White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1923-12-28
American Cooperative
Societies Growing Fast
(From The Thrift Magazine)

i ne dSSeTIlOIl, UdSGu Oh govern
mental figures, that the producers
tons of the world are annually buy
ing and selling commodities largely
foodstuffs) exceeding $S00,00O,000 in
value, calls attention to the present
power and Influence of the coopera-
tive movement, particularly in the
United States, says writer in The
Thrift Magazine.
In England it is said the Coopera-
tors Society has 100000 members,
selling and buying practically every
commodity, without the aid Of mid
dlemen.
1t is not known how many mem
bers the thousands of societies Of all
types in the United States contain,
but the number is believed to be
close to one million, and it is prob
able that the amount of business
done in dollars and cents will annual
ly reach between three and five
hundred million.
1t is we'll known that the societies
Of Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska and
Wisconsin do a business in each state
far exceeding $1,000,0OO a year. In
10 different states totals of more
than million have been reported
as the annual volume of business.
In IL states the sales average over
100000 per society. In only seven
states, in which government figures
have been obtained, does the average
fall below $4,000 per society. The
government figures indicate that
among the societies reporting the an
nual business averages about 1918
per member, but it is not known
whether these sales are only to
members exclusively.
In Minnesota A per cent of the
farmers use cooperative selling or
CARNATIONS. In South Dakota the
percentage is ~ of the total of the
farms in the state; in Nebraska it
is rs; Wisconsin, %; North Dakota,
%; California, 81; Kansas, 20; and
Iowa, 20. The federal census figures
also show that more than per cent
of the farmers in the country are
purchasing supplies through their CO.
operative associations.
Kansas and Nebraska are the lead
ing states from cooperative point
Of view as respects numbers of So
cieties. Kansas has 15.5 per cent of
the total in the United States.
The farmers grain elevator is op-
Grating extensively in the central
and northwest. There are about
5000 of these cooperative elevators
in existence in the country. Most
of them have been built within the
last 20 years.
In Kansas the State Branch of
Farmers unions has nearly 700 locals
formed within the last Is years.
These unions run elevators, stores,
and many other organizations They
are said to do business in excess
of $150,O00,000 year. About 600
cooperative societies in Kansas do
an annual business of close to $780,
100000.
Another interesting form Of con-
sumers' cooperation in the United
States Is seen in the farmers fire
insurance companies, of which there
are about 1000 of the mutual type,
carrying insurance in excess of five
and a half billion dollars ON property
vo Inn of oh Il loJln
This insurance is carried it is said,
at one-half the rate charged by com
mercial companies.
A unique cooperative movement in
the United States was started some
years ago in New York City. 1t con-
ducts schools which are organized,
owned and administered by the stu
dents. The students are the con
sumers, who hire the teachers who
work absolutely under the direction
of the students. These institutions
are said to be very successful and
have shown marked progress
The upward swing of the present
cooperative movement began about
1890, when few cooperative grain
elevators appeared in the Central
West. Next came cooperative cream
cries and cheese factories, also fruit
growers organizations. The latter
appeared in California as early as
1885. Later fruit and truck ex-
changes began to appear in the East.
Cooperative shipping of livestock be-
gan in Illinois in 1899.
The greatest results in cooperative
organization work have been attained
since 1910. Only recently has the
federal government taken much cog.
nizance Of the development, but In
the future it will be necessary for
both city, state and federal census
bureaus to record all possible lnfor-
nation regarding cooperative organ
izations.