Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1920-09-23
Cooperative Store Sells to Chain
Stores

The local Cooperative store which
las been in operation here since 1917
has been merged with the chain of
armer-Labor stores, known as the
National Consumers Cooperative
ASSOCIATION. The local store will
lereafter be operated as branch num-
! ser 20. Harold Seabury will contin-
le as manager.
During the early period of oper-
,tion the store was very successful,
aaving loyal support of the members,
md paid attractive dividends. But
outside influence together with an
Abuse of the credit system broke down
he morale which resulted in period
Of depression and dissatisfaction.
Az a recent meeting of the mem
5ers, Carl E. Lunn, Vice-president Of
ne National Cooperative Wholesale,
/ vas presented and explained the Nat
onal plan. Later a specially called
stockholders meeting unanimously
oted to merge with the National
ha n. The deal was closed and pap
5rs signed last Saturdya, All old
MEMBERS are receiving stock in the
\ tional to the face value of stock
leld in the old Union Cooperative.
n looking over the books Mr.. Lunn
says he found: "Sone members hav-
ng 1l&la as much as 5000 profit on
heir investment, a number having
1aid $25 in 1917 and today have cred
t for $500 share without paying any
,hing additional. Had the members
understood fully the wonderful bene-
fits possible through fhll application
of the Rochdale plans, they could
have not only continued to enjoy the
dividends earned in the early period,
but could have benefited still more
and in not only dollars and cents, but
in the building up of a splendid COM
munity spirit that would mean much
to the individual, great good for the
city and the people as whole"
The National Consumers Co-opera-
| tive Association is Incorporated for
$500,0o0 with central offices at 342
River street, Chicago, and is operat-
ing branches in six states; Iowa, Illi-
nois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin
and Ohio. Branches are now in oper-
alton in Iowa are located at Missouri
Valley, Council Bluffs, Fort Dodge,
| Clinton and Davenport. New BRAN
ches are being organized at Lyons,
Belle Plaine, Creston, Newton and
Cedar Rapids.
| The object of the association, which
is owned by farmers and city consum-
ers and controlled by them, is to or
ganize the purchasing power through
a chain of cooperative stores and be
able to successfully compete with the
large privately, or corporation owned
chain stores and department stores.
Also TO be able to eliminate from the
members home the "need" of "cheap"
mail order house catalogue, by using
the cooperative mail order system.
Also Of course, the object is to distri-
butte commodities direct from the pro-
ducer to the consumer and so elimi-
nate the cause for the high cost Of
living, the middlemen.
These stores own their own whole
sale located at Chicago, with branch
ait Hoboken, n j., where another
group of these stores are being or
ganized With this National Coop
Wholesale is affiliated also the Tri-
State Coop Wholesale at Pittsburg
and a chain of about forty stores
there, and the Pacific Coop Whole
sale at San Francisco with chain of
nearly 200 stores over the Pacific
slope, and reaching into Hawaii anr
Alaska
In a few days shipment of goods
will arrive here from the Cooperative
, Wholesale, and with it will come new
prices, which will mean lower pric-
es. The store, however, will not car
~ on any price-cutting campaign.
The national officers plan a mem
be1ship campaign here, and thinks
500 members should be secured soon.
. Already new interest is shown in
: heavy increas in sales, and few new
: members.