Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-05-06
|A|(H PRICES TEND
I0 G()A)P[RlI|O0'
|cosr or LIVING RgoUl1o m
AUGMENTATION or CLASS II
suvlNo AND CEILING.
CONGRESS INFORMED or
SYSTEM IN FoREioN LAispQ
co.ops-ativs Movements IN FsansGa
Belgium. Denmark and The Nsehsrs
lands Provo sueessssul ~ Ls~sa
Prices in Some Places, Tend g Maine
tain Lewsr Levels In oshers.

Washington May a.-Presidsnt sTAfg
today sent to consress the second tnA
stallment Of the reports OF consular of-l
ficers on cooperation and tho cost OF
living. which are the result Of the in<'
vestigation he some time ago directed
should be made. The countries included
In this installment are France. Bel<
GUM. the Netherlands and Denmark
The reports are accompanied BY q let~
ter from Huntington Wilson. actin0
secretary Of state.
I 1t appears from the information cole
lected. the acting secretary says, thRe
the rising cost Of living has directed
attention to and augmented the mems
bership OF the cooperative societieSS
more especially In France and Belgium.
The French cooperative associations
are In the main arranged upon the
same system as those In the United
Kingdom The tendency II toward
small societies and the great majority
of the associations represent groceries
and bakeries. The most successful dis~
tributive societies are in the manufaoS
turing cities OF northeastern and cen~
tral France. Among these societies res
lief funds are administered and insure
ance against illness and forced mons
employment is supplied. Arrangements
are made with dentists. doctors. and
artisans for their services by members
on a commission basis. n
Farm Societies Successful.
The operation of the agricultural 500
cieties has been especially successful
in southern France. The French gov
ernment has given encouragement to
these societies by furnishing expere
advice. granting subventions. and per-
mitting long term loans by agricultural
credit associations The general buys
ing is done principally thru districts
unions. High grade farm machinery
such as Is beyond the reach OF many
individual members 10 purchased from
the surpluses or IL loaned grntuttousiXi
or upon the payment OF nominal 1eess
4 Government Employee Organizes.
Government employees are to = lary4
extent organized into CO. operative so~
cieties. Many OF the associations are
affiliated with labor unions that res
strict their membership to persons enc
gagged in a given occupation.
|
production 1t appears that plants
owned and operated by the operatives
lurc not uncommon in France. In
Lyons, for example. the enterprise 10
conducted by societies composed OF
| .heir own operatives. including prints
ing and engraving, building, plumbings
tailoring. weaving, tanning. carpenters
| Ing paper hanging the making Of
pasteboard boxes and the making OF
metallic furniture.
Keep Prices at Fair lsvel.
The consular reports state that tho
French cooperative societies usually
sell at prices which are neither higher,
nor lower than those OF private stores
and that they have a tendency to keep
| prices thruout the district where they
are located down to fair level as we'll
as to enhance the purity and quality
of the goods. The degree OF reduction
in the cost of living is almost wholly
contingent upon the capability and the
altruism of the management OF the
respective districts.
Cut Rates in Belgium.
In Belgium. the consular reports
state. Il large proportion Of the co-op-l
erative societies sell at prices lower
than those OF the regular markets, al-
lowing only members to purchase. ana
have only minimal profits to distribute.
Many societies guarantee a per cent
dividend on all purchases and dis
tribute al! remaining profits to vari-
Gus funds for insurance. pensions.
strike relief, indemnities for injuries
and the like. The consular reports
state that the virtual beginning OF the
general CO. operative movement in Bel
Ixi, RI hnv It,o tn a
growth of the various socialistic and
labor parties in 1880 and the years fol-
lowing The socalistic societies ars
reported to have no affiliation with tho
international Co-Operative Alliance.
The development OF many OF the agri-
cultural CO. operative societies has been
aided very greatly by the clerical par-
ty. the league of church societies com.
prising $50 associations.
In tho Netherlands.
In the Netherlands the cooperative
movement has had its largest growth
since 1890. The associations include
domestic supplies. agricultural sup.
plies. creameries. farmers loan banks,
and savings banks 4 cash basis Is
strictly maintained. The annual div.-
dends returned to the purchasers av-
, eragc between and 10 per cent. Ar
rangements are made with dentists.
doctors and merchants who sell goods
which the society does not handle. 70
give the society commission on busf-
ness done with its members.
In Denmark sales are confined to
members Of the co operative societies
unless the latter wish to subject theme
selves to taxation. The joint ass0cia-
tion OF Danish cooperative societies
operates numerous factories and ware
houses thruout Denmark. At present
the average dividends range rom
per cent to ~ per cent. The statcmene
lis made in the consular reports that
;the prices charged by private dealerAs
arc kept down. -; - y II