The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-04-21
COOPERATIVE BUYING.
How High Cost of Living Was Reduced
in England.

How High Cost OF Living Was Reduce
i in England.
To the average citizen OF the Unite
States the cooperative plan of buyin
merchandise is little known, but in Eng
land, Scotland and European countries
it has been successfully pursued 70
more than half a century and is max
! ing large gains every year
! To illustrate the extent of co-opera
1 tive buying with figures, there are il
/ the United Kingdom over 100000 in
! dividual members of cooperative soci
cites. There were in 1909, 1885 retail
societies which made returns to the gov
eminent.
The largest wholesale society, which
is the wholesale and manufacturing
agent of the retail societies and owned
by them, is the Cooperative Wholesale
Society, Limited, of Manchester Eng.
land. It's sales last year amounted u
practically $4,000 600. The second
largest wholesale cooperative society is
the Scottish Cooperative Wholesale So
eiety, Limited, whose net sales for the
year of 1911 were about S32,0o0,000.
On the sales of these two wholesale So
saving in some cases the manufacturers
profit as well as the wholesale dealers
profit besides other valuable considcra-
tions.
If you or I, readers Of this paper,
lived in England and wished to become
members of a local cooperative society,
we could do so by paying down one
shilling as the first instament on five
shares of S. each. Our first shilling
payment would entitle us TO all the
membership privileges, which consists
chiefly in lower prices on purchases.
When we had paid up one full share OF
S. interest is allowed at five per cent,
with the privilege OF increasing the
capital, as VIC wished mp to 81 900, the
increases, of course, drawing interest
at five per cent. per annum and the
principal can be withdrawn at any time
with the same freedom as savings can
be withdrawn from a savings bank. The
English law does not allow members to
have shares in excess of 81 900 in one
society. Having become members of
this retail cooperative society, we
would buy such merchandise from its To-
ral store as was for our interest to buy,
but we would have perfect freedom to
buy from other retail stores as we saw
it, At the end of each six months
purchases we would get dividend of
from ten to fifteen per cent. of our
gross purchases. This could be taken |
nut in cash or applied to a savings fund, |
lrawing five per cent. as before men |
Toned. This cooperative membership
would have several influences. II would /
educe the high cost of living. cultivate |
he habit of saving and increase gross
avings and give us, if we were of mod
rate means, money to spend on the bet
er things of life after we were fed,
lothed and sheltered. The motive gov
rning these retail societies is a help
III cooperative motive, which aims to
i've the best service possible at the
Dwest price and without profit.
The directors of the local society are
lode,t public spirited men, who give
ervices almost free of charge. say $40
: SIS per year. They hire moderate
riced store manager, who receives or
ers and delivers goods, while the store
robably has location of low rental but
lsily accessible The directors meet ,
nee week to receive the managers /,
port and conduct the necessary bus ,
less. They are men who enjoy rem ,
ring this sort of service and the hon ,
of trusteeship in matter of pub !
, welfare. These local societies also /;
I'D educational meetings and provide :
aiding rooms, lecture courses and 9TH .
beneficial gatherings. The Co-opera :
We Wholesale society of Manchester. .
lgland. is made up of l,l60 of these :,
tail societies which we have briefly i
scribed, and is the servant of the re- =
il societies in the capacity of manu-
cturer and wholesaler. As before =,
ited. this wholesale society does the !,
ormous business of l40.000.000 worth :
sales per annum and its sales are -
'reased at the rate of about $1,000 :,
per year. They are wholesale gen y,
II dealers. manufacturers, bankers. I,
Hers. printers. bookbinders, boNmak !,
J. photographers, shipowneTs. butter =,
tors. lard refiners. bacon curers, fruit a,
,wers. drysalters. spice grinders. sad ~
rs, curries. iron founders. and tinplate \,
rkers, tea growers. blenders. packers, I,
I importers. dealers i'm grocery and :,
visions. drapery, woolens. resdymade o.
thing, boots and shoes. brushes, crock n
:, carpets. furniture. coal. etc. etc. -
=. manufacturers of -four. butter. bis
&. sweets. preserves, pickles. csrsiied -
!. cocoa. chocolate. tobacco. cigars. n
arettes. boots and shoes. saddlery. l.
olens. clothing hanneIs. shirts. man
). Undertaking. corsets- millinery
iery. silesias. colored cotton goods.
IT,. ladies' underwear, cariigans. fur 81
nre. brushes. general hardware, bed ha
I'D. wire mattresses. mats. etc. Ad
hey have their buying representa- acl
= IN New York and Montreal and sts
er centers. They supply about every ST
~ in the necessities Of life and many car
forts OF common use. The whole Il
society il made up % memberships foI
N the retail societies IN proporti ION der
the number Of individual consumers he