The Connecticut labor press., 1920-02-14
Project Launched Informally by New Haven Trades Council Has Inception in Resolutions Adopt ed by A. F. of l.. Convention and Definite Plans Will Prob ably Be Made at Next Meeting. Other Cities Interested.

ven, which was launched informally at the last meeting of the New Haven Trades Council, as announced in the last issue of The Connecticut Labor Press, is being widely discussed in local labor circles and it is probable that some definite action will be taken at the next meeting. It is part of movement ex- tending throughout the country.
 Simultaneous with the New Haven ven announcement the cooperative stores movement was started in Bridge port with the incorporation of a com pany at $50,O0O by a committee of Or ganized Labor men. The incorporators are John J. O'Nei1, Carl Lang, Martin Kane and others. Funds to carry the business on have already been pledged, sites for the stores are under con- sideration and it is expected business will start very soon. Another corpora tion almost the same in which Labor men are also interested was also incor- porated at $5O,O00 with $2,000 paid in. The incorporators are ohm J. O'Neil, s. J. O'Neil and H. A. Hill.
 President Ornburn will touch upon the subject in his annual address, which was not read at the last meeting be- cause the exceedingly bad weather had prevented a large attendance, and a number of delegates who have made themselves familiar with the subject will probably advocate some step looking to- ward the establishment of such store at the very earliest possible moment.
 In the middle west and some other parts of the country such stores are proving very successful. Not only re- ducing the cost of living for their patrons, 1t Is stated but aCcumulat1ng a handsome sum in their treasurles as well. Many attempts have been made in the past to establish cooperative stores in this country along the lines which have proven so successful III England and some European countries, but they have not been successful to any great degree. Now, however, the pro- ject receives strong impetus because of the tremendously high prices and the be- lief that profiteering is largely respon- sib1e for them.
 At the Buffalo convention of the A. F. of L.. 1917, a special committee, ap- pointed by President Gompers, under the direction of the Baltimore conven- George w. Perkins, John H. Walker, William D. Mahon, James w. Sullivan and Arthur E. Holder, made short but clear report which was unanimously adopted.
 Criminal prohteering to which IS largely due the high cost of living can be checked without any legislative enact ment only by the cooperative move ment The people may without inter ference of state or federal government or any law making authority check the 1ega1ized, robbing profteering through the cooperative movement
 The A. F. of L. committee on CO., operation recommended to the Amer1- can Federation of Labor the following short program, which was unanimously adopted:
 1. That a qualified trade-unicnist CO.,
 operator be appointed by the president of the American Federation of Labor to serve one year as lecturer and ad- wiser on the practical work of Rochdale cooperation.
 2. That this appointee shall have office room in the American Federation of Labor building i'll Washington, which shall be the center of information by correspondence and otherwise on the subject.
 3. That he shall visit localities in which cooperative societies are Ill pro- cess of formation or have already been formed, and give practical information to the officers and members of such societies, making out routes of travel for this purpose so as to conserve his time and perform the work at mini mum of expense.
 4. That it shall be understood that central labor unions and local trade
 unions as such shall not form co-opera- tive societies, but shall appoint commit tees from their membership to act in cooperation with other citizens who are in sympathy with the trade-union l movement i'll assisting in establishing | and upbuilding a general cooperative movement.
 5. That every trade union under the l jurisdiction of the American Fedora ton of Labor be requested to con- tribute the sum of one dollar ($1.OO) l ir order to establish successfully the Federation Bureau for promoting and advancing the cause of true co-opera-
 ton in the United States and Canada. Your committee has excluded from ! it's consideration all forms of associated | work which do not fall within the limits | of the Rochda1e cooperative system | The simple principles of this system I are:
 l. A democratic organization | /. One vote TOT edCn memDer Wltl equality in share ownership. No voting ! by proxy.
 5. Cash returns quarterly to mem bers of the difference between the total
 amount they have paid for their pur-
 chases to the cooperative society; in c1uding among the cost depreciation and
 a reasonable amount for a reserve fund
 to meet emergencies and extend the l business.
 4. Rejection of the principle of profits. | S. Current interest on loan capital l 6. Sales where possible preferably to
 members only.
 7. Distributive cooperation to pre- cede productive.
 l 8. A sufficient number of retail stores | to be established to assure a market before a wholesale department is ere
 ated.
 | 9. Observance of methods recom-
 mended by the International Co-opera- | tive Alliance.
 | Other labor organizations in the vari- ous cities of the state are giving the
 matter consideration also and 1t appears
 quite probable that the advent of the | co-oDeratiye store in Connecticut is not