The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-19
Walter Vrooman Pushing His
Cooperative Stores.
Hires John DOggett to Manage
the Business End.
HE CAPTURES TRENTON
Already Owns Five Retail Stores
i'm That City.
Gigantic Plans to GObble Up
Business Firms.


gett, founder of the Doggett Dry Goods
company, now the Peck Dry Goods
company, signed contract yesterday
with Walter vrooman. president of
Ruskin hall, at oxford, England, and
chief promoter of the cooperative
movement in this country, by which he
becomes manager of the cooperative
department stores of the Western Co
operative Association in Northwest
Missouri There are such stores now
at Trenton, Pattonburg, Maysyille and
st. Joseph
Mr.. vrooman said yesterday at the
Midland hotel that the purpose is to
extend the cooperative movement
throughout the entire United States.
He has already bought five retail stores
in Trenton, and has practically closed
deals for six more. He intends to pur-
sue the same course in other towns as
rapidly as practicable. He said that in
a few months a gigantic cooperative
store would be established in Kansas
City. He predicts the cooperative
movement will have obtained control
of every retail store in America within
five years, and in twenty years will
have converted the United States into
one great cooperative commonwealth.
in which the people will own every
business and share in its profits. Mr..
Vrooman will carry on the propaganda
while Mr.. Doggett will have direct
charge of the business.
increase interest in Kansas City in the
propaganda. He is one of the oldest
business men in the city. He stated
yesterday afternoon that he made a
thorough investigation of the plans of
Mr.. Vrooman and his associates, and
that he regarded them as based on
sound business principles.
Il would not have consented to as
Sociate myself with them if l had not
believed SO,'' he said.
Mr.. Doggett was asked to make some
statement regarding his plans
Il cannot do that" he replied. tsAn I
can say is that am to be the manager
of the business, and that l will try as
hard to make it successful as if it was
my own private concern"
''Will you move away from Kansas
City?"
L do not want to discuss that matter
now"
Mr.. Doggett had ceased to be con-
nected with the Doggett Dry Goods
company some time before the use of
his name was dropped by the firm.
Mr.. Vrooman discussed his plans.
The cooperative movement was
started in England forty years ago." he
explained 1T now has 1926, 100000 in
vested in business enterprises, and an
nually distributes ST 200 among its
of the English trades unions, and en-
braces one-tenth of the entire popula-
ton of Graat Britain.
1--WE decided a few years ago to ex-
IeIlQ the pIOpdSduQd 10 lUe OulloQ
States. With this view, we founded
Ruskin college at Trenton, Mo. 1t is
branch of Ruskin college at Oxford,
England, and sociology and the political
sciences are the studies to which most
attention is devoted. But the education
al feature is only part of the move
ment We have invested about 800 900
in business enterprises in Trenton, Pat
tonsburg, Maysville and st. Joseph, and
still have about 100000 in the bank,
which we expect to expend in the same
way"
"Where does this money come from?'
was asked.
well, that's thing I do not care to
state. The important fact is that we
have it, We believe that the only way
to beat a combination is to form a
bigger one with which to fight it, and
that's the policy we are pursuing. We
have practically forced the merchants
of Trenton to sell out to us. We shall
do the same way wherever else we go.
We pay man just what his stock in
voices at Some protest against this,
but when we show them clearly that
they can't compete against the CO.
operative store, and that they will be
ruined if they hold out, they consent
to sell to US, and become members OF
the association and share in its profits.
We now have practical control of Tren-
ton and / think three-fourthS of the
people there are in sympathy with us.
We shall next pursue at PattonSburg,
Maysville and st. Joseph the same poll
icy we have al Trenton The movement
is growing, very rapidly. We are find
ing that it is easier to do a thing than
to convince people that it can be done.
We will ultimately conquer and get
control of every trust In the country,
Just as we will the retail stores.
Besides it's stores and college, the CO.
operative company has 1900 acre
farm at Trenton. Mr.. Vrooman hired
several gardeners and farmers to work
upon it while he was here. 1t is oper-
ated in the same way as the store, all
those who put money or work into 1T
being rewarded with parts of the prof
it's 1t also has an ak handle factory
and one or two other small factories.
Besides inStructing its stockholders
in it's college, the company furnishes
them entertainment free of charge. 1t
has th6aters in all the towns where it
has established branches. Walter JEFF
ferson, a nephew of Joseph Jefferson.
is the star of its company at Trenton.
and is soon to put on rip Van
Wrinkle"
The co-operators' plans are being
widely advertised, and Mr. Vrooman
says men pouring into the colony at
Trenton-however. he objects to the use
of the word "colony"-from every direc-
ton.
our scheme is different from any
ever tried" he said. THE socialistic
and communistic schemes of the past
We're foredoomed to failure, because they
were founded upon idealistic principles"
he said. ours is based upon the sound
est business principles-upon precisely
the same principles according to which
every other gigantic trust in the coun-
try is being formed. The difference is
that theirs are trusts for private benefit,
while ours is a peoples trust We in
tend to introduce such economies IN
and distribution in all lines
of business that private concerns will
find it impossible to successfully COM
pete against u.s.
Walter Vrooman formerly lived at
Topeka and was a student at Washburn
college His father was a lawyer in To-
peka He left here about Is years ago
and has spent most of his time in New
York where he was known as re-
former.
Walter yrooman is an older brother
of Carl Vrnoman the POpuliSt polite