The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-04-05
COOPERATION
Lecture at the Ladies' Club
House by Miss
Imogene Fales.
WORK OF A GUILD FOR THE POOR
Committee Reports Show Increased
Interest in All Directions
Social Notes.
WORK OF A GUILD FOR THE POOR

The subject specially considered by the
members of the Woman's Club at their
meeting held in the Club House yester-
day afternoon, was Cooperation" The
speaker of the afternoon was Mrs. Imo-
gene tales who organized. ten years ago.
the only Sociological Society in this vicin-
ity, and is competent to discuss the
question :n~telligantly. Mrs. Fales told
of the English system of Industrial Co
operation as it was begun i'm Rochdale
nearly fifty years ago. She said Robert
Owen, the originator of the scheme OF
Cooperation, believed that people could
never be made better unless their cir
cumstances were bettered. He tried to
find a way of increasing the power OF
the Almighty Dollar so that the csrcum-
stances of the working man should be
bettered and decided that the only way
to increase the power of the dollar is TO
sell things at cost. Owens idea was 10
do away with the retail store and lave
Village communities where all the
works would be owned by the working
people. He tried this plan in various
| parts of England and America but was
unsuccessful on account of a lack OF
capital. Finally he took his own pro-
vision store and started it upon tine CO.
| operative plan. His idea was the &C
, onisirfon OF capital, that from the store
| would grow workshops owned by the
people and finally the cooperative com
| munities would be started. At ABOUT
this time the weavers of Roehdale went
| on a strike and to them Robert owen
suggested cooperation. The first CO.
operative society was inaugurated by. %
weavers with a capital of Sl40, Whlch
was all they could raise. In eighteen
| co-operative societies with $4,000 members
and over two millions of Capital. ana now
there are $50 million cooperative stores
in Great Britain, with a proport1onate
Increase of capital.
THE MILLENNIUM IN VIEW;
The purpose of cooperation IS to bring
about a Change 50 Lnat many
one feeds from another. These societies
are so numerous in Great Britain tnat
the Peeps To- Paa ane eeedu'n Mr sne' Fa lep, in de-
scribing the plan of operation of these
Stores, said that the stock was divided
these shares and also buy there your pro.
visions Which are sold at almost cost
price. The profits of the business are
then divided among the share hoide rs
necessary share, he is told to buy ms
provisions at the store and that the
profits on those provisions VIII be placed
to his credit until he has the necessary
amount. The retail stores have pro-
vided money for two wholesale stores
which supply the retail stones at the min
HULL LIZ -. M L 4AS l. NNONG
sale stores are divided among the retail
stores and again. the profits OF the retaM
stores among the shareholders SO all
the money eventually comes back TO
them. The cooperative societies have al
so started building associations which
lend money, to build houses, without in
terest, or build houses at cost price. The
educational branch is not neglected and
| schools have been built which are well
equipped in every way. There is also
COOPERATIVE GUILD
During the last Ave years the women
have came to the front and organized
This guild has ain nurses for the
sick poor and training schools for the
nurses, and has schools for dressmaklng
cooking and all necessary evils. In many
places 1t has compelled shorter work
ing hours, making eight the limit 4
for educating women in the theories Of
cooperation.
Mrs. Fales said the failure of co-opera-
misconception of the principles: that the
stores are fed on their w profits they
W dldI not sue sueee ssha N Mrs 81 F g1lse sp 70 Fq Of the
Stores sa there had been theatres and pub
palace with suites of rooms for which
the people were charged cost prices. she
said in the more than thirty years IN
employed not one tase Of theft or drunk
l enn6SS or unWOrrnsneSS.
INCREASED INTEREST.
showed an increased Interest. in the yari-
Gus or work The NE EduG Mag'a H G9mmlfSea
| Elwell would deliver, a lecture on "Po-
litical Economy" before the eommittee
OF Oh the t1en mir bird Thtu ms to in t April club Am me nm
| bers. Special literary work will be done
by the Committee, and the member WIN
90 don th faI er 6fSs to pa nesp o np current an E r tdppica.
| Committee that a Girls Fortnightly Club
o ofd MSS Rsen MATHIS aG 2 wh daaer will hne meet sesu in the
Mrs. George Glerihew reported for
members had been added to the club
since the last meeting. -
Mrs: De Hart. NJ D., said for the
last two lectures under its auspices, to
! be given the second Thursdays in April
and May, would be open to all club mem
Mrs. creveling said for the Exchange
ICommittee that it had been decided TO
hold an Easter sale for one week, com.
Miss Gaines congratulated Miss Phil
brook bro s.c sas Of Fl the at f ias3 m persasding uP eRe
| New Jersey Legislature that she wants
to be a lawyer. Mrs: Henry Post, Miss
Mrs. Rohrback have been transferred to
| the Educational Committee; Mrs. Muir
held to the Philanthropic Committee, Miss
tee, and Mrs. Day to the Reception Com
MS chapman HIATT Of New York win
and Mrs. Lillian w. Belts. editor OF the
CUB cRabH0fIii ffe.s M spsAA - -
SOCIAL MEMORANDA,
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