Evening star., 1900-10-16
The Cooperative System M.
the Editor of The Evening Star.

AAc SO-opcFatIEe SyStem.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
1t Is gratifying to conclude from The
Stars recent editorial commenting on this
writer's suggestion OF a coal consumers
union in Washington, that The Star is not
unfriendly to the proposed organization. in
which SO many Of our citizens have already
shown interest. The fact that every house
holder in the District Ia a coal consumer"
instead Of being an argument against a CO.
operative union. impresses me as pointing
to the need of such movement, aimed to
secure the greatest good to the greatest
number"
The subject Of cooperative organization
for purposes of providing fuel at reduced
cost to the consumer IS not new, nor are
the possibilities for success of the under
taking untested. The citizens of Leeds as,
indeed, or hundreds Of other English towns,
have for years been enjoying the benefit Of
such organization. During the very severe
winter 1S98), in which Washington expe-
rlenced severe blizzard. and paid extor-
tlonate prices for coal. the Blaine Cooper
ative Society In Wales not only provided
its members with cheap fuel. but paid out
to them within three months profits
amounting to nearly $4,000, and these three
months constituted a coal crisis period un-
paralleled in the mining history of South
Wales
Over hundred and thirty years ago Ed
mund Burke spoke In the house of commons
and pleaded for Justice and a recognition
Of the spirit of freedom which animated
the American colonists, and one argument
he used was that the export trade with this
country was six millions, "a gigantic busi-
ness" he said. while the exports to the
rest of the world were six and half mill
lions What change has time brought.
There is now in England body of CO.
operative societies doing business eight
times the amount Of what Burke called
gigantic export trade. and four times the
amount Of that Of which he spoke with
such admiration In the house of commons.
The Cooperative Wholesale Society Of
England Is federation of 1.046 retail CO.
operative societies, representing ,O53, ,564 in
dvidual members 1t Is controlled by q
committee Of thirty-two members. chosen
by the shareholding societies. 1t Is con-
Quoted on lines adapted to secure co-opera-
tors the many benefits of association. The
total Of business transacted in the first
thirty years of its existence is said to have
reached the enormous sum of S525. .3O4, $50,
while the total net profit was Sc. 731. 725, and
the bulk Of this went back into the pockets
Of the British consumers. The society not
only provides its millions of members with
Goals at a reasonable and economic rate
but blends. packs and sells annually $780,
$50 pounds Of tea and .636 203 pounds of
coffee, and manufactures for the exclusive
use Of its members cloth and clothing
bacco. soaps candles. lard butter cocoa.
chocolate. furniture. flour. biscuits. sweets
jams and scores Of other articles. which
productions 1t guarantees to be manufac-
tured from pure and reliable materials, and
under fair conditions of labor.
II hundreds Of English towns, not so
large In population and importance as the
national capital OF the United States. can.
by cooperative organization regulate and
reduce the cost of hundreds of articles Of
daily need and luxury. ought 1t to be i'm
possible for Washington city. with its near
ly 800. 600 inhabitants. to successfully organ
ize a movement looking toward the investi-
cation and amelforation of the fuel prob
lem?
What constitutes the exact cause Of fluc-
tuating and seemingly extortionate prices
for coal is not clearly fixed. But the cause
exists, and under the searchlight of public
scrutiny 1t will become revealed without
question. Then the proper remedies can be
applied.
There are many other cities and hundreds
of thousands of people interested in this
question. It IL eminently fitting that the
people of the national capital should take
the initiative and probe to the bottom OF
the trouble. 1t is also appropriate that
paper. SO strongly entrenched In popular
confidence as The Star. lend its voice to-
ward movement that seeks to accomplish
SO much real good.
EDWARD A. OLDHAM.