Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1921-06-10
COOPERATORS
HOLD PICNIC AT
CRYSTAL LAKE

SEVERAL EOODtiatOI hiAooSN Nt1 W
portunity OF hearing a rafting good
address on cooperation by John II.
Walker president of the Illinois State
Federation of Labor, at Crystal Lake
park Saturday afternoon upon the oc.
casion of the second annual meeting
and picnic OF the Twin City Coopera-
tive Society.
Preceding his talk on the coopera-
tive question, Mr.. Walker gave syn
opsis of the labor situation In Illinois
and elsewhere during the past few
years. Two years ago. he said the coal
miners had strike. At that time they
were receiving on an average OF 90
cents a day, because the coal situa
ton was such that only the large
mines were working, and the many
smaller mines were at standstill
The miners asked an advance OF so
percent and the privilege of workin
6 hours a day. The shorter workda,
was asked so that the production
coal could be more evenly distributed
and all miners given work instead OF
only those employed In mines con
trolled by the coal trust. Through what
the speaker termed as weakened
ness on the part OF certain miners
officers, coupled with threats on the
part of the government to Jail striker
for treason, although the war was over
the efforts of the miners were OF n
avail, many mines continued to re
main idle and serious shortage o.
coal resulted Thus lack of coopera
ton threw thousands OF miners out o
employment, and the public still re
members the time when shade tree
were sacrificed that the home might
be made warm. During this time, ac
cording to government statistics, tn,
coal operators were collecting 2SOl
percent profit.
At the time when employers wer
telling the public that the worker
were lying down on the job and tina
more production was needed, thu
United States of America, composin
six percent Of the population Of tn
world, was producing more TIM hal
of all the things that all the people II
all the world produced. Still the or,
Is for more production, when more
than 100000 American workers are
involuntarily out OF employment.
From government records, Mr.. Wal
ker quoted some wartime profits. Can
ners made 2,032 per cent profit. mea
packers 4.214, wooden mills Ito, fur
niture manufacturers 1926, clothing
manufacturers 9,S26. Standard Oil 2.70t
during the first year after the wal
the Standard Oil company of Indiana
paid stock dividend OF $29.0O0.0 00,
the divident being paid In stock In Or
der to avoid paying income taxi. steel
trust made $500 percent profit. shoe
"a ot.,ra In ms q nos
1.-THE average being 1921 per cent?.
The cooperative movement In the
United States Is just In its infancy
said Mr.. Walker. The real Coopera
tive movement started in Scotland
In 1869 a little group OF half-starved
workers scraped together rs cents
with which they bought meal and
flour One member donated part of
room for store, woman acted as
manager, and the stock was sold to
the members at the same price asked
in other stores The difference be
tween the buying and selling prizes
was added to the capital stock and
used to buy more goods. Today, from
It's humble beginning the society tran.
sacts one.sixth of all the business
done in Great Britain. Last years
business totalled more than $4,000.
1000. The society owns its own
mills, transportation lines, wholesale
houses. and practically everything
needed to be entirely independent of
any other source of supply. During the
war. when 1t was almost impossible
for England to import foodstuffs, the
vast stores OF the cooperative society
were at the disposal Of the govern
ment. The Cooperators of Great Bri.
tain have n members in parliament.
What has been accomplished In
Great Britain. the speaker said, could
be done in America. Education in CO.
operation Is depended upon to bring
this about, and the labor paper must
be the source of this education. Every
community, said Mr.. Walker. must
have its workers paper. and every
worker must be their supporters.
There are two economic processes
through which the worker must go
through. The first Is to sell labor, the
other Is to spend the money earned
by the sale of labor to the very best
advantage Here Mr.. Walker quoted
George Bernard Shaw: A man who
will willingly buy from profiteer
when he can buy the same goods from
a non-profiteer Is an idiot and should
not be trusted with money.
To make cooperation In America
the same success 1t is In Great Britain
and other foreign countries, the Amer
lean movement must eventually own
its own sources of supply. Great stress
was laid upon the cooperative whole
sale houses. and the speaker urged in
strong terms the necessity, OF local
societies patronizing their own whole.
sale houses. II is a part of the move
ment, and hould have the same sup.
port from the local stores that the
local stores expect from their mem.
bers.
Fake cooperative concerns came in
for large amount of criticism from
the speaker, who said there is at the
present time such concern operating
in the state that is purely a blue-sky
concern, discredited by the state gov
eminent, and which has nothing to
offer its members except a worthless
certificate Of membership. He urged
his hearers to support their local