The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-03-20
COOPERATION.
what the Gev. Jo-eph Cook Says In y
Lecture ON fSs Subject.

Go to the town Or ROchdsle nesr Man.
chester, England, and you will find an
immense establishment called a Co
operative store. You are an American
traveller, and do not understand what
this Institution has done; snd here is q
poor English lsborer who is ignorant as
to the results of corporation among the
poor. You take him as your mpsnion,
and step into the establishment; and he
looks about, and asks you in a whisper ::
Was all this done by poor folks like
me ?" A clerk C mes forward and an
swers the question by saying: CAN
that YOU see here belongs entirely to
working~men. The store which you
come to visit originated with the poor,
and with the poorest of the poor"
We walk with the clerk from room to
room, and he points out the strsgetic
quarters of the establishment. Here
comes a poor widow, and she BUYS SIS
worth of -four and meat and cloth.
" Yes" SAYS the poor English laborer,
" but | see that she has to ray for
every thing in cash" $50 she does"
says the clerk; nothing is sold here
except Tor. ready money, but wait and
watch the whole operation" The widow
gets tin certificate, showing that she
has paid IS, or 81, for goods at this
store. She puts that into her porte,
monnaie, and goes away. The clerk
calls attention to the fact that there is
no credit given here. "That may be 8
good thing" says the poor man "there
is not much announcement here 10 get
into debt" NO" says the clerk;
" and We have no bad debts because
there is no credit. We can do large
business on a small capital, tor we turn
the money over often" The laborer
asks: does that widow yonGer, pur-
chasing her goods, obtain them st a less
cost than she could get them at the ordi-
nary shops - The clerk replies: We
save all that we should nave to pay
middle-men 10 manage this business
We save bad debts; we save an immense
amount in advertising, because cur Gus
toners, especially il they are share
holders, are sure 10 come here; we save
ell the profits tina in ordinary manage
ment OF business would 20 10 the retail
trader"
Oar poor man wants to know how he
can become 3 member Of this institution,
and whether he can st once have the
benefit OF this new arrangement Of trade,
and the clerk tells him that BY paying
q small sum be can be organized IS a
shareholder, can have part in the man
asement Of the business, or that if he
saves his tin tickets, representing the
amount Of his purchase, and there is q
profit or tine business, then. even # lie
Is not a shareholder, he will Get q part OF
the profit DrOp0rLioned to the amount ct
his purchases. "Tlis poor widow"
says the CLERK, buys in the course Of
the quarter twenty-five dollars worth Of
goods, and there comes q time when
p5CHrs are divided. She brings lu her
tin tickets rs proof OF the amount Of her
purchases, and she gets part OF the
dividend even If she IS not 8 shareholder.
II she is a shareholder she has the choice
to take her dividend and put it in her
poCke,, or leave il IN the establishment
as so much new stock TO draw further
10 time 10 C-me.'
The clerk informs Us that the R3Ch-
dale cooperative store began with few
weavers in 1874. The R0chdale pioneers
we're merel Y weavers, who in s distressed
period OF the flannel trade thought 1t
possible to club their means together,
/" ly-eisAI " tueul' anu 10 n'y Tea
ana ia sugar at "hoie78ie prices, ana lh5y
81 " e@tn C''I.. III 'e'ai- 'iloes SAu uh,
~, I, "a id15~ LAPolaas'I -htlh Too
.nay I-le Topic o. SNt,.'15ssloA ~ 1904 Das
&c ~ (" zen T-lCA', D'.'assei i'
'os'o" -"Pl'e''''el j. anu -17V no" we
>,-o" -. "-.1- i".,'i't-' '".s .1T'-
49, U--'ii" Cl1-'S'5 v.e. OLSON iht
.-N- ~ fl9''i 5i''7 10 'i'7 A.-t-' o"I oy no
mean ' N.'-'y sP@.7 'Ae I&.'er' Al
~ 80 20 ~ o.''-ys, .i1'@ me Fo.'
MI -'.- 'ns f.v.'' TnG sA-'. i- nos only
.,5. ~ ,'s' .nS po-I axe oo.-=e- 10 cay IN
,l...l. -@.'sla' .uC can noI re f@Etoo4al
= .ous inc Y nancy Q. .Aels purchase, pus
:. ,vc'''~5 Icy nave 'es7 power 10 MAKE
e.. serves ne"'.' II CON- P''lnI.
IN, 4ils lo'1tVf ,S.. s'cie-y' me elaIA
IA 80 u, i''' Al LOU Cal ''s' %. . i-,',V>
) - --"' 'o' yea,s mao q " HoitsaIe
Il s.aL'lueH'' ara u u n@s " JUSTICES
y, =: III i--oIe ''iaI 9LV'"'V Wy Per a-lL'l. n.
! ,.ls '[PSI .''eh' 'f"Isac1s business Win
~ su'St,.'aiy c5-oPeId'lTe store ana !
u * se1tlpg more nan ~, CIV W. Vy0 per
~ III ioSS,' less 'Lal gu ny "'" uso's' |
: : u cL I u Aan"sseHeH'' me ciefS says.
r1 Is "-5-y one per cen. 20, On ..e 5stGfHs
nc d. a u ~ ho.lce 'HaI t,le huiuoeI Oh
~ ~ i'ei"' ! soC!e,les II E"Saiu aId
', E'Iea Il ~ an 100 ne ne nan. Der o. mem
' e-5 Lnoie oiISH o"O'oVV' at me eho o.
% 'iig , o9o o c%i'Ai SlnounI-G % more
IA, ,iiSI noE %t oGS DuIins Una, year
NE, ,,,o V1y.Uoy we're received ~, ana sou UVg,>
~ eA teh ~ loE goous' Inc net Prcnt
!. i", ~ a." 49, ,Aese sources WIS more thaA