Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-07-30

tion and distribution, and those who
hold that certain social evils-the evil
of poverty, for instance-may be most
speedily and effectually abolished by
united individual effort.
The founders of the Rochdale system
of cooperation were socialists, but of
that school which taught that those
evils which affected them in their social,
domestic and industrial relations, and
which were in their power to remove,
they ought to remove without waiting
for or expecting aid from the state. How
sound and correct We're their views upon
the subject before experience furnished
the proof appears in the result.
THE RoCHDALE EQUITABLE PIONEERS
soCIETY-ITs ORIGIN AND PROGRESS.
AS already stated, the founders of the
cooperative system, failing in the
strike, formulated the following pro-
gramme as better calculated to ac-
complish the object aimed at
the improvement of their financial,
domestic and social position. First,
they would open store for the supply
Of ordinary household requirements; !;
second, employ surplus profits of bust
ness In erecting more comfortable homes
for members; third, finding employ
ment for members when idle-in short,
to readjust,the commercial and indus
trial machinery of society. Many
months were consumed, such was their
extreme poverty, in raising, by the
weekly contribution of 4 cents. the
small capital of $40, with which they
commenced business With 2S members
and this amount of capital store was
opened Dec. 21, 1874.
THE ECONOMIC BASIS OF COOPERATION.
FIXED RATE OF INTEREST ON CAPITAL.
PROFITS, IN THE STORE, TO THE con-
sUMER; IN THE WORKSHOP, TO THE PRO
DUCER.
In his interesting history of the Roch-
dale pioneers Mr.. George Jacob Hol
yoake says, "The founders of the So
ciety were opposed to capital absorbing
all profit arising from trade, and to hit
upon plan that should give proper
tionally the gain to the persons who
make it was problem they had to
solve.
After some discussion the plan of di
viding profits on purchases was adopted.
Five per cent per annum was allotted
to capital. The remaining profits, after
providing for expense of management,
depreciation and other charges less az
per cent for educational purposes, We're
divided quarterly among purchasers In
proportion to each ones trade ut the
store The educational feature will be
more fully noticed presently.
When Mr.. Gladstone made the speech
in parliament In 1864, an extract from
which is prcflxod to this paper, the
Rochdale society was nearing the close
of the twentieth year of its operations.
The society had grown during those 90
years from 2S members to 4, 747, with
an increase in capital from $40 to
1910, 525. Its sales the first year, amount
ing to $3, $50, with profit of $1l0, in
1864 had reached 1914, 655, with profits
amounting to $113, 5S5. In addition to
the store the society had, during those
20 years, entered into several lines of
production. AT the very time when, as
Wendell Phillips said, "The two halves
Of this nation We're In deadly conflict,
the Rochdale pioneers had i'll operation
a corn mill, two cotton mills and land
and building society. Their first invest
ment in the latter enterprise was $780,
600 in land on which to build homes for
its members. The society's investment
in the two cotton mills exceeded $780,
600, and the equipment of these mills
in machinery, sanitation. etc, was pro-
nounced equal to anything of the kind
in the country. The number of en-
ployees iii these enterprises, including
the store, at this time ran up into the
hundreds. This was the way these pow
erty stricken weavers, working for so
tents day, proposed to furnish prac-
tical demonstration of the tiresome plat
itude too frequently heard from work
ingmen that labor creates all wealth. "
The pioneers showed that they not only
knew how TO create wealth, but how to