The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-08-01

operative stOre-keeplng, is Jnat Oh tne
Civil Service Supply Association, estab-
lished in 1866 A few postoffice employees
bought chest of tea together, and stored
it in an unused closet until divided among
the subscribers. Finding that consider
able sum was saved, they bought more,
and finally opened store, and dealt IN all
sorts Of groceries, cloths and provisions,
so that in two years after its humble COM
mencement, the society numbered ,242
members, a share capital of S531, and a
sIock III trade of EI6,00O. The sales for
the year 1865 were t2I7 2S3. The expense
Of management was f13, 28S net profit,
81 ,5S4. In 1868 there were ten
cooperative societies III Lancashire
and Yorkshire which did business ex-
ceeding flO0, 600 each. That which did
the largest business was the North of Eng
land Wholesale Society No. |, composed
of 1856 retail societies, winch has total
membership Of 74,737 The sales Of this
society for 1868 amounted to f4l2, 24l,
and the expenses Of management were only
f3, ,339. The Richdale District Corpora
tive Mill, with a membership of 81, did a
business q f326, ,659 The Rochdale,
Equitable Pioneers was the third upon the
list, having a membership of 6,73l, and
doing business Of f290, $40. The Roch-
dale Cooperative Manufacturing Society,
with 1904 members, did business Of
flOS, 81 the same year From the passing
Of the act Of 1862 to the 3lst Of December
1867, 1902 societies were certified by the
Register, Of these notice Of dissolution has
been received from 2S6 f.; 1870 new societies
were registered in 1868 The same num-
Der Of societies, TAG, report In 1871 and
1872. Two millions of the savings Of the
working classes for the year 1868, were
SO managed by themselves as to produce
an annual return of more than twenty per
cent, and this percentage was increased the
following years.
In the year 1872 they obtained more
than eli, 900, 600 worth of domestic and
other supplies at very great saving. The
principles upon which they carry on busl-
ness might well be initiated by all. For
the most part they buy and sell for cash
only. They buy the best and take no
adulterated. Require security from all
persons having control Of funds. Are care
full in the selection of auditors. Print and
circulate complete and detailed information
iii regard to purchases, sales, assets, profit
and loss, and other particulars of interest
to their members. As these institutions
are competing with those managed by Pri
vate parties, the officers are selected with
great care, and are usually persons who are
capable of enforcing all needful regula-
tiOns
Under the Companies Act Of Parliament,
industrial partnerships have been formed
where capitalists admit workmen to a share
of the profits Of the business or to become
shareholders in the concern. NJ. Emile
Laurent, in speaking Of the value of such
union Of interest, says "The proletariat
can scrrcely save itself alone, but union
of the proletariat and other classes can
alone save society
France is far behind England in knowl-
edge Of corporation. The first attempts
there failed. The government workshops
themselves, established after the revolu-
tion of lS4S, came to an untimely and un-
merited end louis Napoleon after he had
obtained power, discouraged all attempts
at association on the part Of workIngmen,
and, in fact, placed the whole class under
police surveillance. BY desperate efforts,
however, workIngmen made the national
Legislature, and even the tyrant hlmslf,
after awhile, take some notice of their nm
happy condition as regarded their poverty
and lack Of liberty, beneath which they
were chatting and longing for revenge.
Associations of workmen were shortly be-
fore the abdication Of Louis Napoleon per
mitted by law. In 1868 a carefully pre-
pared law was enacted IN relation to the
formation of cooperative societies, and
under it many such associations have been
organized In Germany cooperative asso-
Citations first appeared in l849, the year
after the revolution. Two raw material
associations we're founded in Schulze's
birthplace, Delitzsch, by the shoemakers
and cabinet makers. Instead of such SO
cleties being limited liability, as in Eng
land, they are by statute. The associates
are individually responsible for every OBJ
legation Of the company under the common
law.
1t is generally claimed in Germany that
this is the true way, and that societies are
stronger and more prosperous on that ac-
count. The tendency Of modern legislation,
however, is to carry individualism into
association more and more every year.
Judge Shulze, a republican i'll l84S, has
devoted himself entirely, since 1850, to
forming cooperative associations. He
commenced by establishing banks where
workingmen put in q cents a month, i'll
order to get fund to build with and carry
on other enterprises. His first society Of
III members received deposits Of only
$35. % year for the first year or two, but
ten years later it had more than Sl5, 600
in operating funds, about 500 members,
and had loaned its members, since organi-
zAtion, between S5O,OOO and SO, 600.
Finally, central bureau of cooperative
societies was formed, with Judge Shulze as
its head, and in 1866, 800 Of these work
ingmens' banks had been established IN
Germany and counties contiguous Since
1859 the central bureau has published
newspaper in the interests of cooperation.
In 1865, 515 banks reported to the central
bureau a membership uf l73, ,5Il. Advances
made during that year S52, ,Ol ,387 go.
The deposits Of members amounted to
$3. 436, 756.20, and that of outsiders to
1913, 329. The members of the banks have
been classified as follows
Seventeen of every 100, workmen.
Eight of every 100, small traders with
less means than workmen.
Fifteen Of every 100, small dealers and
farm workmen.
Twenty of every 100, artisans, or jour
neymen, as we might say.
Ten of every 100, small builders and
little tradesmen in villages.
Twenty-Five of every 100, small employ
ers That is, 60 per cent Of the members
are workingmen, and 80 per cent Of other
persons.
The number Of distribution and produc-
ton societies is small in comparison. In
1866 the names of 157 such were given, in
Schulze's report. Fifty-eight Of these Sc
cieties had a total membership of LIB,
and did business in the aggregate Of
$167, 500.
In the United States but little progress
has been made in this direction. widely
extended attempt in Massachusetts and
other States of New England, twenty-five
years ago, at corporation distribution, un-