The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-07-04
COOPERATION.
How /. varl. In EnsIansl.

BY cooperation, as the term is nov
used, II meant an association Of persons
for establishing and keeping store, in
which its members purchase their sup
plies, and the profits Of which are also
divided among them.
For many years IL has heen thought
practicable to set up such stores, and
thus TO enable tho poorer Glasses both
% obtain their goods cheaper and better
that ut the ordinary stores, and to have
distinct interest in the business to
which they thus contributed.
TIE first successful attempt 10 do
this was begun at the large mannfac-
turing town of Rochdale, in England,
the home of John Bright, about thirty
years ago. A poor weaver, who found
that his and his fellow -workmen's house.
hold expenses were too high, as com
pared with their wages, conceived the
idea that they might combine together
and run store for themselves They
would thus, he thought, procure their
goods at Wholesale prices, and save the
profits made by the retail dealers; they
would be more sure TO get the pure ar
ticles, since the storekeepers were their
own customers, and 30 were personally
interested 10 procure what was good I;
and they might reap for themselves
whatever profits the sales Of the store
yielded.
With six other weavers in the facto-
ry he ret about carrying his plan into
execution. They put together the scant
savings they were able TO make from
their wages, borrowed what little addi-
tional funds they could, aud, hiring a
little building in the town, at last open
ell store.
Not long after, this first successful
cooperative store was placed on a very
effective basis, and from il has grown
that extensive cooperative system
which has spread over England, and il
now finding foothoid ia the United
States, known a. the "Rochdale Ian. I"
The system is. in brief, as follows
First number Of men get together,
aud subscribe aud pay in certain
amount Of capital. with which to begin
opeFations, aud which also serves as a
reserve Tor the money thus loaned
sess.ii-ssan receives moderate annual
interest IN ptopartion 70 the amount he
has put in, and receives bis proportion
fal number Of shares.
But in the tneetiags Of the eo-opeta-
tionS thus formed, each shareholders has
one vote, and one only, no matter hoy
....... -. La... e.at Il 80 IL. ts.tHs fTEI.s.
it is seen, is entirely different from the
practice Of all other corporations, for IN
thcn y man has as many votes as he
has shares, and the more shares he holds
the more votes he has, and the greater
his Influence on the conduct Of the con.
Germ.
The object Of the cooperative socie
tics Ia making all shareholders equal in
their voting power is to prevent any
one man, or any set OF men, to obtain,
as they often do in other companies, q
controlling authority.
Now when the store is started, q
schedule Of prices is adopted so as tc
give n slight profit 70 the store, and the
shareholders make their purchases from
it. Every time shareholder buys any
thing he is given a check, stating the
amount he has expended for goods. Ht
carefully keeps these checks.
At the end of the year, when the &C
counts are balanced, whatever profits
have been made are divided into tive
parts. First, the interest ON the capita
is paid from them to those who bav,
contributed. Next-and this is the
main principle of the cooperative sys
tem-what is left Of profits after pay
ing the interest on the capital 10 divid
ed among those shareholders who have
made purchases at the store during th'
yeaSnin proportion to the amount eael
has purchased.
For instance, if man who has pur
chased say 500 worth of goods during
} the wear receives as his share Of tn,
! profits 50, one who had bought So
worth would get 50 so, one who haC
bought S25 worth would get 81 25;tha
r is, each gets his share of profits accord
} ing to the sum he has spent ct tn,
, store.
l 1t will be seen that by this system
, which has succeeded to some extent il
England in being put into practical op
Grafton, n member Of a cooperative SO
( ciety has many advantages. He get
t his household goods as cheaply as h
could anywhere; he is pretty sure {.
. get good articles; no gets interest OF
/, the money he has put into the capital
and he shares the profits of the concern
according to the value of the goods h
has purchased during the year.
This subject is too large one to b
exhausted in a single article. and "