Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-09-15
COOPERATION IN AMERICA
Successful Associations IN Several Of the
States,
Not question Of Interest and DIV
idends but che tpiiiitne of
Humanity.

| To the Editor
Dear slr:--I notice an editorial in your
valuable paper on Cooperation In
England" giylng figures and facts as to
the operation IF the principle IN Great
Britain. which Is very interesting read
ing. indeed lust fancy a combination
Of i,72OOOO members banded together
mutually aiding and assisting one an
other, the retail stores connected with
the wholesale societies and they in turn
connected with the productive plants
aud factories who are an interested the
one with the other in a trading capa-
city. You may call it trust which Il
really Is. IN fact, but without any Of the
baneful and pernicous effects that the
name Of trust conjures to the minds
eye II the average American citizen.
The benefits of Cheapened production Of
reduction IN the cost VI transferring
goods from the producer 10 the CONSUME
en- lamounting In some Instances from
80 10 % jh per cent? are some Of the
good features Of cooperation.
This work has had most marvellous
experience Started DO 1874 by IS poor
weavers in Rochdale. England. IL has
spread 10 all civilized countries. while
we have heard but little Of the workings
of the movement IN the United states,
yet 1t Is satisfactory 20 know the move
ment has been iuaugurated In some
parts Of this country and is very sue
vessiul, some stores from 5 10 Z years
old doing a business OF from 100000 to
SouOOOO annually.
While II Is true that the people Of
Utah are heartily In favor OF co-opera-
ton. and In the past have participated
In the benefits OF IL. as witness the
wonderful commonwealth that has been
built In the heart OF what was at on,
time d bowling wilderness" Yet. are
We today cooperating as we should and
can do?
In California, at the present time. the
movement is In successful operation.
There they buy and sell for cash. hence
no bad debts al who handle money are
under bonds Rich and poor are equal.
Interest Is paid on shares and dividends
on members purchases No one but can
admire the manner in which the or
sanizers and promoters OF the capital
ISL Slhss SUCK together All that co.
operation does Is to cause the co-opera.
tors 10 Stick together" But in Utah
according TO existing statutes every.
thing Is for the protection Of the CAPT.
tallst to the injury of the poorer classes
in making that statement / do not
wish TO be understood that the capital.
ist class should have no protection. but
90 say that the poorer class should
not be legIslated against I'm giving them
that protection. No State or communi.
" can give a monopoly or a privilege 10
any one class Of It's subjects or citizens
without hurting the other. because II
has nothing 20 give. It only places "A
disability or limits the powers of The
other class, As, for instance. here he
application Of the Rockdale system Of
cooperation Is legislated against from
the fact that our statutes provide that
an interpretations shall give TO each
share of stock a vote. no matter what
the number shall be. consequently IL
would be In the epower Of a wealthy in
diyidual perhaps 20 buy w a sufficient
number Of shares and control the socla.
". winch occurrence would defeat the