Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1925-10-30
SPLENDID SHOWING MADE BY
FARMINGTON COOP SOCIETY
QUARTERLY REPORT JUST MADE

.r far District u, Illinois l. NJ. W.
ef \. with the assistance Of Neal
r5ompson. Secretary of the Farming
en- Illinois. Rochdale Cooperative
s.riaty has lust completed an audit
49, mat organization Tor the three
.stbs ending October 3, 1928. THIS
+. the AND quarterly report, indleat-
no tbat the storm has been IN opera
tIon cen and half years.
n shows that for the three months
ast ended, they made net profit OF
si.02429; paid interest on their snare
s,3 loan capital S64.33, the pro rata
of insurance which they PAID for the
.hree months amounted 10 $500; the
pro rata of taxes for the same period
amounted to S6S.69. They depre-
gia,ed their fixtures and trucks So2,1o;
fbeir total sales for the quarter were
S25.55l.25; their total resources are
sal l.lO5.9S. This saving of S4,024.49
will 20 back to the members OF that
zocietv. as savings that they have
made in the cost of their living,
through the ownership and operation
of their own store on the Rochdale
Cooperative basis.
This saving is not all that has been
accomplished by that society for the
fbree months. The fact that their
.tore is in operation in that little city
handling practically every line ~ot
merchandise that the workers need
and use in their everyday life, pre-
vents any combination of local mer-
chants from charging eXorbltant
prices.
IT is safe to say that as a result
of the more reasonable prices the
merchants in that city are compelled
to give to the people, because OF the
knowledge on their part that If they
charge prices that are unreasonable,
the people will go to the cooperative
store for their supplies, results In
saving for all the people in Farming
Ton. OF much more than what this say
ing shows, to the membership OF that
society. And this saving Is a very
substantial item to the workers ana
their families there.
The fact that this store has been
in continuous operation Tor ten anu
i half years, leaves no room Tor douot
whatever as to the practlcablllty oil the
operation of a Rochdale Cooperative
store for the workers in our country,
if they but inform themselves In
reasonable degree as To the practlcai
methods of operating such an lnstltu-
ton; buying, selling, bookkeeping,
auditing, etc.
The fact that the workers have
operated this store for ten and hall
wears, not only demonstrates that this
can be done by ordinary men every
where but that experience has raised
the standard of knowledge and un-
derstanding of the people in that com
munity in caring for their own busl-
ness affairs.
The Milk Producers Cooperative
Society of Minneapolis, Mimi, when
has been operating successfully over
five years, leaves no room Tor DOUBT
that practical business methods ap-
piled to cooperative production ana
distribution will result in similar
savings for the people in that respect;
besides, assuring the workers of hon
esty and fair dealing in their Jobs,
regard for their safety and health,
reasonable wages, hours and condi-
tions of employment, and treatment
as we'll. Ii also demonstrates conclus-
lively, that the workers themselves
with a reasonable effort can acquire
the knowledge, ability, means and
organization to do these things sue
cessfully.
The successful operation of so many
labor banks in our country, covering
such a long period of time, demon
Strates that the workers can operate
successfully, their own financial insu-
tutions as well, if they will only make
a serious effort to acquire reason
able degree of knowledge on these
subjects, and apply practical business
methods in their operation.
In Illinois there are something Ike
eighty stores operating successfully
on the Rochdale Cooperative basis,
scattered throughout the nation and
Canada, there are several hundreds
more Rochdale Cooperative insttu-
tions operating successfully, making
savings for their membership every
day of their lives, reducing the cost
of living, giving the workers an edu.
cation in the practical ecoomlcs of
everyday life and eXerting an lnilu-
ence continuously for the protection
and promotion of their interests IN
every sphere and activity.
This movement has the endorse
ment of the American Federation OF
Labor. Is recognized as part of the
legitimate activities of the organiza-
hons of working men and women IN
every country in the world. 1t per
haps requires closer application,
little greater knowledge than does any
other division of the workers move
ment, but the results accomplished
where these efforts are seriously
made, more than repays for the IN
vestment, when it Is operated. on a
practical, intelligent, honest basis. 1t
also strengthens the trade union move
ment in the work it has to do, II
makes for more intelligent political
activity on the part of the workers
and forms a basis through which the
women and farmers can work together
with the labor movement, to protect
themselves from the common enemies
and to promote the common interests.
1t has very great possibilities within