The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-09-23

Engineers Cooperative National
Bank is not due to any fortunate
accident, but to the fact that it is
founded upon the ideal SERVICE
rather than PROFIT GRABBING.
The resources of the bank are used
for productive purposes rather than
for speculation and exploitation;
and the resulting profits, instead of
accruing to few rich stockholders,
are distributed among the thous-
ands of working people throughout
the country who have deposited
their savings in this cooperative
institution, owned and controlled
by labor for the welfare of the
producing classes.
Cooperative Wholesale Society to
Hold Annual Convention
The Central States Cooperative
Wholesale Society of East St. Louis,
Illinois, the supply center for many
of the cooperative stores of the
Middle West, announces its third
annual convention on September
18th. The call for the convention,
sent out by John w. Walker, pres
ident of the Cooperative Wholesale
Society and of the Illinois State
Federation of Labor, asks all CO.
operative stores of the Central
States and all labor unions inter
ested in the cooperative movement
to send delegates to this conven-
ton. Among the important ques-
tions to be considered are the ac-
QUESTION of flour and cereal mills
to supply co-operators with union
made grain products at cost; an
alliance with cooperative glove and
tobacco factories and other co-op-
erative productive enterprises; the
possibilities of cooperative banking
ito transfer the power and influ-
ence of money from the side of the
exploiter to that of the worker;
the elimination of unnecessary mid
dlemen, and closer contact with
of the cooperative education depart
ment of the Wholesale; the training
of competent cooperative store
managers; and the creation of a
cooperative press.
The Central States Cooperative
Wholesale is on the right road; for
it is only by the federation of local
groups of co-operators into state,
regional and finally a national or
ganization that cooperation in this
country can achieve the power and
accomplish the results that it has
in Europe.
PrOfiteering of Coal BarOrs Pro-
notes Cooperative Coal Mining
With the coal barons shutting
down their mines and again threat
ening national coal famine this
winter unless the people pay them
war prices and extortionate profits,
number of groups of workers and
co-operators are securing coal mines
and operating them comparatively,
not only to furnish a household
necessity at fair price, but also
to provide employment for miners
who would otherwise be out of
work. In West Virginia 1400 min
ers organized the Himler Corpora
tive Coal Company, and have sup
piled half million dollars to make
it a success. These co-operators
virtually own the entire town of
Himlerville, including a bank,
station to supply the homes of the
coal miners with electricity at cost.
Across the Tug River in Kentucky
the workers have organized the Nebo
American Coal Company on a CO.
operative basis, with a capital of
$4,000 wholly owned by the min
ers themselves. The cooperative
store at Boonville, Indiana, owns
it's own coal mine; and at Digger
in the same state another co-opera-
tive mine is producing 800 tons
daily.
The secretary of the All-Ameri-
can Cooperative Commission of
Washington, d. c., in a statement
issued to the press today, declares
that since coal. which is the very
basis of our economic life, is being
manipulated and monopolized for
the enrichment of a privileged few
at the expense of the entire nation,
we must have either cooperative
operation of the coal mines by the
workers themselves, or else COM
plete control and operation of the
mines by the federal and state
governments, in line with the plan
Just advocated by Governor Blame
of Wisconsin, Governor Frazier of
North Dakota. and the leaders of
other progressive states.
The average labor cost of mining
a ton of anthracite coal, which sells
for 1888, is only 1888; and in the
rich bituminous field surrounding
Birmingham. Alabama, coal which
costs but 1925 a ton at the mouth
of the mine sells for S8.75 in the
adjacent city. During the war one
coal company plundered the people
for as much as 1860 profit on the
capital invested in it's mines. while
many recent coal company dividends
exceed 1000. The powerful coal
barons have recently defeated all
attempts at regulation by congress.
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