The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-11-07
COOPERATIVE LAUNDRY.


Our readers will recall the fact that
two or three years ago the Northwest
ern Agriculturist devoted considerable
space to discussing the possibilities
and desirability of farmers co.opera-
tive laundries. There were no such
laundries at that time in the coun.
try, but the idea began to develop,
and it was stated that a laundry
could be constructed at cost of
about $1,000 for the machinery, and
six or eight hundred dollars for the
building, and that total capitalize.
ton of $4,000 was ample.
The first farmers cooperative
laundry in the United States is now
in successful operation at Chattield,
Minnesota, where it is doing much
to eliminate for the overworked
farm woman the terrors of "blue
Monday" Chatfeld is only a small
village and the laundry's patrons are
almost entirely obtained from the
open country around. Coarse cloth
ing OF all sorts, overalls and rugs, as
we'll as bed clothing and fine fabrics
are handled at uniform price of S
cents pound for washing and iron.
Ing. An extra charge is made for
such articles as need to be ironed by
hand.
The laundry is managed in con-
nection with cooperative creamery.
Modern machinery was installed at
the beginning and an experienced
laundryman engaged as superintend.
ent. For the first year of operation.
which has just closed, the receipts
were $5,4O3, 70 per cent of which
was paid out for wages.
Seventy per cent of the stock in
the laundry is owned by the farmers,
and while the laundry company is
an entirely separate corporation from
the one controlling and owning the
creamery, the same men are officers
OF both companies, consequently all
possibility Of friction between the two
boards of directors is eliminated. The
creamery company used it's surplus
profit to add a wing to the creamery
building, and rented it to the laundry
organization at fair rate, based upon
interest, depreciation, insurance.
taxes, etc. The wing cost about ST.
900, and the laundry machinery So.
6Oo, which was somewhat more than
our estimate. Thus the total invest
ment in the building and laundry
amounts to about forty-five or forty.
six hundred dollars. This makes a
very much more elaborate and expen-
sive investment than was absolutely
necessary, but it is better to build on
too liberal scale than to be cramped.
or at least that was the Judgment of
the directors. The same boiler that
supplies for the creamery does ser.
vice for the laundry.
The laundry equipment includes
four washing machines, two three
apartment washers and one one-apart-
ment washer, and one extractor, which
is like gigantic cream separator
bowl, punctured with holes so that
when 1T revolves at rapid speed, it
throws the water out of the clothes.
The laundry has about one hundred
and fifty patrons, and is increasing in
popularity every month.
To operate the laundry, it is found
that 1t requires pay roll of about
$1,000 a Year, soap and other supplies
$500, rent $50, making total expense
of about $4,000. Washing and rough
drying Is done at price of S cents
per pound, and hand ironing at Is
cents an hour, but the patrons get
cooperative dividend of 10 per cent at
the end of the year on all patronage
they have given the laundry, besides
8 per cent to the stockholders. Hence,
the actual net cost to the patrons, was
only AZ cents per pound, for washing
and rough drying.
The laundry is extremely popular
with the patrons, and especially with
the women on the farm. whose
drudgery is thereby SO materially re-
lieved. 1t solves the problem for
many a housewife of how to find help
In the kitchen and in the home.
AS one woman puts it, "The product
OF one cow pays for the laundry ex-
pense per family and the joke of it is,
the man of the family has to milk the
COW, at least he does it If he is a real
man."
It not only saves the wife the
drudgery Of wash day, but it saves
the whole family the bad smell of
the soapsuds. and the muss of laun.
dry work in the kitchen.
Thneo L. @A&~-