The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-07-07
WHERE COOPERATION WINS.

For long time past cooperative societies IN
Great Britain have commanded the attention OF
economists and Of sciologists by reason Of the rap
idity Of their growth, the increasing magnitude Oh
husiness done and the almost uniform success at
tanned by them year after year The most sangume
homes of the founders of the first associations Oh the
kind have been more than fulfilled and reports sub
mted at the recent annual congress of the coopera-
tive union show that the movement has by no means
reached its limit but is still going forward with the
same extraordinary vigor that marked Its early
stages, says the Call.
In his review of the progress achieved by the va
rious organizations composing the union the presl-
dent said the growth of the movement as whole
amounted ssalmost to a social miracle" Even the
most adverse conditions Of industry and OF politics
have never checked the steady progress OF the soc-
cites Statistics were given showing that the bus
mess Of the last fiscal year. for which full returns
were in, reached total Of S9,216223 pounds ster-
ling. 1t was added that the societies are today
transacting far larger yearly turnover than the
whole export trade of Great Britain amounted to
when the movement commenced. They had now
2,116127 members registered in 1,7O1 societies, and
probably each member represented in most eases
family
A notable feature of the work of the societies is
the amount Of money devoted annually to educa-
tion and to charity. 1t appears that the founders
of the original associations aimed at mutual help
funess in every direction, and from the first adopt
ed rules devoting 21 per cent of all profits TO- edu
catonal and charitable uses. These rules have been
maintained unbroken, and as a consequence the
union devoted last year 78 499 pounds sterling to
education and 45 $40 pounds sterling to charity At
the present time there are about 800 centers where
cooperative educational funds are being admins
tered by committees numbering altogether about
10000 persons. sfss =
Concerning the program Of future work the pres
ident said: "With all that had been done the CO.
operators were only at the beginning of their work
They had to house their members in places worthy of
the name of home to carry cooperation to the reach
Of the very poorest to adapt it to the needs of de-
pressed agriculture to bring the rural aborer back
to hope to conquer the heart Of London where only
one in $50 people were co-operators to introduce
art into their work to wipe out all stain Of corrup
ton Of their employees by their tempters to reverse
the policy which shut out capital from flowing into
their movement with full measure; to get labor
back to the land and to give their people city gar.
dens and garden cities. The admirable work Of
their women guilds had to be further developed,
and the links which bound them to co-operators in
other lands had to be strengthened"
That is certainly an ambitious platform, but the
great successes of the past justify the hopes of those
who expect greater things in the future. Certainly
there is nothing impractcable in the plans outlined
and almost the whole program may be carried out
IN comparatively few years by the force which
seems to be inherent in earnest cooperative en-,
deavor.