Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1921-02-04
PROMOTERS FoH COOPERATIVE
STORE OF QUESTIONABLE
WORTH AT WORK HERE


Cities endeavorine To organize what
they call cooperative store. They
have approached several union Officers
with their proposition. but so far as
can be learned. have received but
lscant attention.
II Is presumed this Is the same gang
that has been working several cities
In this part OF the state during the
past few months.
An attempt to interest unionists AT
Danyilie was recounted In The Re.
view Few weeks ago. At that city
careful investigation OF the methods
OF the proposed concern revealed the
lact that II Is not o0.operative nj all,
lacking all the salient features essen
tial to true cooperation
The investors" are invelgled into
putting their money into the affair In
which they have no part In the man
agement. election OF officers. or any.
thing else--except furnish the Jack
with which some one else starts a
business
The Rochdaie system OF co.opera.
tive stores. under which the Twin City
Cooperative Society is conducted. is
accepted by all authorities as the true
principle upon which such societies
should be conducted The local store
has been in existence nearly tive
years. and ID now considered one OF
our staunch business enterprises.
The fact that the concern now AZ.
tempting to enter the local field In
opposition to the Twin City Co.opera.
tive Society selects cities where
there Is an established Rochdale
cooperative store, leads The Re,
view to believe II 10 backed by inter.
ests whose purpose It Ia to kin the
cooperative movement
The New Majority In an article
upon fake co-opeFatives. said Ia re-
esss .. askss ., !.
oo-operatavc Socisty Of America. This coz
cern Is active in promoting co-operntive etores
particularly in Northern fllinois The method
followed by the company In selling lis mem.
bershfp Is To talk at length about the bcnefta
oI eo-operation. tell In general way about
the great saving that be made by buy.
ins co-operatively. and then present the Co
operative Society of America as one of the
bright and aiming examples of cooperative
Our. plan is the same M the plan Of the
hocndaie cooperative stores of England" one
OF the statesmen told us.
Co-operation is the only solution Of the
niRh cost OF living. Ours is the largest pure
cooperative movement In the United
states. is the statement made In some az
the company's advertisements
The truth OF the matter Is that the Co
operative Society Of America il not a co-oner.
alive organisation at all. nor u IL in any
way ike the Roehdale cooperative movement
In England.
The fundamental principle Of cooperation,
q principle established when the Rochdale
stores were formed. Is that the control shall
be in the hands Of the stockholders, and The
amount OF stock owned by any one person
shall be limited that the control Of the
company can never be concentrated In the
hands of a few men,
THE cooperative law of Illinois recovni,es
TINS provision by specifying that no one per-
son can own more than Eve shares In a CO.
operative company. or have more than Ave
The Cooperative Society Of America Il moi
Organized under the cooperative law OF Hi.
aois 1t Is not organized under the laws OF
any state, but Is common law trust com
pany. which means that II Is practically freed
from All legal restrictions. The control is in
the hands of three trustees. Persons who buy
memberships-these memberships are In no
sense shares of stock--are promised a vote to
elect directors in wholesale company but
they have no voice at all in the management
of the retail business Of the society nor any
voice in eiecsins its officers"
The Review does not pretend to
pose as the dictator of its readers ac
tions. But II does warn prospective
investors to investigate carefully be-
fore sinking any money into ANY
venture upon the solicitation OF sleek.
tongued solicitors. Many OF our citi-
zens were recently stung by the col.
lapse OF fake cooperative; don't let
ii happen again.
Stick by YOUR store.