The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-12-09
A COOPERATIVE STORE.
An Interesting Description Of the Leeds
England Cooperative Society.

NbnSidnul cooperative society.
Cooperative stores in England are more
Of success than such institutions are In
thus country, and they are evidently man
aged there with great care. Some Of these
stores are immense in size. and contain
beneath their roofs and ia their different
departments any article that the working
men who patrunize them desire. A writer
10 ScTtbners Monthly describes one Of these
stores as follows
Here is a tangible expression Of York.
SHIRE common sonse--a handsome four
story block Of stores, splendid in plate
glass, carved stonework and Architectural
display the stores of the Leeds Indus
trial Cooperative Society, Limited" Al
bion street, Leeds. Ii may be Saturday
atternoon-a half holiday in the mills.
and the streets swarm with work people az
every age aud condition. Albion street !.
none too wide for the traffic that pnurs
along It's sidewalks aud roadway, and gath.
ers about the open doors Of the Leeds
industrial, actually struggling ia and out.
and pressing thickly up to the counters.
One door leads 10 grocery store the next
to irapery store, another door leads IN
stars to the house furnishing ware rooms.
tho uutht'ing department, and the boot
and shoe store. There is no display in
the Windows (after the cooperative man.
MI, and We may follow the multitude in.
side 20 watch the active Grade. Plain
hard-wotking people, perhaps grimy from
their toll, press up to the counters, cash in
hand, ready ID buy. The statesmen have
evidently prepared for a good demand
and the staple goods, are already put III
IN convenient packages, are piled in enor-
nous heaps on the counters. The deal ont
4 bundles with wonderful speed. take the
/ money, make a note in a book, tear off the
voucher Cor half leaf), and give it With the
I change % the customer. Each one takes
I MS or her goods and moves away as ouicI,
I " as possible to make room for others
| Near the door, IN a tiny office, such a. IA
/ sometimes used for the cashier in Ameri-
can stores, sits a young girl Each one
presents the tyleaf to her, and receives a
/ TN or brass token representing the amount
of the purchase. This is the evidence of
I trade at the society-s store, and will be a
guide Ia estimating the ALLEGATION Of bro
! its next dividend day. For every bag Of
! hpur the member may buy he viii receive
Y back bonus or dividend Of two shiliings
Y ana sixpgnce. On all other goods the
\ bonus viii be tao shillings and two-pence
V iu every pound these tokens represent
/ This Is the Key to this active trade this
I explains tnls eagerness to buy this Is the
4 excuse fcr being that the society can
show.
he shops seem to be equal to the best
II their class ia London or New York
. TIE stock Il very large, Of apparently the
. BEST quality, and Is admirably put 40.
read Tor Immediate sale. Going up stairs.
Ae uud the building blockaded with peo-
pie intent on trade. A woman coming
/ dovn stairs, her three boys making much
catter VITA their lew wooden shoes.
\ brushes past n.an With a wicker baby car
rage under one arm and a mop broom an
1 der tAe other. There IS plenty OF rough
ness, broad lorkshir dialect, toll stained
clothing, and good English push and
. scramble; every man for himself but.
7 with an. there Is a feeling for order and
\ honest good nature Above stairs, there
are halls and corridors packed from floor
u to ceiling with boots and shoes. brushes.
4 kitchen ware, household goods and ready
made clothing. The people swarm into
I cNey nook and corner, besiege the sales
( men, ana drive lively trade These busy
I shoppers and anxious buyers are the mem
] bers u the Leeds lndustrial-a few Of the
sixteen thousand shareholders, the legal
I owners NJ this building, the thirty branch
stores. the shoe manuiactory and the great
I -four mill al Marshall street IN the HUlbeck
district Every man and woman in this
company has i've OF more shares in the
society, or has paid down good shillings to
let them earn the shares. Each one Of
these people participated il that handsome
dividend 81 GIG JO6 is 81 that was paid
last quarter day. That is more than two
pounds a year apiece, or two shillings and
trlie over in every two hundred and
! forty pennies they spent at the stores, be-
sides the interest at five per cent. year
on their united share capital of 9l22, 1872
lis. ll.1.