New-York tribune., 1896-06-06
listening to their cOunsels ana turning "'"'
ear to the inexperienced
SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION.

The success of industrial cooperation, nj ieast
in Enalond seems now to be pretty well estaD
Ishcd The reports made Mt the twenty-eiehth
oun,al CO-operative Congress, held recent! "'
Woolwch, made this clear. The dream ol
the Rochdale pioneers has not been altoge'her
fulfilled But in one way or another the gen
eral principle put forward by them mas p''h
widely adopted by the British people, win llos'
profitable results. In thirty years the hu''pcl
of co-operntive societies has increased from '''
to more than LOO. and the number oI Hieh
bers from 10000 to more than l.i"''n"' INV
capItal from s., 900 600 TO $15,0OoWD the anhuhi
business from S1500O0O0 to S2JoVW'"" ana
the annual profits from Sl.35OOW to S2'V"
600 There IS no disputing the signhcnhce oi
these figures. Equally interesting are me dc
tnils Of business Of some Of the ndivid'ihi So
cictics That at Woolwich. for example, mas
grown from a members with Sl3o capital N
1869 to 1892 members with over S4ooo"U cap
hnl in 1895. The yearly sales have grown from
S.. 800 TO nearly S1J0OO. or the profits or the
enterprise, SGG2 800 has gone in DIVIDENDS 10
members S11J0O to non members, Sl7,ooo TOT
cducat ational purposes. $4,000 to employees III
addition 10 their wages as their share OF the
profits SlS5OO as interest on capital, siZ4""o
for land. buildings. etc, and S3S.'W Tor re-
serve fund "A number Of members" adds the
report. who own the houses in which they live
would never have been In the present p"si'loh
had not the accumulated dividends been used
ito start them toward becoming houscholders
And 1t is this principle that Is the aim or the
movement"
The question naturally arises, and Is as yer
without satisfactory answer, TO what extent
would II be practicable nnd profitable to carry
cooperative work? Large as Is the present
membership of these associations. II scarcely
amounts to j per cent OF the whole population
If 20 per cent or the whole 100 per cont. should
enter the cooperative ranks. would the results
he as satisfactory az at present! 1t Is perfect
" evident that the marked success of some OF
the Socialist communities In this and other
countries has been largely due 10 the fact OF
their singularty and OF their being surrounded
by n vast non-communsi population. Or course
the cooperative associations are not Socialist
yet It may bc that This same rule holds good
with them. and thar their succcss is due 10 the
fact that they are still n small minority OF the
whole population. or such may not he the
case at all Tho question is the most important
one that cooperation has 70 answer, and it aI@
parcntly can be answered only by nctual cX-
pertinent. 1t l. 10 be observed. moreover that
while the principle Of cooperation has been
adopted in all parts Of N" country and In all
industries. 1t l. not uniformly successful nor
acceptable In London. outside Of the Service
stores It has mnl' lliie headway. At present
agricultural regions seem 10 be most favorable
to lrs extension. and cooperative farming is
one Of the most promising industrial move
mcnis In the Kingdom.
How far cooperation Will settle the vexcd
relations between employers and employees is
another matter OF speculation. As We have
said. cooperation IL not Socialism. II recog
nizes the rights md III" bencic cencc of capital
AMI % prIvnt" property. even In land: and II
upholIs the wage system The cooperative 50
ciciv iS multiple capitalist. md as truly II cap.
tails, ~ any single individual Its employees
nrc wnge-carners. too, just the same rs the
rmploye, OF individual capitalists or of soul
less corporations II may pay them n trine
higher wages than the latter do. but that II
doubtful. II does allot 10 them In addition. n
certain percentage of the profits. bu' So do some
private employers aud corporations. But after
ALL The association remains capitalist. d"rIv
INK revenue from ~ capital md managing It's
| business IN lts own way; and the employ" re
| mains u wagccarnrr. with no voice In the man
| ngcmcn'. and nothing 10 do bui 10 follow tho
| directions ~ his employer and thus make him
| self worth; ~ his hire" II the cooperative
| employees are more contented and prosperous
| ihnn others that Is because they mr." as yet II
| small minority 81 the whole army ~ labor. and
| sort of "prvcgcd class" thereof Would
| their exceptional advantages continue II their
! condition became universal instead Of cxcrp
| ,lonalf This Is corollary of the preceding
question. and. liz" H. Is To bc answered only 10y
experiment Toward such an answer the trend
Of affairs IN England now seems 10 be- surely
making