The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-09-22

Mr.. Thomas Hughes. who 10 now max
ing his second visit to the United States,
will probably be able to accomplish more,
both absolutely and relatively, by pushing
his project for the colonization Of English
settlers upon the beautiful, healthiul and
productive Cumberland plateau" OF East
Tennessee than by planting cooperative
associations among us. Still, attempting
to do one thing, does not preclude him
from pegglng away at the other, and Mr.
Hughes probably feels himself to be pecu.
liarly the champion, II not the martyr, Of
cooperation, since it was by combination
against him Of the shopkeepers that he
was defeated for Parliament at the last
elections. Anyhow, he intends to insti-
tute cooperative store propaganda here,
and, as he IS a good lecturer, has the facts
ON his side, aud knows how to put them in
attractive shapes, he will be attentively
heard. The germ OF the cooperative sys
tenn already exists here, and Miss Kate
Fields cooperative dress association in
New York, founded last winter, is already
successful. But cooperative societies have
not spread so rapidly in this country as il
England, probably because they have beer
too much mixed up with outside matters
or compromised with notions and "isms"-
whereas they shuld rest rigidly upon The
most absolute business principles auC
practice. There is, in fact, not the SAINT
need for them as in the denser population
Of England, and they do not seem 80 well
adapted 10 the freedom and simplicity o
our institutions, where competition is tot
prompt and constant, too active and ener
getic to permit extortion to fasten itsel
like barnaCle upon any pursuit or trade
Our cooperative societies also lack cen
trail wholesale organization. In England
the first cooperative store was started il
1874 with twenty'eight members. In 1856
the membership was half million, witt
over one hundred stores. Since then tn
purchasing has been done for all the store
by central agency. Last year this sgenc.
bought 81, 100000 worth Of American ba
con, cheese, &c. In the last official re
port on these stores there were 65i,77'
members, doing a business in sales o
slO4 865, 795, and reaching a net profit o
50, COZ, $40 on share capital Of $lS,202. S5
and loans amounting to 81, 2Ss,SS5. Thi
means q profit Of 40 per cent to share
holders.
The plan OF operations, which is to b.
initiated in this country, is simple. So!
that fifty persons organize society b!
subscribing to the Ebglish bylaws, eaCt
subscriber for SIS share paying 81
month, In three months the society viii
have a capital paid In of $3.50. Supposl
this invested in sugar, the least profitable
commodity; each member consuming Tel
pounds per month, the consumption o
| The society for the three months would b'
500 pounds. Buying at 0! cent?, selIint
at l2i cents, the account las made ont FOL
Burlington, Iowa. would stand: Sugar
cost Sl4S 10; commission for buying
Isl As; freight, IS 10; selling expenses q
per cent on retail price,, 50 81; net profits
$40 AZ; sugar, sales, SlS4 80. The mel
profits (eoual to l24 per cent? are appOr
toned as follows: Six per cent per "n'
nun interest on capital, per cent o
balance OF profit for reserve fund, q pei
cent OF balance OF profit for educationa
fund. and the balance, Sl6 81, is appor'
TONED in dividends, calculated as payable
on 1924 81, on which it yields Z per cent
These dividends are paid to one fourth the
capital, to the labor account (selling ex'
penses) and to custom; 30 that, as prac
tiCal fact, each member, as shareholder
and customer combined, would get back
enough in dividends to reduce the price
paid for his sugar very nearly to cost. The
system appears TO be equitable.
Itisprobable, however, that Mr.. Hughes
will end many obstacles in the way oil
planting cooperative stores in this coun
inv. III the cities, because OF competition
we scarcely need them, nor IS there any
surety that they could be worked economl
cally and satisfactorily. In rural dIstricl'
and agricultural sections, the gTanger
and the grange stores have, to large, e%
tent, already supplied any such need a
might exist. These act practically on tn
cooperative plan, the members gettiDl
goods at wholesale prices, or the cost I!
retailers-the mere expenses being added
The granger system, having been closel.
pruned and Invested Of all political lenden
cies, as well az all disposition to interior
ia matters outside their immediate cor
Germ, appears to be working well an
gathering solid strength. Its social ant
economical operations are believed to b
beneficial, and will probably aid in maxim
the great agricultural body as influential
fnrrs In this country as il deserves to bt