, 1884-11-11
COOPERATIVE STORES
The System Commenced as an Organ
to -Help Soldiers and Sailors
An Account OF the Array ana Navy
Co Operative stores = Advan-
tages and PROFITS OF the
Shareholders


fAnnie Wakeman's London Letter.l
Tho cooperative wholesale system which,
Is the father OF the lessor ones, 10 20 speak,
consists Of a trading partnership Of 600 retail
.stnrc~, which hold among them about 1000
. pound sterling shares, the greater portion
Ut which are paid up. Each store holds
shares proportioDed 10 IL number OF mem
b. n, 80 that each member Of a retail store
holding a partnership with tho wholesale is
part proprietor in the more extensive institu-
ton and personally Interested In it's success.
The cooperative wholesale owns freehold
land and buildings in Manchester, London.
Newcastle, Leicester, Durham and Crump-
sail. which, with various fittings and fixtures.
hive cost something like 400 " pounds sterl-
ing Qs5O,O00. The Wholesale WINS . valua-
bile steamship OF 500 tons, used In conveying
British produce to France, and returns French
produce, vim Rouen, for tho uao OF Britt h
co-operntivs stores. This din Get object of fhs
system is TO do hw y with middlemel or
agents, who mako a dlsss r ht In the
trai SER Of comuo iitios from ih' producer
to the It Is OBVIOUS thele o.s.
that the theory lessons not only the cost Of
living, but reno ., te mptat'on e. the adult
tsration OF goods, and TO other ci eating. II
j. equally hue Of Ameri. "A as OF England,
that the poor man gets laa for his one ahfll-
ing than does his rich n 1 bjr for his many
shillings. This i b.caf.s' the poor mnus
~ a commodities pass through more profit
magius a 2 IA les than do the rich man lIx-
urio q goods
Tho cooperative system has been for
twenty-five years IN operation in England.
It was commenced ~ an organ 10 assist the
soldisr and the sailor, aud they are really
soldiers trading shops. In their supplies the
armies were cheated, and Icing too far away
g. N.. ..AeIHnl tAAsr assHnr..N
from being compelled b use inferior goods
OF various kin Is. Hence II occurred to some
ntired army officials on half ray that It
would be doing their profession a service to
start n plan by which they would he treated
with fairnoss by II aking all customers share
holders The plan worked 20 well that other
general stoIns ri. cooperation wore from time
to time started until now the system IL one
OF the most extensive ia England.
There nro, said IA prominent official, -in
the junior army and navy stores, 2d,00J Gus
toners or shareholders. We supply twenty
lis regime "a In Trollnd with every equip-
ga n for caup life, both personal end mill
ttrv. We nave fed 1000 men here on a
Nv lve-hours' notice. Near the clubs as we
are. our stores are more accessible than the
orginal military stores at Victoria. We do
"a ID snea Of 1900 400 pounds sterling per
year. You see, tho Whole argument & on the
fol'oAing scienii T. trancihl basis, with Will
explain how we - ! hue~ as cheapa as we do.
Onr subscribed and ful y rabi up share capi-
e. In 100, 400 pounds sterling. York house Is
partly freehold, and part Is held direct from
no crown, under a Leaf from the commits
slrcrs Of woods and forests, for a term of
ninety-uine years from 1919. at a ground
feu'al Of about 2G7 pounds sterling. We
ninko "A net profit Of per cent. on the turn
ing over Of .. 800 600 pounds sterling, which
= equivalent to a divi sud Of 50 per cent.
on a share capital OF 10000 pounds sterling.
We work with n borrowed capital on the
r nc pie rs a bent would. The London
ard W stminster bank, With ? 900, 900 pounds
sterling c"P tai, work a business Of % CO.
0on pounds sterling dep sits, 20 that they
iInde 23,OOO, 900 p 5unls ierling Of money not
their own; hence the iargr dividends III y
ARE enabled 10 pay on tho comparatively
snail share capital
III hort, a mail nsrcoutage on a largs
turning over sum erab'o, a largodividend on
a small capital, end. a. the shareholders and
N, MIXERS are unlike tho customers Of a pn-
vate firm, in that they are personally inter-
ested H. tho Welfare OF the stores. ihly pro
vile the money On depo II No interest,", VIII eli
enehios n lar O bushes, to be carried on At a
= al orig ma CAPITAL. Them are 800 people
employed "a York horse We wsrc tn first
% OF erntivs firm who employed women &C
countantt We mako r. "A rule to employ in
all our departments as many woman ~
practicable, and these employees arr from
coed families who have become reduced In
circumstances, for we hold that such young
ladies' arc sure 70 lend a dignity to thelr DC
cupat on, by spending thor leisure time In a
equitable manner. and not drinking about In
ublic houses ns Young mon aro too apt todo,
One suinca mikes u person a life emb of
~ q 9 st-rss Tho membership Carl h not
transferable Halt a crown, or 50 cent, rt5
wear secures annual membership. but not the
fnil privileges OF q life mcinber.
1t matters not ~httiar or no ons l. ron
neotcd with tho army oi tie navy TO be Il 'gi-
b.. A.. member While the society IL mainly
lpf the benefit OF soldiers aud their families
90 i- not confined b. such. We aim TO kaap l.
~ NJ TINT "a person ncsis IN tn, way OF
fnrmture. wearing apparel and food. We
hnvs everything from n butchers shop 10 a
photograph gall'ty There Is nIio a ending
room. well suppl . with papars and maga-
tines where m-inhers may retire % read.
rsst or write icta-- This givts members the
In eiom Of y ciut-room. to both ladies and
gentlemen withfn- the expense and annoy
anse which arr usually attached 10 such
nifc~ II . I'D wishes to moe. another
hdy friend or = & nt'enan, she may do 80
At the reading room with perfect propr'e.y.
then. n desired. r tire 10 the restaurant and
-ujoy a good dinner ~ . no lerato sum"