El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-06
.GO0PERATIONKEEPS
LIVING COST down
President Taft Submits
Consular Reports from
-Four Nations.

Washington, D. c.. Nay 6.-President
Taft today sent to congress the second
fnstalment Of the reports Of consular
officers on cooperation and the cost Of
living, which are the result OF the in
vestigation he some time ago directed
should be made The countries lncluo-
ed in this instalment are France, Bel
GUM. the Netherlands and Denmark
The reports are accompanied by let
ter EOm Huntington W lsOn, acllnS
secretary Of state.
1t appears from the information col
lected the acting secretary says Inal
the rising cost OF living has directed
attention TO and augmented the mem
bership Of the cooperative societies
more especially in France and Bel
gium. The French cooperative asSOcla-
tiOns are in the main arranged upon
the same system as those In the Dnlteu
Kingdom. The tendency is toward
small societies, and the great majority
Of the associations represent groceries
and bakeries. The most successful dis
tributive societies are ia the m&nIIs,c-
turing cities Of northeastern ana CEN
tral France. Among these societies re-
lief funds are administered and inSur-
ance against illness and forced nom
employment is supplied ArrangemenJs
are made with dentists, doctors and
artisans for their services by members
on commission basis
The operation of the agricultural so
cieites has been successful IN southern
France The French government has
given encOura cement TO these socle-
ties by furnishing expert advice, grant
mig subventiOns ana permitting long
term loans by agricultural credit assO-
Citations. The general buying is done
principally through district unions
High grade farm machinery, sucn as IS
beyond the reach of many lndlVldual
mem bers, is purchased from the sur
pluses or is loaned gratuitously OF
upon the payment Of nominal Iees-
Labor Unions Strong.
Government employees are 10 q large
extent organized into cooperative soci-
cites. Many of the associations are al
fflfated with labor unions that resIrlcl
their membership TO persons engaged
in q given occupation
In regard 10 Industrial cooperation
production 1t appears that plants
owned and operated by operatives are
not uncommon in France. In Lyons, Tor
example, the enterprise is conducted by
societies composed Of their own opera
tfves including printing and engraving
building, plumbing, tailoring, WeaF-
ing, tanning, carpenterlnS, oullqlus,
plumbing. paper hanging, the making
OF pasteboard boxes and the making
Of metallic furniture
The consular reOrts state that the
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 throughout the district where
they are located down to fair level
as well as 10 enhance the purity and
quality Of the goods. The degree Of re-
duction in the cost Of living IS almost
wholly contingent upon the capabillty
and the altruism Of the management OF
the respective districts,
Cooperative Selling in Belgium.
In Belgium, the consular reports
state q large proportion Of the CO.
operative societies sell at prices lower
than those Of regular markets, allow
ing only members to purchase, and have
only minimum profits TO distribute
Many societies guarantee a six percent
dividend or all purchases and distrib-
ute all remaining profits to various
funds for insurance, pensions, strike
relief indemnities for injuries. and the
like. The consular reports state that
the virtual beginning Of the general