The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-03-14
Cooperative Stores in England.

4
Some Of our readers may possibly
recullect what We said years ago rs to the
poor beginning Of the Rochdale Equitable
Pioneers Society," cooperative concern,
composed Of twenty-eight workingmen,
who set up = small store for the sale,
among themselves, Of provisions and cloth
ing. Their input was pound piece
united capital Of E28 that was all. At
the outset we're dreadfully laughed
at, and ther 40 end OF prophesies As
to the featG- of there project. Caring
nothing for jeers or invidlous Prophesies,
they went ON their way. The thing took.
From year to year, the number of mem
Der increased, till at length developing in
to gigantic dimensions, it carried all before
it, and In one Of the wonders Of commerce.
just hear how the affairs of the society
stood at the end Of 1872. The number of
members was I, ,444 the amount of funds
El32, 9l5; the business done in 1872 not
less than E267. .577, on which profit was
realized Of E33, $40. In these facts are
offered an example Of what may be done
by corporation, when properly conducted.
One material cause Of the prosperous ex-
tension Of this undertaking, consists in the
fact, that members allow their dividends
and profits to accumulate to their credit
instead Of drawing them out as they &C
crue, and spending them. Another most
creditable feature OF this society, consists
in setting aside part of the profits for
the support of an educational department,
in which are comprehending lending
library, a reference library, news-roOms,
and collections of globes, maps, and scien-
tlhc instruments for the use of the mem
bers. Out of the success of this society
sprang several vast concerns at Rochdale
and elsewhere.
London was rather late in commencing
any cooperative project, but when it did
take the matter up, il was with degree Of
energy very alarming to the ordinary shop
keeping interest. As il well known the
most extensive Of the London societies, is
the Civil Service Supply Association, with
many thousands of members, and friends
Of members. In the half year ending
August 81, 1873, the goods sold, amounted
to f359, 627, the profit on trading f96, ,SO4,
and the working expenses amounted TO
E27 ,301. The establishment at present
comprehends q secretary, treasurer, &C
countant, several managers and storekeep-
ers, 40 clerks, 394 assistants, and about
twenty servants and pOrJers. The goods
for sale, consists of groceries, wines, pro-
visions, hosiery, clothing, fancy goods,
stationery, etc. Tradesmen of nearly all
kinds in London, enter into arrangements
with the society TO allow a discount on all
articles sold at their shops, to its members
on pr )ducing their tickets, 80 that there is
scarcely an article OH which considerable
saving may not be effected"
"A step beyond retail store-keeping was
taken in 1864, by the establishment OF the
North Of England Cooperative Wholesale
Society UimIted), the central Of which is
at Manchester: Its objects is to supply
goods wholesale to cooperative stores, hve
hundred Of which concerns now purchase
from it. At the end of 1872, it consisted
of 13l, l9l members who were sharehold-
ers and the value of goods sold in that
year, amounted to 81, ,O49, ,394 the profits
being, 9l0, 468. Besides importing foreign
articles, the society purchases vast quanti-
ties of butter, provisions and dry goods in
all parts Of the United Kingdom latterly,
the manufacture Of biscuits and the busl
ness Of banking, have been added to this
comprehensive CON-, which has numer-
Gus branches and agents. Corporation,
however, has gone even beyond this. At
Rochdale, and Leeds, cooperative societies
composed Of worklngmen, have set on
foot large cotton factories, -four mills, or
other industrial establishments, which
compete in the general field Of manufactur-
ing enterprise. In these concerns, the
operatives receive weekly wages, and also
dividends on profits after paying for
management Fire and Life Assurance
establishments have likewise been set up
on the cooperative principle, the develop
ment of which seems to be perfectly end
less"
''We have not space to 20 into the
general statistics OF cooperative concerns
Large and small, they are now numbered
by thousands, and their practical success
is new society element. The principle
aimed at receives advocacy in a newspaper
called the Cooperative Net1s. 1t should
further be stated, that, with a view to
afford means for mutual advice and consul
tstion, there has been established Central
Cooperative Board at Manchester the
members connected with which, hold con
crosses and conferences at different
places.
ITO what extent ordinary shop-business
have been injured by the setting up of CO.
operative store, there are no means Of
judging. That, in certain quarters they
must have experienced a certain decline in
traffic, is tolerably evident. But, to say
nothing of the idle and lavish cost on out
ward show, are there not too many shops
for the amount of business that can posi-
bly, be transacted The distributors Of
goods in large, AZ well az small towns, are
seemingly too numerous, and we cannot
doubt that some Of them must give way in
face Of cooperative development. At all
events, they will, in self-defense, be com
PEELED to compete with stores BY lowering
prices, and dealing more than ever they
did, on the ready-money principle. And
that, itself, will prove great gain to the
community, sellers as well as buyers"
WORKING MEN AND COOPERATION.
Returns were received in 1877 from 146
cooperative societies, the members Of
which numbered 267, ,964. Their share
capital at the end Of 1871 was e, 800, ,85I F;
loan capital, 2215, 533 capital invested in
other societies, ETC., G145, 346 reserve
fund, e67, ,722; value Of buildings, FIX
lures, land etc., G928, 1874 liabilities,
E2, $50, ,3l8; assets, E3, 020, 567 cash re-
ceived for goods sold during the year, SO, :
439, AL. The total number of co-opera-
tive societies in the United Kingdom ia
about ], 800, and their membership must
be considerably above 1000 If these
cooperative societies which have sent in
no returns are doing a. much business
proportionately M the above 746 societies,
the value Of goods sold by cooperation
1 annually must be from GIG O00 OO0 N
4l7, 100000. Nearly all the members Of
cooperative societies are workingmen.
HYPoDERMIC Use OF WHHKY.-A mar
was brought into the wards Of surgery
bellevue HcspitAD New York, Of which