Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-11

sleeve, but il suggests Tint the first dozen
members should not be chofrn IN public
meeting. where great promises are apt 20
he lightly given, bat in the scclusion OF
their ugn hotnes where they can think the
proposition over calmly and decide wheth-
er or not they care 10 risk their monoy.
"Ouc of the chief dangers in o young
co~opcrntive society wnrns the league
"is mutual suspicion. 20 long az the mem
hers suspect each Others motives, there
can he no loynlty TO the enterprise. BE
fore organizing a society IT IN best to hold
a meeting once week for several WEEKS
for the purpose Of studying the literature
on the sibjeet. The social intercourse
Incidental TO n studying period viii elifni
nate this danger, for durlng your many
evenings together you vii learn 70 kno"
each other When the time comes To eject
officers and management committee you
viii know whom you can trust ne cloFet'
the members are knit together by 5ociaI
intercourse, the bigger are the chances %
success. That it why the small Immigrant
communities in this country have 30 lar
been the most successful in co operative
enterprise; they are much thrown 10
getheT and know each other.
In choosing manager for the enter
perienco has shown that working men are
the moan successful managers Of CO.
operative stores. 4 cooper ative store -
entirely different from an ordinary store
run by private interests. While practical
Judgment and some knowledge Of com
nercial practice are necessary, the typical
"sma5t business" spirit tx not one Of the
Ingredients that will bring SUCCESS IN q
cooperative venture.
The time is now ripe for widespread
cooper alive movement in this country.
For many years cooperation has bCou
checked by many factors by the spirit
Of indiyidualism which prevailed as it.
can prevail only in a nation where there is
plenty Of room, and by the presence Of
frontiers f0 which tho population could
fee from poverty. Then cane a period of
vigorous competition among private trades
men, chain stores and powerful nonopo-
lies, all Of which tended N Obstruct co
operative enterprise. H. was the new I'M
migrant element from Europe which gave
the first impetus 10 the co-ope atlve move
ment here, and it is this element which
still holds some Of the first prizes of CO.
operative achievement. The Farmers IN
the western and northern States and the
foreign industrial workers in all parts of
Jftf country biAF hA0F NAAtNA'e Aft
ward until 1918, since when cooperation
has proceeded everywhere by leaps and
bounds
According 10 the league, over 1900
true consumers cooperative societies arc
now operating stores. In some locations
the purchasing power Of grours Of go
cieties has become so great that they have
federated and Organized Wholesale So
cieties In western Pennsylvania fedora
ton OF 10 societies, known ~ the Iri-
state Cooperative Society, whose mem
bcrshiD embraces many natIonalltics, I'M
cliding Poles, Slovaks. Lithua niang, Y Ukral-
mans. Italians and Bnhernians, Il
crOwdiug hard upon private business II
the handling Of groceries, meats, dr.
goods, shoea, feed and automobile sup
plies. ThB society nainta'Ds whole.
saIe branch, with warehouse in Pitts-
burg, but 80 great are the demands upor
il that il can supply the local cooperative
societies only within the radius Of 81
miles In Illinois several co-operatiye
societies operated by miners, are doing
business Of s3, 900, 900 year. In Seattle
the co-Operstives not only r1in store, but
they operate their own market, cold stor.
age plant, slaughter house and psckinl
establishment
Thus, quietly, ike . great river, as q
member Of the league POLITICALLY puts IT.
the current Of cooperation SWEEPS on. II
il impossible tn tell where or when ii will
stop.