Daily Republican., 1886-02-11
Co.Operataon I'm England.

uuhFO1nn receutIy visited IOJ1DgJO0,
Lancashire, England, and gives the fol-
lowing account OF the working people
there: Although trade Is bad saw mo-
signs OF poverty In the village. On ths
contrary II bore evidence of wonderful
prosperity. 1t has 400 model houses
which are owned chiefly by cotton opera
tives. Nearly all these houses are built
|of stone, and present very substantial
appearance. The story of their erection
is worth telling. Less than q quarter of
century ago the village had an unenvi-
able reputation for drunkenness, but
marvellous change has taken place In the
habits OF the villagers during this period.
First came the temperance missionary,
who pictured the evils of drunkenness
and the blessings of temperance. His
words evidently sank deep into the hearts
Of his hearers, for they started temper
snce society forthwith. Having given up
drinking they began TO think about build.
ing dwellings for themselves. The CO.
operative movement then stepped In and
taught the people how TO Invest their
money to the hest advantage; some OF
them, however, managed to save money
enough to buy their houses, without the
assistance of either building society or
Ico-operative store but, directly aud in
directly, about 200 houses have been
built by the co operative store. Some idea
may be formed Of Its influence from the
fact that out OF a population OF 5000 it
has nearly 1000 members. II has lent
money on mortgage TO 143 of them, and
during the last eight years 1t has returned
] TO members (n dividends some $3.50 900.
The children are also being educated in
habits OF thrift, for they have no less than
| the sum OF 1910 credited to their account
ut the store, in addition TO $1,000 deposited
In the Post Office Savings Bank during
the last twelve months. The spread OF
Temperance has also been the means OF
reducing the number of hotels. Twenty
years ago the village had population OF
1000, with eleven hotels and beer saloons;
1t has now population of 5000, with but
six licensed no els. 1t is worthy of note
that one OF the hotels has boon trans
formed into cooperative store, End its
billiard-room into library for the d.
rectors OF the store vote about $500 year
for educational purposes"
The following .tacts and figures are
Iselected from recent report, showing
what has already been gained, and which,
also, give but faint idea of the vast
wealth and power the toillng masses may
Iacquire by becoming members of temper
ance and cooperative societies. The
ltown of Oldham, In Lancashire, England
with u population of 100000, has five
retail cooperative stores, the two largest
being established December rs, 1850
THESE societies have combined member.
ship Of nearly 10000, capital of 81 $50
1000, and an annual trade of 81, ,75O, 600
from which net profit is realized o
more than $4,000 year. These five
societies have news room at every
branch store, (Which number about thirty
lhye) libraries containing over 700 vol
umes, conversation and lecture-rooms
They devote $4,000 year to education
and have weekly lectures or concert.
during the winter season. They have
also, erected many hundreds of dwelling
: for their members from the profits o
their business within few years. Othe
towns have done equally well. In Eng
land and Scotland there are about 100
societies of this character, having 700, 00
members, a capital of nearly $50, ,0O0, ,00C
doing business of nearly $3.50, 0,000, 900
Iyear, realizing net profit (with interest
. Of about $l5,000,000, every penny Q
which goes into the pockets of the work
y ing people. These distributive 6 ores ar
only the first step In the cooperative pro
: igramme. They have been organized int
; federations, and wholesale purchasing
societies have been established. They owl
and carry on 20 flour-mills, the larges
of which is doing q business of owe
$3 ,000, 900 year, from which a net prof
is made of about $500, 900. In the tow
of Oldham alone the working classe
have also during the last 20 years estab
lished over 10 cotton-spinning companies
having q capital OF $50, 900 900, employ
ing about 10000 hands, who receive S.,
000, 900 year In wages, and realizing 10
the share holders and depositors abou
81 800, 900 per annum.
The origin, management and growth o
these cotton-mills are entirely due to tn
working classes the bulk of their capita
has been saved from the dividends of tn
cooperative retail stores, supplemented
by the savings from their wages. Thes'
seventy cotton-mills, managed by work
ingmen, are realizing handsome profits
while those owned by private employer
are said by their owners to be running al
) . heavy loss. These workingmen buy
J cotton direct from India and America anC
export their production direct to foreign
markets. Every workingman thus learn
the profits of the business, the market
for the raw materials and manufactured
goods, and knows whether better wages
can be or cannot be paid. There are
therefore, fewer strikes than formerly
J workingmen being both employees an
employers, the conflict between capita
and labor is steadily growing less am
less as the interests of both become thu
l SO profltably united in their hands.