Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-11-10
COOPERATIVE STORES.

We referred a few days ago to the in
terest which the English champion OF
the cooperative store system is now
creating in the Eastern States. This
interest seems TO be on the increase to
such an extent that we will, no doubt,
have a revival OF the experiment before
long, in the United States, and there is
probably no locality that can furnish
what may be termed a natural soil Tor
their growth than the city OF Wheeling.
We believe the experiment is not en-
tirely new here, nor in other manuiac-
turing cities and towns Of the Eastern
and Middle States. But they have
nearly or quite all come to grief. They
were mostly mere speculations designed
for the few to live at the expense Of the
many. They were all, too, founded
upon the principle which, Mr.. HoL-
YoAEE explains has been abandoned as
a failure in England, OF selling close
down to the cost price, and thus under
selling the regular shops. They main
tanned no general purchasing agency,
and could give their customers no
better opportunity for getting articles
free from aduIteration than could the
other retail concerns.
In regard to the matter OF adulteration
of food, 1t seems to have been carried SO
far in England, and the working classes
being the chief victims, when the CO.
operative stores were started there and
their patrons were offered pure flour,
Mr.. HoLYoAKE says, "the women would
not take it. They had never seen it be-
fore; they didn't like it; it was not made
white by ingredients mixed with it for
that purpose "When we offered them
pure coffee, says he, "they thought We
were going to poison them. They had
never seen it, and the aroma they never
knew"
THIS, of course, is not the experience
of working classes in this country. 1t is
true that the practice of adulterating
food Is growing upon us, and all classes
are suffering from it, but not TO the ex-
tent indicated by Mr.. HoLYoAEE Is cX-
istiu. in England. There is no argu-
ment, however, to prove that these
stores may not prove OF great advantage
10 the working classes in this country,
and that the experiment is about to re-
criyc another trial seems settled. The
New York Tribune SAYS of il:
II will be strange if the visit of Mr..
George Jacob HolyOake TO this country
does not result in the establishment
here of q system of cooperative stores
for the working classes, such as he has
been so largely instrumental in found
ing and carrying forward 10 success in
Great Britain. His addresses set forth
50 clearly the manner OF conducting
these stores, and describe 50 well the
benefits they have conferred upon the
poorer classes, that public attention on
this side OF the Atlantic will be GER
tain 90 he directed To the system, and
some effort 20 introduce it in our
principal cities will naturally follow.
The fact that the Rochdale plan
has demonstrated its value by an eX-
perience Of twenty years, that hundreds .
of stores are working under it to-day. /
and that they have accumulated mil /
lions of capital and divided other mil .
lions OF profits among their members,
while furnishing pure food at the ruling /
market rates, challenges attention; and .
the connected fact that the system is the .
outgrOwth of the intelligence, business /
talent and integrity OF the laboring .
classes, and is not a gilt to them from .
men who have no need of its advant- .
ages, must create surprise and admira-
ton. We had heard in this country a