St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-06
What Labor Can Accomplish
State StatiStician Lambs
Report Complete.
The Probable Solution Of Diff
ficulties Between the EN-
ployer and Employe.
A Historical Review of Coop
erative Enterprises in
Minnesota.
Minneapolis Enterprises Come
in for a Good Share Of
Attention.

State Statistician John Lamb has
given out for publication the third in
stallment of his biennial report of the
bureau of labor statistics, embracing
the two concluding chapters of the re-
port, which deal largely with co-opera-
ton. The review gives practically a
history of cooperation in Minnesota.
His Introductory comment is as follows:
1.-The subject Of cooperation has re-
cefyed wide attention of late years, not
only among wage-workers, but among
social fefOrmerS and professors of in
dustrial economics. 1t is considered by
large class of thinkers the solution of
the vexed questions growing out OF the
relations Of capital and labor. The
strained relations of employer and work
man arise from the fact that the chief
interest Of the employer, under the
competitive system, eenters in his in
vested capital, while the chief interest
of the workman centerS in his own
labor. These interests may be re-
ciprocal, but they are not identical.
Clearly, the only way in which they can
be made identical is to combine
the interests of employer and employee
by making the workman joint owner
in the business. This means co-opera
tive industry, and involved a radical
change in our whole system of produc-
ton and distribution. 70 the practical
mind, it is quite evident that such
change can come, as permanent thing,
only by long and patient effort. 1t is
gratifying to be able to record that such
effort is being made: nor is there any
reason to feel discouraged at the gen
eral results, albeit many of these at
temptS have not proved successful. A
sufficient number of them have proved
successful to demonstrate that the sys-
tenn is practicable at the present time
within certain limits: and likely to be-
come practicable in the near future
within wider limits"
THE HISTORY OF COOPERATION
in Minnesota dates from when some
coopers began in small way to manu-
facture barrels on their own account,
each taking piece work and dividing the
profits. But it was in 1874 when the
town was overrun with journeymen
coopers and wages were so very low
that the permanent cooperative move
ment began under the patronage of c..
A. Pillsbury and one of his mills. The
had very successful history. To-day
its real estate is worth 10000, its capital
stock is valued at $4,000, and it has
eighty-two members. OF these the ma
jority are married men, who own homes
worth on the average $500. This COM
Portable state Of affairs is chiefly due to
the success of the cooperative expert
ment. 1t is interesting to know that
two-thirdS of the members OF this COM
pany who own homes obtained them
through the aid of cooperative building
and loan associations.
The North Star shop was organized in
1877, and was successful from the start.
It's present membership is fifty-four,
with thirty-six journeymen. Its annuaI
output is about 10000 barrels. The
company's property is worth 5000,
and half its members own their own
homes. The Hennepin County Barrel
company was organized in 1880, with
twenty-four members. as the outgrowth
of strikes III 'boss" shops. 1t was
has now fifty-two members and $4,000
in property. The company makes AGO.
600 barrels year, and employs forty
outsiders. The Phoenix was incorporated
in 1881, its members being forced into
cooperation by the purchase of the shop
where they worked by the Hennepin.
With a small capital in the beginning it
grew into successful organization.
The Northwestern Barrel company was
formed in December, 1881, by forty
strikers from Hall & DAMS shop. It
now has property and machinery worth
$4,000; forty members and twenty
journeymen.
The Acme is the youngest co-opera-
tive concern, having been organized in
1885, and its history has been similar to
that of its predecessors. Its capital
stock is $4,000 and it has forty-three
members. tWo-thirds Of whom are mar
ried. The realty and buildings are
worth $4,000, with small Membranes,
and last years business aggregated
$4,000.
In every aspect. says Mr.. Lamb, CO.
competitive superiority over sbess''
work has been demonstrated. And yet
the fact that boss shops are still rum
ming in Minneapolis gives rise to the
hardest problem the coopers have had
to face-a problem still unsolved. The
journeymen in the boss shops have
been ground between the ability of the
eo-operatives to do better and cheaper
work and the disposition of the bosses
to pay the very lowest possible wages
and run their shops only in busy milling
season. There is, of course, reflex
detriment to the eo-operatives them
selves, both as capitalists and laborerS.
A union of the journeymen can effect
nothing under the circumstances, and
the key to the whole difficulty seems to
rest with millers, who now, for fear of
higher prices under purely co-opera-
tive sytem, keep the boss system alive.
Thus wages are much lower than they
once were and than they ought to be.
OTHER COOPERATIVE ENTERPRISES.
Turning then to cooperation in other
lines, the report describes the Minneap-
oils Painters Cooperative association,
which now has capital of $1,000. 1t
affords its members steady work, good
wages and margin of profit, and the
experiment has been so successful as to
insure its permanence. The Co-opera.
tive Furnishing company, organized in
1856, is doing a good business at 307
Cedar avenue. Its sales last year were
ST., 496.11, paying6 per cent on stock
and 81 per cent dividend to purchas-
ers-that is, profits are divided between
stockholders and purchasers. Team
sters organized the Cooperative Sup
ply and Manufacturing company in
1887 to buy and sell their own feed,
make their harness and do their black
smithing. For three months in 1883 the
business done aggregated $6,347, mostly
in feed. The company is extending its
business, and so has declared no divi-
dends. The Minneapolis Cooperative
Cigar company. organized last March.
does business at 251 Cedar avenue, and
has paid-up capital Of s1,400. One
dividend has been declared, and the en-
terprise is doing well.
The report describes the Hubbard
County Cooperative Business assoeia-
ton, which now has mill site, towns
and farms on Crow Wing river. Hub
bard county. A dam has been built, a
mill erected. and saving will be COM
menced in the spring. There are forty