Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-12-05
Rockwell Business Men vitality
Interested In Cooperative
Society's Action
WOULD SNUFF OUT COMPETITION
Today's Discussion Was Caused BY the
Decision of Frank Campbell, Man
ager of the Farmers Cooperative
Society of Rockwell, to Sell Goods
On Margin too Small for Competition
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Rockwell. Dec. 5.-The board of
directors of the Farmers Cooperative
society of Rockwell, met today to dis
cuss the question Of practically put
ting in department. store and there
was earnest and almost acrimonious
discussion over the subject. The query
is being made IL the association is not
at the crucial point, but that question
has been suggested nearly every year
and yet the society has brought up
each year stronger than ever. Last
year the society did business OF $780,
600 or as they figure 1t both ways buy
ing and selling 100000, and it cost
them less than one per cent. With a
shortage Of crops the last two years
the business has kept up to that figure
so that there Is not any probability OF
the association doing less business In
the Immediate future.
What is just now causing the dis
sension Is that the manager of the con
Germ, Frank Campbell has recently de-
cided to sell shoes, clothing. overcoais
and the like on the very small margin
of one per cent or less and the mer-
chants OF the city think they see in t
the handwriting on the wall and are
preparing to get out OF business. When
the association was founded IA years
ago the majority Of the business men
considered the affair a business calam-
ity bit outside of the lumber and ma
chinery dealers 1t did not prove dis
astrous and the town grew as rapidly
as the surrounding towns. But the
merchants now argue If the associa
ton proposes to go into the business
OF selling clothes and shoes why not
drugs and dry goods and stationery and
absorb all the business of the town.
There are 400 members who have a
special privilege of buying things
cheaper than any one else and with
these four hundred families bound to-
chant has a chance to offer successful
competition. They say thst if the as
ISOLATION decides today that the store
is to be general merchandise store l.
means 40 department store at an ex-
pense they can not compete with and
they might Just as well look for other
locations, and that the town will be re
duced to a mere trading point for the
farmers in the vicinity. -Four members
of the board including the president
are opposed to the enlargement OF the
selling business. declaring the associ-
alton has all 1t ought to do in looking
after the best market for their grain.
They point out the fact that II they
are to go into the cooperative mercan-
tile business that 1t should be run for
the purpose of receiving the compen-
sation on dividends like the Cresco in
stitution and not snufflng out all COM
petition. The meeting today was called
for the settlement OF this yexed Ques
ton.
They are evidently not aware of the
principles underlying the success of the
Cresco institution. It is remarka bly,
successful. They handle general mer-
chandiss business. They do not think OF
breaking values for minute. Their
prices are the same exactly as you
would pay at any other store In town
Every member makes money but Y
comes to him in the way of dividends
which are declared twice year. In fact
1t is founded upon identically the same
business principles of some of the most
successful cooperative institutions OK
England. The executive board of the
Cooperative Society Of Rockwell, has
been called in extra session today ana
this question will be made a special