The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-03-13
COOPERATION DEFINED.

use as term of general significance in the
science of industry and trade, has within
a few yease acquired special and techni-
cal sense, implying the association of any
number of individuals for mutual profit,
whether in the purchase and distribution
of commodities for consumption, or in the
production of commodities or in the bor-
rowing and lending of capital among
workmen.
Cooperation, as technically understood,
occupies a middle position between the
doctrines of the communists on the one
hand and the private property and free
dom ofindividual labor and enterprise on
the other. 1t ignores the doctrines of the
old school economists who founded their
systems on free competition, and rung out
their automatic principles in the phrases
of supply and demand" stbalance of
trade" and the kaiSSez aller of the French
men-phrases which have had their day,
but which are now giving way to a better
philosophy and more scientific principles.
Societies and unions founded on the
principle of co operation and association
have greatly increased in number, in the
acquisition of capital and in the amount of
business done within a few past years.
The form, the particular aims, and arganic
rules of these association are by no means
uniform. But, as we find them in the
different countries of Europe, and in the
United States, they may be divided into
three general classes-frst, societies of
distribution and consumption, the object
of which is to buy and sell to members
alone, or to members and non members
under differing conditions, the, e,necessaries
of life, or the raw material of their indus
try; second, societies of production the
| object of which is to sell the collective
work of the members and distribute the
avails to the individual workmen in the
proportion that each has contributed, by
his capital, skill and labor, to the aggre-
gate earnings of the association; and third,
societies of credit or banking, the object of
which is to open accounts of credit with
| their members. and advance them loans
for industrial purposes alone. and not for
speculation. There are notifications of
this principle, such as clubs for economic
purposes, friendly societies, burial socie-
ties, societies of workmen which under
take the execution of work by contract,
arrangements of private firms by which
the workmem share in the profits of the
employers, and building societies, now
common in most large towns and cities
/ the ODJGCI OI WLlCu ID W GIldUiC I4lClilpCIs
to become owners of ofdwelling-houses.
But the above three divisions embrace
the distinguishing characteristics of the CO.
operative society.proper; and it is some.
what remarkable that the three kinds oi
association have attained marked success
in three of the most advanced European
ountries-England,Fr France and Germany
England, stands at the head in societies o.
consumption; France in societies of pro
. duction; Germany in societies of credit
The United State have commenced ii
| good earnest unions for consumption
whose business it is to buy at wholesale
prices and sell, on the cash system, to it
members at the usual retail prices of othel
business houses; the profits of the business
are distributed to the members as per
centage on the amount of their res
pective purchases. Association for pro
, duction and credit have not asiyet beer
largely entered upon in this country. w
| think the grange is preparing the way fo
? far wider application of the principle o
t cooperation, and it will not be long be
E fore associations will be formed for carry
e ing on all kinds of business on some uni
D tary plan which will be far more econom
n ical, efficient and remunerating than tn
present competitive, individual, each-one
S for himself, chaotic way which now oh
n tains.--.Sbirtt0f of Kansas.