The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-06-28
THE RUSSIAN ARTELL.
Peculiar Cooperative system Exist
ing Among All Laborers.
Boston Commercial Bulletin.

The Russian people have peculiar form OF
cooperation. 1t consists of combination or
club, called artell, and is, to certain extent,
akin to the cooperative societies of West
Europe. They might almost be called tenn
porary associations In nomadic communi-
ties, artells are unions of handi-craftsmen,
carriers, servants, ETC., the object of which is
to provide work, and sometimes even food,
for all its members. There are, therefore,
different kinds of artells. In this way, the
custom-house officers and merchants provide
work for the artells, contracting with them
for the supply of members to look after their
goods, the loading and unloading OF the
same, etc. Such unions are also formed in
barracks to provide for the soldiers; travel
lers who accidentally meet on the road, and
who separate after certain time, form an
artell and defray their travelling expenses
and the cost of their food out Of the common
treasury.
An artell is sometimes formed even for a
few hours-as, for example, IN the case OF
servants who have accompanied their mas
ter's to ball. These form an artell to look
after the property, and then distribute the
gratuities received. The .workmen engaged
in erecting building, or in doing any other
kind of work, join together 10 form an arlen. sli
Il .~NS
ropeens," says: 'In Russia every person be-
longing to the working class is surrounded
throughot his life by a numerous family. with
which he lives in absolute community as
guard against all misfortunes which might
happen if they were isolated. The wOrkmen
who go abroad and into the large towns to
undertake different kinds of work, and who
are deprived of this protection Tor the frst
time, hasten to repair the loss by forming
voluntary associations, Whlcn are Known Dy
fha mama of artpl1S ~
The writer then describes an association OF
this kind. He says: Zone workman, on
his arrival in st. Petersburg, Joined about 40
parcel carriers, each OF whom nad put q GER
tain sum of money in the common treasury
of the artell Four members were then ap-
pointed to carry out the general business:
the 'artelltschik,' who had to look out Tor
work. to settle the price at which was TO
be undertaken, and to divide the work; the
'cloutschik, who had charge OF the treasury,
defrayed the common expenses, and divided
the wages; and two starch, to whom was
entrusted the control OF the chief ana the
treasurer At the commencement OF the
winter the arten, which consisted tnen OF OF
65 members, was again dissolved. Inc WORK
which had been done consisted In the load
ing and unloading of ships and in looking
after gardens in the town. The meals were
taken together, and the cost betrayed by the
artell treasury. On the union Delng DIS
solved the sum of money remaining In the
treasury was equally divided, the amount of
work done by each individual not being
taken into account at ALL" The savings of
each member amounted to about $25 in our
currency.
The disposition for associations, deeply
rooted in the Sclavonic race, penetrates the
whole Russian working class. As soon as any
one commences to learn handicraft, the 9TH
er workmen take him in hand, look after his
meals, and find him lodgings. A workman is
likewise permitted to change from one trade
toanother, where he is made member Of an
other arteil. The Russian operative classes
consist of number of artells, whose only aim
however, is to provide food for all Among
the cab drivers the artell has aleady assumed
the form of cooperative societies; cabs and
horses are provided at the common expense,
and business carried on in the same way The
Russian cab proprieters have to thank these
artells for their exemplary organization. Be-
sides there are many villages where only peo-
pie of a certain trade, as for instance, tailors
and ioiners, live. Here the ''artellschik" takes
the orders. distributes the work as well as
the profit, and forwards the goods.