The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-02-06
THE COOPERATIVE STORE.
DR.. Winston Believes Charlotte Is
Place to Try the Experiment
Charlotte ohscrxer.)


tChariotte obscrver)
- &, Editnr;I have read with
interes, ~ editorial. '.llot Shot for
the l;etailc- 81.
cally pictured by you is co-opcrative
stores. They exist and flourish
throughout the manufacturing dis
tricts OF England Charlotte IS a first
rate place to have 4 cooperative
store 1t has a fine citizenship of in
! tcl!igent, Industrious and thrifty Ia
boring n.cn; lar~c weekly payroll.
considerable number OF phlln-
thropic- public-spirited. progressive
and broad d-minded capitalists; women.
unsurpassed in q humane sentiment
and desire to do good. plenty of chill
! dren. with no signs Of race suicide.
In short. Charlotte IS : big fine pro-
srssiyc town, with plenty Of muscle,
plenty Of BRAIN plenty Of heart and
i plenty Of capital to do whatever II
should do.
Let. Charlotte start a cooperative
store 1t viii do moro good, save
more money help more people, relieve
more poverty and suffering than any
| Institution nov existing in Charlotte.
1t viii far surpaSs the building and
loan associations in benefits TO Iahor-
| Ing people and to all people Of mod
crate and limited means.
a cooperative store is intended to
! bring as close together az possible the
consumer and the producer II ubol-
sllGs the most e%Denstve OF AL mid
dienirn, the retailer, and gives the
customer his goods - nearly as pos
shie IT cost Of production. It does
this BY :tbolishin:; the biggest item
noN existing IN the price Of comnodi
, ties, the item Of profits to retailers.
This item, rather these items, for
, they are numerous and varied "a we'll
IS large, one looks at IN anazemcnt,
J when clearly 'r~cSentcd. Potatoes at
81 q buSilcl. instead Of 85 cents.
short weight Gf Is pounds, instead Of
50 pounds. q loss Of sl.15 in money
and II pounds Of potato cs at every
purchase. Mulu'' this purchase by
, fifty, apply it to -four. meal, sugar.
coffee. meats. fruits. vegetables. but
ter. etc. etc, and one bc'-ns to sec
why living is 50 high and times so
hard
. The country is being stripped Of
| farm ers. food producers. Who go to
t town and become retailers middle
. men. producing nothing. hit by their
) very numbers and tn" necessity Of
. living and supporting their families
on the profits Of retailing rods, they
a double and some times II bic and
S QfadruDle the price 81 the ~ ceSsarles
6 Of life. There is no Tedl comp. tition
Il among them. t'rices in ONO store are
: essentially the same as il al the
n others The number Of retail estdb
: ljsilmcrts IS. II the very Dest, thre
L [t,r Tour times IS great rs Il should be !,
all to be supported; proprletors.
e CLERKS, delivery men and teams. store
st rents, house rents, families Of pro
= pTietors and CT" ployes. No wonder an
s 65-cent hlrshed Of potatoes. is sold you
It for 50. and 43 pounds passed eff on
t you for 60 hounds: paper bags At 10.
! 20. 80 or 10 cents ! pound; goods sold
II only in small p;4cka.;es iy piecc-meal .
: with short weights md measures ana
q added profits and more paper ba%s.
t at each subdivision. The wonder is
E how the poor and the very poor man
r age to live under such a system.
J. Watch one Of these stores sell out, nj
: cost perhaps t?); and see prices turn-
it BILE. see what profits they have been
=, ma king. 90 per cent-2O0 per cent
500 per cent,
Surely. here IS an opportunity foI
Y Cahrlotte. Let her set the example
for North Carolina and the South
Let 4 start be made with groceries
< meats and vegetables. Let !.othnle
q be Kept that is fancy or feshionabll
a or fictitious in value, only sttple5 mo
}. necessa ries- After awhile. p"sslbl.
,e shoes blankets and .lJin 50 u,
t. clothes may b. added.
# am aware that the Farmers ~
= lance tried this experience and fail
10 cd. am aware that il requires DuSi
IS ness talent to Inanare Surh 4 store,
|d and thai business talent must be pal'
s FOR: I am aware that what IS every
), hc,iy's business is nobodys business
0. but ] am oiSo aware that these 60
81 oper:ltivc stores by the hundreds dIlt
tx doing business annually in the NIL
IS lions do now exist and for thiTt
,r Years or more have exist ed through
out Great Britain, and | am firm il
The belief that the same thing ca'