, 1874-01-11
Di5tributive Cooperation in
England.
Important and Beneficial Effects on
the Laboring Glasses.
The Great Co-operatiTe Societies Of
Great Britain.
Their Small Beginnings ard Enormous
Growth.
A Lesson to American WORK.
ingmcn.
7ieus of Correspondents on Various
Phases Of the Labor Problem.
Co-opcrntion in EnEIund.

oiled to his wages. Nor is !hls obhquity OF
1neatal vision confined to laboring men. It per-
vades all clasaes, and whole nations, ara fluids
its statutory expression in protective tariffs.
which regard t,ade and industry exclusively from
the sellers point Of TieW, and ignore the buyer
altogether.
Aoout the time that Great Britain was driven
tE the exigencies of hunger to inquire into the
rights and interests Of consu,ue1s, and thereby
to adopt the Free-Trade policy, the first small
experiment Wns made in
COOPERATIVE STORES,
Of which there nre now no less than 1900 to
l,5o0 in the United Kingdom with 400, 600 mem
ters- These stores arc divided among fyo
great federations.-the Southern, Midland,
Northwestern. Northcrn, and Scottish. In each
federation Congress OF delegates appointed by
the societies mccts from one to four times year
to discuss all matters OF cooperative interest.
It's power is only advisory, for every store is
entirely independent. The 6Te great sections
aro lcaSued together somewhat the States
were from 1876 to 1880. They have M annual
Congress and Governing Board Of eleven mem
bers. The Congress Is the fac-simile Of tue
Sub-Congresses, save that it elects & Central
Board of forty-two members. 3 certain number
Of whom must CONC from each section. Each
section Except the Northwestern, which chooses
three) then elects two Of its representatives on
the Central Board as members Of the United
Board which is the one already mentioned as
the governing power. It's duties are propagan-
dism, supervision OF the officials OF the Union,
decision of territorial and legal questions between
tho sections, preparation Of paporE to be read
before the Congress, receiving and disbursng
euch moneys as the Societies tit to contribute
to the general fund, etc, etc.
This sketch Of the
which cooperation has wrought is drawn from
studies made On the spot, under the guidance
OF some Of the foremost lcade1s Of the move
nent,-E. 0. Greening, G. G. Holyoake, and
Thomas Hughes; from notes taken during q
meating Of the United Board; and from mass
OF rriated matter in the shape OF programmes,
1T ance-sheets ETC., Of individual societies. prop
agaadist pamphlets, Parliamentary statistics OF
tho movement, and tho Official reports Of the five
Congresses hithe<to held. speak OF the miracle
i. has wrought. and do so advisedy- It is said
that dead man VAS oncc mRda alive again
cooperation has raised men who were worse
than dead in body mind, aud soul, to keen and
vigorous life.
Example i. better than precept. shall show,
py Ek3rCuAIS hutt6 VI 4O41 typE6s HuAt
0oslang11en have done; what their American
fellows can do.
Rochd.le, manufacturing town near Man
shcstcr, SAW the first
COOPERATIVE SUCCESS.
In 1872, tweuty-elght weayers formed the
fochdale Equitable Pioneers Society," So
grinding Was their poverty that it took two
years to accumulate 3140. Each subscribed
&c IN Ha~afnher ;p
184s, Toad Lane WAS crowded with hooting
tabb!e, gathered to see the opening Of the
"weaycrs' SHOP" The shutters Of the .dingy
little room they had hired we're taken down. Tho
crowd screamed with laughter at the sight of tho
almost empty shciyes within For long time
tho twenty-cight wcavers wcro the only Gus
toners. They could not afford to hire q clerk.
The shop was, therefore. open only in tic
evenings. But the scanty stock WIS soon sold.
The proceeds brought larger one. This went,
ard the no1t, and the next and SO OF. By
saving the money they had befora paid to mid
dlcmen, they were euabled to get their goods at
lower rates, par all their expenses. and declare
diyidotd. And yet they not only kept their
capital Of SLID intact but added to
it, In 1876 it WAS 800. Tho mcm-
bcrsl,ip WAS then a. Soon they rented
larger room. and hired > manager. In 1876
~. &1r Tr zjr
thcS eeean 70 Eel meat 5a IN 80 oEs-gooas we're
aa.ea 10 thef stoek IN to91, poota: snocs, anu
cloinlhs. Ia '4e same year tue5 one1cu eoous
o. Nho'eaaig. from 1ne stait' gIo".n ~. las oeon
steady. Inc man oullutng u tne oocaety,
nousns anu ra'c ,o1' Is lno lnus. t, consp,cuous
euucsute IN tsocnoae 10 IT,, 10 p,any
ran.;ra aso hed icctnres eIisera and n.!
YES slssn n1,o" "a dse e. 'I1 brsrr Tha
~ ooo .a1e ~ tar, . ~ - as1 ua1
i1,,t n,,aNfTth ~ t1on, ore tor.s ~ Ga1
t G;..ee ,' a,e.oat- 49, Iii n-1s -. ~
lou ocenoo ~ ponosuiu;s wv . n!o men aepte~
eeutea oCcn uaIaes as MIL. fa"cott, spencer,
Huxley, Darwiu, and IJndail are common Oh |
tho shelves. The reatiug-room is large we'll |
1rhtcd. a,,d comfortable. It contains neyspa- |
re1e. rayiews, and macaziuey, of every shade Of |
1eai;,;s,1 ond re]i~ious hel;cf McTnEora |
t'o!,@eot 49, 5D J:..H - -
ana 1nempcN Sons a1a num1.1eu us 10 II,
Only members eau da" DOORS. ihere are
eaoveu b1auch readin5-roons III the toHn. The I
Eocety partially maintains schools for young
ard old aud has small collection OF scientific
;,.str,1n..nts nnv of which can bn t,ireti for a |
rar-,-- 49, 80 n;.ht he momhcra 1v1,o ,r;et
iH' - "e esr1 '.t,;.+;an ~ ~ - o,,4a1
iaeu .oI tuett WV 41'G11 ~ ~! e entcs
tGiQu3E1L Ul lIIEuUs 4uo kHU 4UhC1 AUo1b art