The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-12-14
AMERICAN COOPER
ATORS HEAR REPORT
ON RUSSIAN COOPS

Waukegan, Ill.-(FP)-Ad ADDRESSING
the 9th biennial congress of the Co.
operative League of the United States
a. Waukegan, the Russian fraternal
eelegate N. E. Sverdlov thanked the
american cooperators for the invita-
t1on to attend. AS representative OF
Sentrosoyus, the central coon of the
SOVIET Union, Sverdlov said:
represent country where the
cooperative movement is closely in.
CerWoyen with the labor movement as
d whole. The fact that your 5th CON
gfess recognized that the coonerative
and labor movements are insenarable
has strengthened the bonds of onr FRA
eelalal relations and will surely bring
ABOUT closer alliance between the
cooperative movements of America
Inc soviet cooperative system has
a membership of over 22,50O. 600 or
maintaining 85,028 stores. We serve
gained in 28,6OO consumer societies
oyer oyer half of the urban population and
~ per cent of the peasant households
Inc Centrosoyus is not onlv the
k,lI Iee department of the system
put the organizing center.
The gross turnover of the consun,.
ers cooperative system for the wear
ended ended Sept. 80, 1928 was S9.370. 6OO
OOU. In the preceding year the citv
populations made 64.5% of their to.
TAI purchases in coop stores and the
rural populations STAG.
Our coops handle 400 of the on.
TIRE productions of metal goods GEO.
OF leather and shoes, 1860 of r1,hbe,
goods oO%o of cotton textiles. $500
OF sugar and 5000 of salt. We handle
the entire tea business of the coun.
try We contract direct with the gov.
eminent factories and syndicates for
long terms to supply our stores. We
collected 128,000,000 bushels of GRAIN
the past year and large share of
meat, butter and eggs. Our prices
are 10 to 20%o lower on the averaoe
IMAM our private competitors.
Our cooperative system both colrs
ana buys IN foreign markets. The
principal sales are of furs, flax. fiber
eggs, grain and fish products. Pur-
cnases are mainly of tea, rice, ma
chlnery and other industrial eouin.
ment for our enterprises. In the pre.
ccedlng year our foreign sales were
SS3O,OOO,OOO, our purchases 500. OOO.-
UOO. We maintain close business re-
latlons with the wholesale coonera.
tive societies of Great Britain. France
Belglum, Austria, Czechoslovakia and
Hamburg. CIV
Our resources total S308 900 900
We operate flour mills, canneries' tea
and packing plants, fisheries, bake
RES, restaurants, cafetarias and cold
storage warehouses as well as stores
We aim to employ the most modern
methods of economy and efficiency
but withut exploiting our stats. We
maintain special high schools and col.
leges for training workers in cooper.
alton, publish books and magazines in
many languages, equip radio receiv-
ing rooms and Libraries, produce
movies and exhibit them in regular
theaters and on wheels throughout the
countryside. We spend S10,0OO,OOO q
year on nurseries and Fairgrounds for
the children of our members.
All cooperative matters engage
the liveliest participation of our mem
bers and we enjoy the support also
of the government, the trade unions
and other mass organizations of the
workers and peasants. The coopera-
tive consciousness of our membership
is guarantee of the healthy develop
ment of our movement.
"On behalf of the consumers coop
erative system of the Soviet Union ]
bring you fraternal greetings and
wish you the greatest success in the
American field"