The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-03

in the Aldgate district of whltechapel, where the societys huge offices stand today. It's cornerstone was laid by the author of 'sTom Brown at Oxford, and the w. C. s. fairly launched as na- tional institution. It's first 30 weeks turnover had totaled $25s,0OO Ten years later it had increased its total for 12 months to nearly sl0,0Oo.oOO, and each de- cade since has seen its turnover nearly doubled. Last year goods were sold to the value of over $155, 5,0O0, coo
 "I myself have seen our business grow from three million pounds" said J. C. Cocks. the head of the great es- tablishment in the East End What Is the lesson of our success? Why 1t rep resents the triumph of the root prn- ciple of cooperation, which is to en- rich those who create the wealth. No, we deal with no private firms only with cooperative societies, and these in every part of the world These clients of ours now number 1267 and are located besides in the British Isles, fin Belgium, Denmark. the West Indies. British Columbia, Germany, Ber- muda. Servia. Austria. Spain, China and Japan How many customers have we in the United States? Just three, one in Great stone. R. l.. one in Plymouth, Mass and the third. l believe. in Maine
 "Co-operation," went on the secre- tary. seems to have made small pro gress in the United States, in spite of the Brook farm example, yet we con stantly have American visitors, some of them millionaires. calling here to inquire into our methods. They alk however, start with mistaken notion. They want to begin in the United States. where We are now, as bust ness dealing with millions. instead of as the Rochdale Pioneers started, which is the only way. For you cannot begin a cooperative business on wholesale e lines; you must first have the retail storesl How are these brought into pe- ing? Under English laws any number of persons, over seven, can start trad ing after investing one pound, or S5, each, and-selling at market rates are entitled to divide the surplus after paying a per cent dividend and cre- ating reserve fund. Our present re- serve fund Is $S.500,000
 "One of the things in which we take most prdie" went on MT. Cochs '1s the fact that we educate all our em- ployes Classes in all branches of Knowledge are open to them on even ings and Sundays. This was one of the innovations of the Rochdale Pio- neers. in whose time, fcourse. there was no such thing as free education. Tn those days, such teaching as was done was mostly carried on by the Church of England. parents who could afford 1t paying few pence week for having their children taught. To appreciate the difficulties that those 25 neers, in whose time, of course, there one must realize the conditions which prevailed in the E lgland of their day.
 Wages were nothing like what they are today. It was, too. before the era of steam had brought the products of the world practically to the artisan s doors. The luxures of life were beyond the reach of the working man, A few grapes for the sick room, for example, would then have cost half dollar or more. Today they can be had around the corner for few pence"
 Although dwarfted by this great co- operative society of the massss. that of