The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-02
A sOCIALIsTIC EXPERIMENT.
1t Is Really Nothing More than a CO.
Operative Scheme.

New York Evening Post.
A recent number of the Reforme Sociale
contains an instructive and entertaining ac-
count of an experiment in corporation
made by Belgian Socialists. This enter
prise is carried on at Client under the title
VOoruit (forWard). and is described by its
leader, Edward Anseele, as "a citadel, es-
tabliShed by the Socialists, and whence
they lombard the bourgeois class with
bread and butter and potatoes The plan
of the enterprise was first conceived by two
members of the. international, who had
found it desirable to absent themselves for
a time from their own country, and who
had learned the Importance of maintaining
the socialistic propaganda by more prac-
tical agencies than debating clubs. They
saw many cooperative societies in exist
ence among Workmen, and the idea oc-
CURED to them that if they could capture
some of these, the dissemination of social
istic theories might be greatly facilitated.
After two or three failures they finally sues
ceeded, not indeed in capturing a co-opera-
tive bakery, but in splitting it's membership,
and, with a seeding element numbering
$50, they began operations as a protessedly
socialistic pushes concern.
AS a business enterprise the society has
achieved great success. NJ. Anseele is evil
IDENTIFY a man of much capacity, and he has
adopted precisely the methods which nave
been developed in this country by the de
partment stores" together with some of
those attributed to our industrial monopo-
lies. Instead of advertising in hostile
sheets he has his own daily socialistlc
newspaper. He maintains a cafe, on whose
walls appears the appropriate motto, The
stomach of the laboring man Is the savings
bank of society A pharmacy mas been
established, and there are now two others.
More recent additions are a shoe shop, a
coal yard, and, finally a grand store on
the department plan, adorned with medal
lions of Marx, Fournier and Owen. For a
sign there is inscribed on the front of this
building, The union of the workingmen is
the peace of the world and above 1t tOats
the red flag. A still later addition is a large
hall for festive purposes. Meanwhile the
membership has grown within the last ten
years from 2,342 to 5,9ll. Nor has the orig
inal business languished, the number of
Ioaves of bread baked having increased
from 1900, 900 to 4, 100000. The total receipts
is now nearly 100000 francs yearly, and,
after applying over IS per cent. in dividends
to members, a surplus of about 4 per cent.
is carried forward
AS a socialistic enterprise, however, it
cannot, be said that this society is success
full. 1t is simply q cooperative department
store and mandatory, with some orna-
mental additions. 1t violates the fundamen-
tai principle of socialism by adopting the
present wage system in paying its en-
ployes. They do not share in the profits I'M
less they become memDerS-Whlch, indeed,
they seem to be under some ~compulsion to
do. 1t violates the principle of the truck
acts by requiring it's workmen to buy their
bread at it's bakery, and 1t eXacts more
than eight hours work a day in several OF
its departments. 1t pays good wages, but
this is partly due to the fact that payment
by the piece is to some extent adopted. Sc
we're penalties for bad workmanship are
also imposed. So far as the workmen are
concerned, therefore, hey seem to be as
much victims of the capitalistic regime as
if their employers did not belong to the
Socialistic party.
The despotic tendencies of socialism, how
ever. are very well illustrated in the case
of the member of this society. NJ. Anseele
is practically an autocrat. There is a board
of five directors elected for five years, one
retiring annually. which is nominally SUI
prerne, but really dominated by the man
ager. Any workman sound in the faith of
Gnai1 Ism NAV become n member nv n1 Wing
a small fee. When he becomes a member
he is obliged TO buy every week a certain
number of bread tickets, paying for them
in cash, at the market price, and receiving
a daily supply of bread. There is a divi-
dend or rebate, not paid in cash, but in
store orders So on other purchases a
discount is allowed, but it is always to be
taken out in trade There is an obliga-
tory subscription to the fund for providing
medical assistance, which entities the sub
scriber to such aid. as well as 10 a certain
number of loaves of bread, in case of ill-
ness. There seems to be no way of with
drawing from the enterprise except by
abandoning what has been invested in 1t,