The Washington herald., 1920-03-01

eral canning factories will be
bought, but in the meantime they
are dealing In a cooperative way
with many small concerns. In re-
gard to nour and similar products
the association has made arrange
ments with the Community Millers'
Association. This organization
controls 10000 mills. Frequently
the railway men buy the entire pro-
duction OF the mill and the mem
bers profit accordingly.
The -four Is sent In carload lots
to the different centers. The MEM
bers do their own marketing. In
smaller places barrels and bags fix-
ure. Potatoes and other vegetables
are dealt with in the. same wav.
Heavier articles are sent by freight
and the officers will deal in any
thing from needles to automobiles.
I'VE can save one-third In price
on automobile tires" said Mr.. Trask
as he dismissed the salesman OF
large concern in Ohio. I'VE pay
cash down and that appeals to all.
We don't want ten or thirty days
time. as that would involve US in a
lot Of expensive bookkeeping"
sI,000yooo In Factory.
1t is no trouble to pay cash. as
the brotherhood had sl.5eO.O00 when
it started its big store. 1t has aI-
ready invested about $l.0D0,U00 in
factories, and il stands ready ito go
higher. This. however. according
to Mr.. Trask, is just a beginning.
President Barker backs Up the vice
president. Figures were presented
to the writer which showed that the
fourteen railroad organizations can
tap a combined bank account OF
$42.OO0,000. Two million memoirs
have contributed towards this sum.
which has been set aside for possi-
BILE strikes. Should. arbitration how
go into force and strikes become a
thing of the past. there will be
enough In the different treasures
to finance every enterprise advo-
Gated for the last generation. banks
VIII. however. be the first to pe es-
tablished. After these will Fellow
industries and cooperative trading
on a scale undreamed OF. According
to the promoters of the scheme, ev-
cry body will be benefited.
Right now." said Mr.. Trask, I'VE
pay the farmers and other produc-
ers more than they can get from
any other source for their products,
and if they are members of farmers
rsanizations they can buy manu-
factured articles or anything We
have at cost price. We 10 the same
with factories. We frequently re-
fuse to buy at the lowest prise,
knowing that some one has to pay,
and, in most cases. 1t is the work
ers. So we make the proviso that
the workers must be well paiJ and
that the owners shall be entitled to
a fair profit. The same with the
farmers"
Big Business Watching.
Big business is beginning to sit
up and take notice, according to the
Detroit managers. In several cases
the trend OF affairs having been
noted, offers to turn over the .ac-
tories on any fair basis has been
made. These overtures have been
refused, as there is no desiie to
push anyone to the wall The fac
tories they have are turning out
ample commodities at Present. al
though all will soon have to be en-
isrged. one factory turns out 6. 900
oozen gloves and mittens a week.
Another 200 dozen union suits a day
Thls gives an indication on what
scale the organization Is working
hG
snip 100 carloads of fiour a week.
Labor. as whole, is being hone.
nted by the enormous production. The
procedure Is simple. Any surplus stock
may be purchased at cost price by anv
union man in good standing Uniy.the
members of the Brotherhood of Main
tenance are looked after first. When
carload OF flour is shipped to a GER
tam point 1t remains on the track for
two days for the members of the era II
AFTER that any union member NAV buy
at the same price as the others. Dis
tribution of other articles is handled
in the same way
Extortionate Profits
One thing Mr.. Trask has discovered
Is the extortionate profit exacted from
the consumer when he buys an article.
the grade Of which is supposed to be
better than another. The actual dif-
ference in cost price between a 5e-cent
pair OF hose and those priced at retail
at 81 is infinitesimal, according to Mr..
Trask. The raw product alone figures
and the difference in cost between the
two grades is very slight. As 10,
manufacturing, in many eases a
worker can turn out grea,er
NJ hAN nf hA
has tried it. as the brotherhoud's
factory at Ypsilanti turns out 1000
to 5000 pairs of hose a day.
Many theories of trade and eco
nomiCs have been upset by the ex-
pertinent of the brotherhood work.
ers. the most successful of the many
tried in this and other countries. 1t
is calculated that within a year ,he
turnover will amount to millions
OF dollars. At present they figure
on only one-qLarter of their men,
bers being customers. This. would
amount to about 125,000, as poten-
TALLY they have half a million MEM
bers. The lowest purchasing figure
is set at 500 apiece, but it will po
far above this, and the chances are
that the majority of members will
become customers once they see the
price list. Naturally the business
Will advertise itself after once un
der way. and the only problem re-
naming seems to be how the gem
eral public, those millions not in
possession of union cards, may be
benefited and saved from the prof
iteer.
In a succeeding article will he
shown the status of these under
PAID army OF workers which started
shl enterprise. Possibly
uncle sam will blush when he reads
it. He should.