The labor world., 1922-04-08

a month before leaving. and nov
ly princely salary of $50 week
A survey Of cooperative enterprise
es in New York State has revealed
condition which are typical of the
movement throughout the world,
disclosing elements which would
make for failure or success just as
truly in California as on tho east
coast: or in England as in America,
and revealing clearly that it is the
spirit for cooperation which is the
most vital part of the undertaking.
There has been q decrease in the
number of cooperative stores in New
York during the last two. years, a
decrease which thOsa interested In
the movement believe has strength
ened it tremendously. A survey two
years ago showed 100 active cooper
atives in New York City alone. To-
day several Of these stores have been
discontinued. Out Of one group of
AZ all but three have suspended
operations and with a single excep-
ton those which were closed were
on an unstable business basis. The
one exception failed because of the
direct competition which was direct
ed against it by chain stores. One
aschain store was opened on one side
Of the cooperative and another chain
store on the other side and these two
Instituted such campaign of price
cutting that the cooperative was
forced to close it's doors. From the
- f,,1
operatives, others are profiting, i'm
proving their business administra-
tions and correcting policies which
is strengthening their own position
remarkably.
~. Thrive Best in New Yo~k
The five largest cooperative enter
prises in the state are all in New
York City, proving that community
spirit can be developed even in cities
where. the population is neither sta
tic nor homogeneous. These five to-
gether did a business last year
amounting. to $1,O00,O0O. The total
amount was fairly evenly divided be-
tween the five as is shown by the
fact that the largest of the institu-
: tions had $269,O0O on it's books for
the year.
This largest institution is the Fin
nish Cooperative Trading Associa-
tipn In Brooklyn, which has whole
sale bakery. a retail bakery, meat
store and poolroom. The build
ing which houses these industries
also contains a Finnish cooperative
restaurant and next door there is
Ia Finnish cooperative apartment
fhouse. Back Of these groups is the
/ tradition Of cooperation, for more
than so per cent of the trading in
4 tLeir home country is done on a CO.
operative basis. Americans are sue
cessful cooperators too as shown by
a chain of three cooperative restaur-
ants and a cooperative laundry,
which are in this group of five, the
other two in the group being a chain
of Jewish bakeries and another
chain Of Jewish butcher shops.
. Among the other large coopera-
, tives in the city are the Cooperative
Coal and Ice Distributing Associa-
tion in the Brownsville district of
Brooklyn, which was started last
year and did a business Of 100000
in its first year; ten different CO.
operative housing projects in New
York city in which between 80 and
40 families are concerned. and a
= score OF smaller enterprises through
out the state.
@& The Finnish Success
The story of the Finnish Coopera-
tive Trading association is an inter-
esting one as it wa described for
The Christian Science Monitor by
Louis B. Blatchly, cooperative organ
! izer for the New York state Depart
ment of Foods and Markets.
"The movement began" he says,
"in small coffee house started by
Finnish women. Then the men took
hold Of the plan. That was in 1913.
In June 1920, the present big build
ing was opened and now that has
been outgrown so that more land
has been bought and the headquar-
/. ters are to be enlarged.
j4& There are nearly 1000 members
In the association. Each has made
a minimum investment of SO. The
affairs of the association are carried
+ ON under the cooperative law OF the
4 State. Operating along the lines
laid down in the Rochdale system
y each member has one vote irrespec-
tEtiFe Of the amount OF stock he holds
a31d draws dividends according tc
kite percentage of buying he has
himself done In the stores. .rheE{as
III ~ tfOnS has for ii d iii anaEer Ctr