New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-29
By John Collier, Peoples Institute.

By John Collier, Peoples Institute.
FEW hundred spinners at
n Rochdale, England, seventy years
ago, founded the Consumers Co
operative Movement. Who would have
ventured, three years after the be-
ginning Of that epoch-making Roch-
dale experiment to prophesy that in
one generation there would be twenty
million co-operators; that the making
and distribution Of goods valued at
many billions Of dollars annually
would be taken wholly out Of the field
Of private exploitation; that European
politics and the economic conceptions
Of a world would be measurably modi-
fed by the initiative Of these Roch-
dale spinners7 Yet the cooperative
movement has only begun to grow; 1t
may help to reconstruct the face Of
our planet before it is done.
Who. three years ago would have
foreseen even the growth that has al
ready taken place in the work Of P. 5.
SO? This growth, multiplying every
year in its numbers Of people and its
variety of undertakings, has exceeded
any hopes of the beginning. And it is
only a hint of what may yet be.
The Rochdalc spinners put into op-
Grafton new principle Of human or
ganizstion. The community centre
members are establishing a further
principle, allied to that Of consumers
cooperation and yet richer In its
promise. Consumers cooperation
eliminates the middleman, socializes
production, insures economic democ-
racy in all those fields which 1t COW
ers, and automatically prevents the
capture by the few Of pc ger over the
many. The community centre does
not begin with the making or distribu-
ton of physical goods, though II the
movement endures and grows it Is sure
to end there. On the oth,r hand, con-
sumers' cooperation, except in Bel
GUM, has not generally brought about
team work in the creation and supply
of spiritual necessities, which are eco
nomic goods as truly as physical ne
cessities.
Community Centre Democratic Gov
eminent.
The community centre movement be-
gins at the end Of the spiritual ne
cessities. The community centre takes
it's departure from the spiritual, po-
htical and human needs of the COM
munity and those needs Of the indi-
vidual soul which must be satisfied
in the leisure hours. Through salts
flying these needs IL marshals mem
bers, accumulates capital and hammers
out true structure Of democratic
group government. Not merely indi-
viduals, but groups Of individuals and
strong, fertile interests are Joined In
teamwork in the community centre.
The sociologist would call these inter-
ests "group-making factors" and a
great sociologist has remarked: THE
power Of the group in the social strug-
gle depends on the number Of group
making factors uniting its members"
A little thought must show that the
community centre has really tremen-
dous future, If only devotion, wisdom
and inventiveness be applied during its
formative stages. The formative stage
in community centres Is not over; the
future of community centres is not
vet assured. School So Is the pioneer
among those deliberately experimental
community centres which are making
history to-day, and whose work may
alter the spiritual, political and even
economic destiny Of the American peo-
pie.
Co-operates with. Day School.
There are two or three points bear
ing on the future of community GEN.
tres which may be interesting to note.
First-The community centre coop
crates with the day school and all
other regular activities in the school
building, with the park board, the