The Harrison times., 1914-05-30

kOpNuuuBtui DtHuluI n NO'bptl a.
hon Is not foolproof, consequently II
does not always succeed. Inexperi.
ence, incompetence, and dishonesty
will wreck any private business and
they will, Of course, wreck any co.
operative business, II Is necessary
therefore, for enthusiasts to remem-
Der that there is no mystic virtue In
cooperation which enables II to tri-
umph at all times. Those Of us who
are trying to record what we have
seen of cooperative business at home
and in Europe, would not be treating
the public fairly II we left the inn
preston that there are no failures
among cooperative enterprises.
Both at home and abroad there have
been many failures. Certainly those
interested are entitled to know as
much about It's failures as about It's
successes They are entitled to know
also what causes have led to co-opera-
two failure.
TdlblVb w NHSlISa'
Many cooperative stores organized
with much promise have failed, Gen
orally speaking gross incompetence
has wrecked thom, They are like
other mercantile establishments In
that they demand, as n condition
precedent to success, skilled manage
mont, good business methods, good no.
counting, cautious extension Of credit,
RB well as somo special knowledge Of
tho goods dealt In. II these qualities
are absent failure ls inevitable, AS
the average cooperative store I'm
America II organized liz members are
seldom bound by any agreement to
do all their trading Mt the cooperative
concern. They patronzo II when II Is
20 their interest 30 to do. II the goods
offered are poor or II bad manage.
mont advances the price unduly, or II
frequent minor mistakes occur, the
members abandon the venture Ike n
sinking ship,
As have said, co operative stores
IN erder TO succeed must have skilled
management, good business methods,
good accounting systoms, and must OK.
tend credit cautiously, all In addition
to tho special knowledge essential In
every such enterprise So far 40 can
discover however, the stores which
have failed have not only lacked one
or two OF these essentials Of success
bul they seem often 10 have lacked all
OF them, More than onoo II has hap.
poned that cooperative store com
pNny 10 formed because Bomo store.
keeper has lost Gll hIa money IN IN
unauoooBBful mercantile venture and
oan secure capital for new venture
only IN this way, Sometimes On am
bilious farmer has organized com
pany In order that u son who has been
away 90 business college and feels
above farming may have a chance to
earn living without working upon
tho farm, 1t Ia characteristic also OF
cooperative American atoroa-Opd OF
other cooperative concerns IN Amerl'
ca alao=that they have seldom been
willing to nay salary sufficient TO
secure men of experience and skill as
managers.
When n cooperative store managed
by u man who has history ot moth.
Ing but business failures behind him.
or by n youthful and inexperienced
business college graduate or by any
other man Of tho low grade implied In
Tho low salaries paid, oomoa Into com.
petition with a competent, upto'date,
American atorekeeper OF the eggress
siye vigorous type often found IN even
The smaller towns, the mere word "eos
operative upon tho sign In front OF
tho store In not golOg to avert failure.
II Isn't fair 10 expect too much Of oo-
operation,
Cooperative Fruit Failures,
Beldom, too have soeBlled Amefli
can cooperative companies been co
operative IN the true sense Of the
word. have IN mind ono cooperative
fruit marketing society which failed
largely because Il was organized on
the ioint stock basis and administered
ma afe other noneo.0pefatlye corpora
tons, A few OF the larger ahafehold
6ra controlled II, The interests OF the
minority we're ignored, They became
Jealous and suspicious and accused
those In control OF dishonesty Finally
they demanded that the officers give
q full report OF oil their flnancla
transactions and that an auditing com