of vice, and
TO confess that we cannot afford anything is
TO us both difficult and Notifying.
We strive to keep up appearances upon
esaall salaries. are Disseminated unless we
can make as good show as our next door
neighbor, and are particularly destitute Of
that happy independence of spirit, which
is marked characteristic of the French
nation.
We are apt to live up to our last
dollar, or even beyond it. What
they " say, or what "they" do, is
too often our rule of action. rather than
what is truly expedient and necessary
for ourselves. Even in New England,
where people fancy economy is thorough
lv understood, the waste of thrifty Yam
kee household would support small
French family in tolerable comfort; and
a short residence abroad will convince
any one that we have great deal to
learn on the score Of frugality. Much of
the ease and economy of foreign resi-
dence is brought about by certain
cooperative system, by which individual
labor is lessened, and the work which
could be only carelessly done at home, is
well-executed abroad. In Paris, for in
stance, the terrible washing and ironing
days are wholly avoided, for all the linen
is taken care Of by professional washer
woman, who, for most reasonable sums,
bring home the wash" looking as we
never see things look in this country.
"Ah, madame" said pathetic French
woman on viewing her clothes after they
had passed through the hands of New
York laundress- "With you they do not
know how to 5lanchir. they can only
,cash" In French villages, all the bak-
ing is done by the baker, even if the pud-
ding or the cake be concocted at home.
Bread is never baked in the house, and
being invariably good, another misery and
source of waste to American house-keep-
ers is done away with.
1t is true that among the few who strug-
gle against the tendency of our age, some
futile kefforts have been made among us in
this generation to stem the tide of extrava-
gance, which threatens to swallow us all.
We have had abortive schemes of CO.
operative housekeeping, cooperative bake
ries and laundries, attempts at union
stores which have resulted in general THEW
ing and imposition, and recently, the restive-
ness of the working people has turned the
attention of the public to the importance
of cooperation in labor, in manner which
may result in some good both to en-
ployer and employed. gFT
But upon the housekeeper still weighs
the burden Of supplies, and the dispropor-
ton between the real value of what we wear
and what we eat, and the price paid for it,
forces itself constantly upon every think
ing mind. After asorrowful contemplation
of the various failures of the we'll -intentioned
in our land, we have been led to examine
the working of cooperative systems among
our neighbors across the ocean, and to give
the results of cursory investigation for
the consideration of those to whom the
problem o.. cheap living seems so difficult
to solve. f..l,3..
To bring living down to solid basis,
and to have fair equivalent for the value
expended, is one of the aims of intelligent
Engishmen of the present age. Living,
as many of them do, upon fixed incomes,
there is no room for the margin which
reckless Americans allow, who depend
upon their next lucky speculation to sup
ply the deficit in the family budget;
while to regulate expenses according to re-
ceipts, SO that life shall be not only posi-
BILE, but comfortable, is the desire of the
wise and prudent everywhere. "copper"
field" said Mr.. Micawber solemnly, "giv-
en- an income of ten shillings a week, ex-
penditure, nine shillings and sixpence re-
suit, happiness. Income, ten shillings, ex-
penditure ten shillings and sixpence re-
suit, misery.
This philosophy with its profound SIM
plicity and truth, may well come home to
all. In fact, actuated by the same profound
conviction, which unfortunately the lament
ed Mr.. Micawber had not strength of mind
to act upon, number of public spirited
EnglishInen in the various large cities,
have organized the movement in co-opera-
tive supplies, which possibly it would be
well for US to initiate. One of the most
successful of the cooperative stores was
started by few gentlemen in the civil
bcItiCC III AOuuOuT-IlS OuJCCt VI ILLS ssocO-
citation being s'to secure to members of the
civil service and the friends of members of
the association, the supply of articles of all
kinds, both Tor domestic consumption and
general use, at the lowest possible
price. >" They quickly secured about
three thousand subscribers, at one pound
each, and on this capital Of Sl5, 900 they
commenced operations in q very modest
way. The plan proved itself to be a good
one, and in short time the applications to
become annual subscribers, at.tive shillings
$l.25) per amman, exceeded the number
which the association could accommodate.
In brief, the rules are as follows:
The original subscribers (shareholders)
alone have any voice in the management of
the association. All net profits of business
are applied towards forming guarantee
fund for rent and for reducing the prices
of articles sold at the stores /. m ID
No dividend or interest is paid on the
shares.
The business and affairs of the ass o,i;.
ton are conducted by committee of man
agement, under which act the secretary,
treasurer, and other clerks. haRii
Every three months a price list is issued,
and unless on extraordinary occasion, there
is no alteration made in theprice during that
quarter.
Allpurchases must be paid for in cash
before being sent out of the stores. No
member can hold more than one share,
which is not transferable. e3 AID et