The Grange advance., 1874-07-08

tlOn 10 mO0OpOueS requires SucA careful dis
elimination to avoid doing more evil than
good, that our people have preferred tc
transfer such questions to the legislatures
and courts rather than to deal with them
as party questions. While the commits
sioners are busy in some sections Of the
state regulating the working Of roads al
ready constructed, other sections are clam.
orins for roads under almost any condi.
tions. Moderation and justice to all parties
is the only true policy.
Hon. THOMAS HuGHps; NJ. P, London,
in the Rational Review article, g. Working
Glasses Of Europe" after @carefM study Of
the cooperative system asitexist$ in Eng
land, France and Germany, where men
have long since combined their small earn
ings to procure supplies at the cheapest
rates, lays down the following, law settled
by experience:
IF consumers unite in Sufficiently large
numbers to pay, by the profit upon, the
articles whichs they consume, for the cost
c1distributingthem, and provide the funds
needed to purchase what they want: to
consume, they can free Themselves from
:the' useless burdens Of competing estab-
lisnnents set ur tolive by attracting their
| custom, and froraathe countless dangers~o Of
fraud and adulte-stion which the'business
Of competition SC caused fosters:''
live understands the thesis laid down
by LII. Hughes, correctly, it 1saans that
where the expense of keeping tae distriba>
ting store costs lesetaan that paid in profits
through the ordinary way Of trade, then
men unite their mesns with the advantage
of dispensing with tile speculative class,
who aim to make large profits oEtof labor
More shan this, tksy are not exposed to
the " countless dangers Of fraudtand adu!-
teratioas"
This scheme Of lcoal societies protecting
themselves by SUPPLYING their own wants,
is comparatively new'to us, but IN Europe
necessity long since Goeced communities to
seek. shelter unde-7 such organizations
The English associations do an, :immense
business, " hich is STEADILY increasing since
1866. as will be ssen by the>~following
table: Goods sold during the year 1893,
$22,313,3s0 goods sold during 1.-The year
1871, sz7;147,355.
The year 1872, so far as its returns ere
known, shows similar rate Of increase; !;
the salesof Is of the largest societies which
in 1871 were 1850. ,745, having in 1872
reached the total Of s25, l63,, while
the number Of members had risen from
1880 to 81, ,230, and the capital had in
creased from 81, 4,47s ,l35to s. ,6A6, 500.
It will be noticed that on capita. of
S5,646, 900 the societies did q business~of
$25, ,16s 1886, which, as they pay cash, re-
quired the capital to be. turned FIVE times
annually. This Of course could readily be
done where the stores dealt mainly in pro-
visions and groceries,, but1eould not be
done where much capital is absorbed lin
expensive machinery.
The first question in every movement Of
this sort is, from what souroa shall thefands
come, and how shall theyhe manageda In
England, Germany and. France the people
raise the funds among, themselves, and
| conduct their business. .on,a cash basis. Can
this he done in Minnesota In thickly
| settlsd districts there are no distinctions,
but we doubt if it can he put in operation
whore the population is sparse. We
should add that in England the country, OF
what they call the distributing stores, are
supplied from the association's> wholesale
stores, and such store in our commercial
centre might supply the wants Of weak
oranges at the minimum rates. so long as
they kept their credit untarnished. =:
! Franklin discovered that penny saved
was twepence earned, and the rule will
always hold good. What has added t
the prosperity, health and comfort Of one
people, can be made to work equally sue
cessfully for others
! A LOAD Of lumber fell on q man by
tho name Of ReverdY, at Saltwater the
other day and broke his thigh.
TIE gentle frontier muequito dosen't
!. care whether mans name is Iago OF
not-he demands blood all the same.
/ The last Of the Minnesota Stag,
4 Companies stages were withdrawn
from the Redwood country last week.