The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-04-21

belonging to the retail society. We be
lieve that the local retail society agree:
to take out one S. share in the whole
sale for each member. The retail so
cieties buy from the wholesale society
receiving dividends on purchases, which
Imake their purchases below the prices
of the ordinary manufacturer and whole
saler. But the retail society is at per
feet liberty to buy anywhere it chooses
and does not purchase from the whole
sale society except as quality and price
OF merchandise make it advantageous to
! do so.
/ The business of the wholesale CO.
| operative society is managed by thirty
| two directors, elected by the local So
| cieties. These directors give their en-
tire time at a salary of Sl,750 per an
mum.
| 1t is almost unthnkable for the aver
age business man to consider a prop
| osition of this kind where thirty-twu
men coming up from the ranks of ordi-
nary consumers by popular election are
conducting an enormous business more
economically than the large establish
ments of trade in England can conduct
il and giving their best efforts entirely
for the motive of rendering good serv-
ice and securing comfortable salary
with the honor that goes with a public
service efficiently performed.
We should judge from what we learn
that these directors. working with these
motives, are more devoted TO their bus
mess than the ordinary type Of bus
mess man. They have that loyalty in
terest and self-sacritice which Is shown
by many professors and teachers in col.
leges and schools. Their efficiency can
not be challenged
There are very few mercantile estab
lishments in the world that are doing
as big business as the Cooperative
Wholesale society in Manchester, Eng
land Where we find merchandising
establishment Of this size. we find usual |
ly large borrowing capacity well used |
but the Cooperative Wholesale society |
of Manchester. England, does not Dor I
row. 1t pays cash for what it buys and |
loans money. Its working capital comes /
through its memberships and the loan
accounts which consist mostly of divi
dends on purchases and interest that
has grown year after year and with
the healthy and efficient conduct OF the
business makes steady flow of money,
equal, and oftentimes in excess, of the
needs OF the business.
This brief account OF cooperative
buying in England must make vital
impression on the mind of the average
American consumer who is constantly
confronted with the aggravating prob
EN- OF the high cost of living. Ii would
eem that the most reasonable and nat
Iral thing that the United States should
ollow what has been successfully done
n England for the past forty years,
or the reason that it is of tremendous !
'ublic good and is founded on the best
principles of efficiency, thrift and public !
Welfare, but there are obstacles to over q
ONE in the establishment of this CO. q
perative system of buying and those
bstacles lie in the prevailing greed of !
he average business man. We are sorry
o admit that the motive often exists "
4 every business community of getting
honey rapidly at any cost and retiring P
I any expense that may come to those q
no follow after. Success in this coun n
~ is more and more measured by mon u
7 and the power of spending money =
nd less by public service rendered and p
his is distinct difference between our et
and that of England and al
e are distinct sufferers from our mo- II
We of human life. The great opportu- W
ties for making money have been in bl
mixing, manufacturing and merchandis- n
& and these vocations have attract
unduly from the population of the
untry and overcrowded and over-mer-
sndised our large towns and cities be
ID have depleted the agricultural pop. az
alton, swelling the profits of manu-
curing and merchandising and in te
easing the general cost of living.
ANY influence which tends TO turn the ar
lie in the other direction will be a good tn
fuenee for the welfare of the United
ates and if we could copy the CO
erative system of England in a way
force down retail and wholesale 81
pits and increase the efficiency of the
naming distributors, we would be one
p towards a better distribution and of
lustment of our business institutions tic
encouraging thrift and savings and pll
; accumulation of money. which can Fla
devoted To the better things Of life ton
Is deplorable condition for any coun- ioi
/ when il takes all man can earn wa
fill his stomach and cover his back. -
wing no surplus for educational and
ieral improvement. b.
Alex. Ironside. Barre. Vt. Il