Workmen's advocate., 1889-05-25
BELGIUM.
A Cooperative Bakery-A Remark
 able Means of Agitation.

The Socialist Cooperative Society "Nooruit, y at Ghent, reports the London C0nm0nWeal, has inaugu- rated, amidst brilliant t6tes, its new bakery, and it may perhaps interest those who care for such cooperative institutions, to know how "V0Orut" came into existence, and how it pro- gressed. At Ghent the organlza- tion of the working classes began really in 1857, and in l8G5-61, at the tme of the rapid growth of the Internationa, Workin9men's Associ- ation in Belgium, the old city of Van Artevelde was fairy well organized. The fall of the Commune of Paris and other political causes made So- clallsm nearly die out in Flanders. The movement in favor of the CO., operative and the relief fund societies was practically started about the year 1875. Some thirty Socialists erected the co operative bakery "De vrye Bakkers" (The Free Bakers). The first eighteen months were very hard to pass through, and it seemed to all interested as if complete ruin were at hand. But the revival of socialism Tn 1874 and 1875 caused hundreds of workers, who chiefly were non-Socialists, to join the CO., operative movement. This was a new sort of danger, because scores of workers had merel y joined for the sake of reaping the pecuniary bene- fits of the institution, whereas the founders, who were Socialists, or ganized the cooperation only as a means of propaganda towards the realization of their social ideas. A split was unavoidable, and came about in 1881 when the Socialists, numbering fifty men, borrowed 2,000 francs from the "BroederlyEe Weversmaatschappy (Weavers' Fra ternal Society," and founded there with "Vooruit" (Forwards). After three weeks the members numbered four hundred, and all the new-com- CTS were warned that the society was a socialistlc one, and that large part of its benefits was to be devoted to the propagation of socialism. In 1883 "Vooruit" inaugnrated thelr present house on the Garen market, and were the first to introduce into Belgium the kneadng machine and hot water ovens. In the same year they built extensive premises for their bakery, and others for reading and concert rooms. At the present time "Nooruit" has 4,O00 families as it's members, and provides these with nearly 100000 pounds of bread weekly. In 1885, 1886 and 1887 they helped the Belgian and French strikers with considerable quantities of bread, and besides dis trlbuted among strikers in Flanders over 50,00O francs. The society has bought Place de lIndustrie, 1000 square yards of ground, whereupon they have built their magnificent model bakery with eight hot water ovens and all the most recent me chanical improvements. In their place on the Garen market they have their printery, where the daily so- clalst paper, VO0ruH, is produced.
 In the rue des Chartreux they pos sess a shoemaker's shop and consid- eraDle factories for bootmak kers, carpenters, blacksmiths and cigar makers. There also Is their hall for athletics, several installations for workingmen circles, and a beer
 house. ID Place de l'lndustrle they have built three coal warehouses. Further, they have three chemist shops, one grocery, one drapery, one hosiery, and with these three con cerns alone their business amounts to 350,O00 francs yearly. "Voo- ruit' employs lj0 clerks and work CTS of every description, and its to- tal yearly business amounts to 2,- 5OO,O00 francs The CdmmOH~cn
 adds: "We earnestly hope that our friends of 'Nooruit' will never for get that cooperation Is only, at its best, very mild means of further ing socialist ideas, and that, at it's worst, it can even become directly opposed to socialism altogether.