Evening star., 1923-08-28
FINDS BIC GROWTH
IN C0-0PERAT|VES
Huston Thompson, Back
From European Investiga-
tion. Firmer for System.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.


Huston Thompson. member of the
| federal trade commission, returned
to Washington today after a three
months investigation of cooperative
marketing in Europe. He finds steady
progress there of the movement to
which American farmers and con-
sumers are giving increasingly close
attention. 1t may be one of the
| paramount issues in politics in 1924.
| President Harding. in one of his
western speeches, foreshadowed that
co-operat tive buying and selling
! schemes are bound to demand federal
attention sooner or later. They go
to the root of the cost-of- f-living prob
lem. which, after all. is closer to the
| thoughts-and pocket-of the, people
than all high h-sounding political issues
put together.
Movement Grows in L. $.
| The cooperative movement is in
! formidable progress in the United
States. Senator Capper says it's oper-
! to a billion dollars. About one mil
! lion people are affiliated with CO.
! operative selling organizations. in
ciuding raisers of live stock, wheat.
4
tables and eggs. The California cit
rus-fruit growers have a powerful CO.
operative concern. In 1919, the last
year for which official figures are
available, co-operative tradings to-
Mr. Thompson. the Colorado demo-
cratic progressive whom Woodrow
Wi son doomed" for Senator Nichol-
sons vacated seat last spring. began
his European inquiries at Rochdale.
! England, the birthplace of the coop
erative movement. He was accom-
panied by DR.. William Notz. head of
the foreign division of the Federal
Trade Commission.
Were Received Cordially.
During my survey of the co-opera-
tive movement" said MIR. Thompson to
this writer. Il visited the British Isles.
Denmark Sweden, Finland. Esthonia.
Latvia. Czechosiovakia, Lithuania, Po-
land. Germany. Italy and France. All
cooperative societies gave US free ac-
cess TO their books and financial state
ments and permitted US TO inspect
their plants, either by ourselves or
with them as guides, They pointed
points. concealing nothing and trying
only TO make the whole movement per-
fectly clear.
One thing that greatly impressed
' us is that a II these countries are max
ing special efforts TO become self-sup-
porting and economically independent.
With export and import tariffs. they
are giving great encouragement to
noticeable at the Gothenburg fair.
where the growth of industry and arts
in Sweden was displayed. 1t seems
that the Swedes make practically
everything they use in the way of a
manufactured article. The rates of eX-
change are also forcing the growth of
home industry throughout Europe
BacN TO Soil Trend.
I'm states such as Finland, Estho-
MIA. Latvia and CZechslovakia,
where energetic efforts i'll reconstruc-
ton are going on, the governments
are leaning heavily on the farmers
.co-oprrative crganiza tions Is mediums
to forward their efforts. There is a
very distinct and apparently success
ful back to the soil movement in
! 1t is one of the most encourage ing
! signs of the times that we observed.
! In nearly all countries the city
or consumer co-operatIVeS do not seek
or want government help. All they
desire is a fair field to work in. In
| fact. the co-operatives in both town
| and country seem to take the initia
, tive in all that they do and the gov
ernments follow their lead. The
societies have already been confronted
with the dangers of overstanda r6li :
atom consequent upon mass produc-
! tion. They say free play must be
given to peoples tastes. In Switzer-
! land, for example. one shoe factory
makes more than $50 different styles.
Yet fnds 1t necessary to go out and
buy other styles for their consumers.
Competition Stil Exists.
! Europe has found, as we shall find.
! that the co-operativeS do not DESTROY
| competition. The movement will
! stimulate competition and has done
! SO. When the co-opera tives are buy
ing or manufacturing for the use of
| their members they do not take or
! they sell to their members or buy
J for them they insist on reasonabl
prices. They can do both. for the co.
! operatives are in most countries the
! largest single business units and can
! dominate the market"
! Mr.. Thompson was asked whether
! il is conceivable that the co-opera-
! tive movement in this country of vast
! purchasing power might some day
absorb the entire buying public.
! "Europe'S experience" he replied.
| does not foreshadow such develop
/ ment. 1t is not thinkable in this age,
| despite the success and size of some
| OF the consumers cooperative organ
/ izations, that they will account on
the average for more than third of
| the buying community, except in iso-
! lated instances. l am convinced the
| effect of the presence of the coop
eratives in the market place will be to
| keep prices normal and to maintain
| at a high quality those goods ir
| which they deal. Otherwise ever
| greater numbers will turn to the CO.
! operatives.
!; There is a strong economic inter
(, national spirit and feeling of broth
! erly attitude in all the European CO.
| operative organizations. They keer
| in close touch with one another's ac-
l