New-York tribune., 1918-01-31

bijities, under the direction oe The general
manager OF the entire chain, which ,ua7 be
composed oc any number Of small single
units.
Thus. under the cooperative method, ali
middlemcn arc dispensed with bccausc un-
necessary. There is place for them. Spec
ulators have no chunce at cooperative prod.
ucts. They are made FOR use b. the members
and not for the ciacton OF the highest 30 q
sblc profit.
The cooperative producer or distributor
controls, the whole situation 50 far as hi.
product IS concerned foc the benefit cs tie
masses, and not few indiYduals The snec-
ulator Is put out of business autonaticalIv
without any government. state or municipal
interference with established customs Of
trade
What ia tho result? Why. simply taat co.
operative consumers get their food SUPPLE.
el tho actual cost OF production plue only tue
unavoidable e. pcnse OF doing business and the
cost OF single distribution. thus sae;nr tho
nalf-dozen extra charges or tho usual chain
OF niddlcmcn
Such cooperative eocictics dixie the creas
kochda!c institutions Of Great Britain), IL OF
sufficient magnitude, will dominate and ctabil-
Aae all market conditions in the territory &C.
cupicd Independent dealers will be compelled
70 roilow their lead or go out OF business
We're such societies established all over the
country, as IN England, they would here, 4,
there, control countrywide conditions
fAero IS no reason why every CoueTes-
slonai district III the country should not have
ITS own chain Of wholesale and retail oopera-
tive associations, each wholesale unit with 4
capita! Of S1,000,000 TO s., 900 00o, and busi-
ness OF many millions, according to tho popu~
laton served
Practlcally there would be no limit 70 c,.eir
scope. When VIC consider that the English
societies. with q sharcholding membership ~
about 100000 Of the middle and labor;ur
classes, representing with their familcs ons-
quarter OF the entire population Of the cout.
ivy, are doing business OF almost 81 OO0-
100000 per anrum, it is evident that with
cur larger American consumpt;on vc conIa
do even better.
such district mbinators for purposes Of
Duy'"s ana distribution could be federated
INTO still larger units, even statewide
lhey would offer market for any amount
OF produce, fruits and vegetables which tho
farmer now allows to rot on the ground be-
cause he has no outlet
lhcse societies could cstablish rece;yin.
stations In each district, where all far,ers
could themselves deliver their CROPS tn he
properly graded and packed as in California.
and then distributed among their thousands,
OF reta.! stores at prices to come within the
reach or all. and Quadruplc consumption.
They could also take any amount Of surp,u.
IN time OF plenty, storing same in their own
cold storage warehouses for the benefit Of
the whole community instead OF Few specu-
iators or private dealers.
They could establish their OVID bottliur
snd distributing plants for milk ia the lsrrs
cities. and furnish at reasonable price to
consumers.
They could break and probably forestau
any corner in the market" manipulated h7
SPECTATORS, and absolutely prevent the
wicked destruction Of millions Of pounds o.
foodstuHs BY unprincipled dealers simply to
maintain the market price.
Inc cooperative commonwealth, ao predic.-
I'd by Sir Edward Grey OF England, "Nil,
eventually tuperscdo our present uneconomi
cal competitive couditions.' which. in hi,
cplnon' ARE largely responsible for thc Bit.
Ter warfare between labor and capital, with
its necessary sequeis Of crime, misery and
povery." WALTER PRATT ,Oxt.
New York Jan. D. 1918