The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-18

/ alton of the lunchroom, considerable
stress is placed upon the social features
of the luncheon club. He considers this
one OF the chief factors in the success
OF any. cooperative enterprise. The
tables In this lunchroom, for example
are large enough to seat eight persons
Each place has been given a number.
Every month all the numbers are shut
fled about, and the employees are asked
to draw. The one who draws No. 5
must sit at the place marked by that
number for the next month. This pre-
vents the members of the club from
becoming divided into cliques, for
every month they are thrown with
new table companions whether they
like 1t or not. Some of them do not
ike y, especially the women employees.
who fail to recognize the value of this
change In social environment. They are
always trying to evade the rules by
coaxing other women to change num-
bers with them SO that they can sit
next to their boon companions.
operative spirit at the bureau of STAN
dards did not stop with the establish
ment OF lunchroom. A new scheme
was soon on foot, and this time it was
the lunchroom cook who started it. The
cook was a woman who had been en-
ployed by number of families in Phil
adelphia to do their marketing for
them. and she now proposed that she
be hired in this capacity by the en-
ployes of the bureau. They could form
a market club, she explained. She
would buy for 1t in wholesale quaint
ties at the same time she bought the
supplies for the lunchroom. 1t was to
pay 3 per cent. for her work. This APP
pealed greatly to the married element
in the bureau, and such club was soon
in operation. The men put in their Or
ders for what they wanted at lunch
h. IL ~
from a large stock of supplies which
she kept in the pantry of the lunch
room. Strict account was kept of
what they bought, which was added
to their lunch bills every month.
Cooperative Buying.
Although the cook soon passed on to
sample. other opportunities, as is the
tinued its cooperative buying until
the pantry of the lunchroom expanded
to the size of young grocery store.
Shelves. more shelves, and then
counter had to be erected to take care
OF the ever-increasing stock. Every
thing from candy and canned goods to
meat and mustard were sold there. A
manager had to be employed, who gave
his whole time to running the store,
at salary of $65 a month Only one
important change was made in the plan
of operation, and that required the
" pay lOl LHSlT supplies III
advance. Each man knew about what
his monthly food bill Appropriated,
and deposited that amount with the
treasurer of the club every month. This
permitted the club to pay it's bills
promptly, thus taking advantage of the
2 per cent. discount allowed on prompt
settlement by wholesalers.
The lunchroom store grew until 1t
was doing a business in groceries
alone of $4,000 a month, but this was
not enough. The market club still felt
the expansive impulse. so it began
adding other things--mens furnish
ings, pocket knives, flash lights. and
a host of miscellaneous articles admired
by the consuming male. 1t became ap-
parent that the store was getting much
too large for the lunchroom, and that
if it kept on growing in time 1t would
itself. So 1t was decided that it must
be moved. The government donated
a plot of ground adjacent to the bureau
on which to erect a store, but the
market club faced the necessity of
raising sufficient capital to build on it.
To do this it admitted outsiders and
turned the erstwhile market club into
1 Rochedale cooperative society with !
1 large group of stockholders. The |
store no longer belongs exclusively to |
he bureau. but Is community enter |
Prise. 1t is capitalized at $4,000, in |
,luQlng 1,UUU SndreS OF common STOCK
It 81 a share, corresponding to menu |
1ership dues, and preferred stock at
,25 a share.
Unlike the socialists. the co-opera-
ives believe that an investment of |
,apital should be rewarded at the pre-
,ailing rates of interest, so that all the |
holders of preferred stock in this store
eceive an annual dividend of per
ent. AS In the bureau store. the Gus
omers must pay in advance for their
upplies. The overhead expenses of
he store are large, and 1t Is doubtful
( it is able TO sell goods at lower price
han the chain stores. but the prices
re lower than the ordinary retail
rocery. ANY profit which is left over
t the end of the month is divided
mong the members of the society on
cooperative basis. Last month, this
roht amounted to per cent.
Subject of tomorrow's letter. "a New
IRA in Road BuHding.")