The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-06-03

Hundreds of Little New
 Dealers Try Out The En- f terprise In Washington.
 Washington, June 3.-There seems to be no immediate prospect that the administration will officially promote consumer co-operatives, as some business men have feared.
 But hundreds of minor New Dealers, have taken the matter into their own hands and estab- lished a series of small but grow ing cooperative enterprises in the capital. This group includes a considerable number of employees of the several federal agencies, which in one way or another have had contact with phases of the cooperative movement in the last four years.
 Last year, when Roosevelt ap-
 pointed 8 committee of six to
 study the cooperative movement
 in Europe there was some dis
 turbance among American mer-
 chants and tradesmen who feared
 the committees study might be
 prelude to an active government
 program aimed at extending the
 movement in the United tSates.
 The committee has returned
 and made its report without any
 drastic recommendations. Some
 members urged the extending to
 consumer co-operatives the same
 kind of credit aid the government
 gives to farmers purchasing and
 marketing cO-Operatives. Estab-
 lishment of an information service
 for co-0peratives, similar on
 Small scale to what the Bureau
 of Foreign and Domestic Com
 merce is to industry, was recom-
 mended.
 No action has been taken on the reports, but they serve as 8 re- liable source of information, and to some extent have helped stim- ulate cooperative enterprises among Washingtonians in their position as consumers and private citizens.
 Turning Them Away
 The newest "co-ops" is the Rock dale Restaurant, Inc, behind whose establishment Chairman Jacob s. Baker of the presidents committee has been a moving spirit. More than a hundred persons subscribed to shares of stock and opened it at central spot within a block of the State Department, Interior Depart ment, WPA, PWA, SEC, the Social Security Board and other govern ment agencies. It has been turning people away and plans to expand.
 Operating on Rochdale co-opera- tive principles, it sells shares of stock at $5, limits purchases to 40 shares per member, allows but one vote per number, can pay a maxi mum 4 per cent dividend on shares, returns most of the profits to pa- irons and pays union Uages.
 The Washington Consumers Club has 4SO dues paying mem bers. Its aims and activities in- clude promotion of co-Operatives and legislation for consumer pro- lection. cooperative library and local news service, public meet. ings, arrangements for club dis counts on member purchases of milk. fuel, jewelry, books and mems clothing and affiliation with a cooperative mail order house in New York.
 There is a coop grocery store which serves buying units in diff ferent sections of Washington and suburbs, with shares held by about 175 members. Selected gas oline. and oil are sold by another incorporated cooperative, which has about 300 members and re- gently paid patronage refund of 8 per cent after six months of operation. The Coop Fashion Shop has blossomed out ill the same block with the REC building and advertises well tailored coats, suits, toppers, dresser, millinery" Credit Unions Organized
 At least three groups within the government are promoting co-opera- tive housing projects.
 About 8S cooperative credit
 unions have been organized,
 mostly. under the federal credit
 union law. There's cooperative
 insurance for sale and a large
 number of cooperative ventures
 appear to be in the planning or
 discussion stage.
 Government agencies with CO., operative phases include: Farm Credit Administration, which has banking facilities for farmer pur- chasing and marketing co-ops and fosters and helps organize credit unions. Bureau of Labor Statis- tics, which collects co-op statis- tics,. is now making a national survey of consumer coop activ- ities and houses the Consumers Project which has worked out model state and federal co-opera- tive laws. Rural Electrification Administration, which helps or ganize co-operatives among farm CTS for purchase of electric power. Resettlement Administration, which has organized consumer co-ops in Resettlement communities. WPA, which still has a small self-help CO., operative section and once started several producer consumer co-ops of that type. AAA Consumers CounA sel's office. which has issued di- rectory of cooperative information and services by the government and other co-Up information. IVA which is experimenting with the idea in the Tennessee Valley. Copyright, 1887, NEA Service, Incl