The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-03-11
Cooperation.

The quarterly conference of cooperative
ties in the south Of England was held
ne rooms of the temperance league, 337
Strand, January !, Thomas Hughes Esq,
=. G., presiding.
Mr. Benjamin Jones, the honorary Sc
cretary to the section read paper on THE
developement of distribative corporation
In London In it he drew comparisons
between the state Of the cooperative move
ment i'll London and its condition IN the
north Of England, In London there are at
present l9 societies with about 4, 900 mem
bers, El2.OO0 Of capital and a trade of
about 10000 per annum whilst IN the
manufacturing districts OF Lancashire and
Yorkshire containing about the same pop
ulatlon as London, there are $50 societies,
with 240, 600 members, IS, 600. 200 of capt.
tai and a trade Of about e. 900, 600 a year.
Compared with London the northern So
clety have 90 times more capital and 100
times more trade. This vast difference he
attributed not to any lack of attempts at
cooperation in London, for during the
last ten years about l35 societies have been
started, out of which 1l5, OF 50 per cent
have entirely failed, while only about 3
per cent. have succeeded well but, partly
to the different habits Of the people, and
partly because the societies have been
started on a small local basis, which, gen
orally, inferior management, and on ac-
count of their size and the smallness of
their capital had no power to compete
successfully with the Large shops with
which they have been surrounded. What
was wanted to make corporation success
full in London was the establishment Of
three or four large societies, formed on an
elastic basis, with capabilities for extensive
development by means of branches placed
convenient locality where a sufficient
minimum amount Of trade could be insured
to make them profitable. The branches
should be placed within easy distance Of
any part IF London, and would, Of course,
be work, from the central stores. Many
intelligent and competent men might be
found Who would willingly lead their tai
ents towards carrying out this project. and
he believes it could be carried to most
brilliant success, and dispel the doubts of
those who believe that cooperation for the
working classes would never be thoroughly
successful in London.
Mr.. Greening thought that in the con
sideration of this subject sufficient prozz
minence was not given to the vast amount
of initial competition which newly formed
society had to meet with In the country
the competition Is, comparatively very
tritlng but in London it is far different
He instanced cases Of the amazing trade
done by some Of the retail London houses,
which mad to be competed with, in one of
which 1,8OO hands are employed, about
seventy horses, and all other things III pro-
portion. Not one working class store had
been enabled to work successfully north Of
the Thames, and very few in any other
portion Of London.
FRIENDLY SOCIETIES. From the report
just issued by the register of these societies
IN England for the year ending December.
1874, it appears that the number Of mem
Ders of these societies in England and
Wales is 2,075, 1893, and their funds
amount to S45, 1871 $50. OF the English
counties, Lancashire furnishes the largest
contingent, its number being 734, 800, or
more than third Of the whole, their funds
amount to 5000, lao. Next to Lanca.
shire comes Middlesex, whose numbers are
40. 149, with funds to the amount of So
42S, $50. But 1T is claimed that these fig
ures fall far short of showing the strength
of these societies, for out of 81, 547 socie-
ties to which the government sent blanks
to be filled only II $50 responded During
the year forty Eve societies were dissolved,
but only one of these from insolvency.
This goes to show to what extent the peo-
pie are united in objects of benevolence.
When we place this alongside of some
3O0, OO0 trades unionists and upward Of
0OO, OOO co operators, TO say nothing of the
large number Of building associations and
other forms Of association, we have some
idea Of the disposition Of the people to
work together. The future which will
grow out Of this will, without a doubt. be
a great Improvement on the present.