New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-10

aeorfe Jacob Holyoake l2mo, PIP. 1os London
Methucns q Co.
This volume is the second in new series en-
titled SOCIAL Questions of To-Day" the object
Of which is to present sympathetic views OF such
questions, written by authors who are acknowi-
edscd authorities upon the subjects Certalhiy
this plan has been carried out faithfully enough
In the present case. for Mr.. Holyoake prooaoiy
knows more about cooperation In England AN"
for that matter in other countries also-than per-
haps any other living man. The one delec' III
his book is inseparabe from the design OF "iiion
it forms part In deciding that tue ue'v
ment of social questions should be sympatheuc ~
was inevitable that the danger oil peruaiiS anu
prepossession should be incurred, and 1T is qui'e
necessary 10 saw that Mr.. Holyoake is very
swift witness on behalf Of the movement WIN
which he has been so long and so intimately
connected. If, however, the reader can only as
sumo an attitude of unhcsitaung commence III
the authors statements, he Will DE fOuhu oo0'
,nstructive and full of suggestion and it is per-
haps scarcely necessary TO add that wherever he
is reinforced by statistics his conclusions may e
accepted without reserve. Some, moreover VIII
find his attitude with regard 10 Socialism OF
character TO inspire confidence in the soundness
Of his understanding but Of that incidental issue
more NAV be said presently, since it has not
unimnortant bearing upon the main subject.
The co-operative movement in England al the
present time is apparently established firmly Inc
figures for $780, given by Mr. Holyoake, sho"
that there were then 1918 societies, with l'oo4'-
pas members The share capital was eli ,l99,934;
the loan capital was G2475.Ss5 the reserve was
e5s5.ssl; the annual business was E4o225,4oo;
the trade expenses were f2,l39,sA; the prohts
for the wear were G3,775,646. The volume OF
business moreover, increases steadily. In his ln-
augural address TO the Glasgow Congress OF lS0o'
Lord Rosebery said that the cooperative sales OF
1890 and 1890 showed an increase at the rate OF
90 900 900 O year In twenty.six years the sales
have amounted to the almost Incredible sum OIL
nearly f471 200 900, and the profits to nearly t4o'-
100000" To give an idea Of the magnitude OF
the movement. the speaker added that the NUMBER
pf members of the societies were half as great
again as the great army Napoleon led into Russia,
and the capital of the movement was as gTeat as
the national debt of England in the reign of Queen
Anne; and the cooperative annual income was as
rreat as the income of England during the reign
Of William Ill" These statistics may be regarded
es uroyinc that the cooperative movement in Eng
land has come to stay and yet when one considers
the extent of the successes it has already gained,
surprise NAV be felt that they have not been
greater But the truth is, as Mr.. Holyoake freely
admits. that the movement has encountered great
and constant difficulties and that many of these
difficulties have been created by the very pepe
who had most to hope from cooperation.
very important aid to the movement mas
been the establishment of the Wholesale Society
in Manchester This was set up as a purchasing
agency for the cooperative societies. 1t pur-
chases" says Mr.. Holyoake, the produce of whole
diaries. of tea plantations, of cheese factories.
II has an army of competent buyers in various
parts of the world Having the command Of more
than six or seven millions of ready money. 1t can
buy in large quantities at great advantage, ana
by employing analysts can secure commodities OF
purity and good quality The English whole
sale Society possesses six steamships, Chocolate
woolen cloths, biscuit, sweets, soap. boot ana
shoe works, and corn-mill. 1t has hfty-eight
officers of departments, and 3,758 persons IN us
employ Scotland has Wholesale Society OF her
own: equally fourishng. Through these agen-
ces all the cooperative societies can be supplied
with the most trustworthy goods and provisions,
ar the lowest rates Yet it often happens that the
iocsl managers 90 elsewhere for their supplies, 10
The loss and injury of the stores. The Rochdale
Pioneers were of course the beginners OF this no"
great movement, and perhaps it is sigmncant tnao
where they failed cooperation has also generally
como sbort of success The latter has been
oained mainly in the cooperative store In the
co-operative workshop the advance has been very
much slower In fact it may be said that whereas
the principles of the store have been approved
by experience, JhoSe OF inc WoihehoP i"'N NV
Hitherto the attempts of workmen TO run pro
ductive industries have rarely paid In most
instances the management has gone wrong, or the
members have become discouraged. and the ex-
nerments after longer shorter trial, have
been abandoned
Mr. Holyoake is naturally strong believer IN
\ the principle of proftSharing. which, indeed, ne
holds to be the only equitable one. But we gather
from his general drift that he looks more to the con-
version of capitalists to the principle than to the
overcoming of the difficulties that have thus lar
stood In the way of the of the cooperative
workshop. What is most needed in the latter Is
competent and centralized management. and this
does not seem to be attainable under
the cooperative system. or at least 1t
has not yet been attoined. In the
cooperative store the problem is easier 1t
is. to dispense with the middeman, and TO share
the trade profits among the members. In the work
shop the case is far more complicated. The ig-
norance of the members is liable to Interfere at
any time with the prudent management OF the
concern. The members not always prepared to
share losses as we'll as profits If the latter are
small or the season unfavorabe. they are disposed
70 despair and throw up the experiment. On the
other hand if capital owns the concern and can he
persuaded TO share the profits, the hands are Sc
cured against the more serious dangers. Several
proft-Sharlng Ventuics nave ihuoc" o"OOcouo" ni"'
better than the average run of the cooperative
workshops: and the more the system is tested the
soupder does it appear, both in equity and in prac-
tical results Mr.. HOlyoakc devotes much of his
space to arguments behalf of this principle, and
he puts the case generally with fairness though he
too prone to employ the rhetorical exaggeration
which are practised more commonly on the stump
than in treatises supposed to be sane and sober.
On one point he is quite sound He sets hi
face against State Socialism firmly, holding tha
the hest the State can do is to stimulate Industry
and self-help among the people. lie does not ash
the State to assist cooperation. All he requires
is that it shall not hinder the movement. Nov
H. should be clear that the cooperative principle
1. in Lid