Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-12
filled by leaders Of the cooperative move

filled by leaders of the cooperative move
ment. The co-operators have been
equally respected by the BolshevikSi,
although the Rochedale stem does not
harmonic with the Soviet's economic
principles. Lenine has used local CO.
operatives for the distribution of food
supplies, while many of the Soviets
factories have been turned over to we'll
organized cooperative societies which
were already operating similar establish
ments
During the war; the membership and
trade of cooperative societies IN Ger
many more than doubled. More than
two million members were enrolled In
consumers societies, while rs many
more were enrolled in banking, agri-
cultural and producers associations, in
spite of the fact that most OF Germany's
man-powcr was at war. In the third
year of the war German cooperative
banks ontaincd twenty-five million dol
lars in savings deposits
Today, Germany possesses the largest
single cooperative enterprise in the world.
This is the 'Production" of Hamburg,
which was founded in 1900 and had q
membership of eighty thousand when
the war started. When the arnistice
to over hundred thousand, although
many of its original members had been
lost in the war. Last year this society
did business of eleven million dollars.
more than n million of which was paid
out in wages to its thousand employees
in its banking. housing, insurance and
manufacturing departments.
MOVEMENT SUFFERS IN AUSTRIA
Austria-Ilungary was another country
where cooperation increased rapidly
during the war, although since then It
has suffered severely bv reason Of the
division of its territory into several small
States. Before the war Hungary con
tanned more cooperative enterprises than
any other European nation, in spite Of
the fact that it's government was intensely
opposed 10 them This opposition faded
away, however, during the first wear of
the war, when the COVE rnmcnt did not
hesitate TO accept the services Of the
Vienna Wholesale Co-operativc which
organized the families Of over five hun
dred thousand muniti0n workers into
cooperative groups for the operation Of
their own restaurants and bakeries.
The cooperative movement also gained
great momentum in neutral countries
during the war In Switzerland which
has always been highly cooperative.
several new ventures were started in
cludlng an entire cooperative village II
$50 houses, each equipped with I'LL
modern improvements including vcgc-
table gardens. The colony is also 10
have cooperative stores. n cooperative
restaurant, a chiIdrcn's playground and
school, and assembly hall and 4 gvmna-
sium. Many agricultural cooperative
societies are operating cooperative dallles
in Switzerland, and there is also . large
number Of cooperative cattle-hrccding
societies. Cooperative insurance is also
a popular product
Denmark is another small neutral
which speeded up cooperation during
the war. There are now more cooper
ators in Denmark In proportion To the
population than in any other country
in the world Everything imaginable
Is handled by cooperative societies.
There are agricultural purchase and
sales societies, cooperative dairies bacon
factories. slaughter houses and bakeries.