Greenbelt cooperator. (Greenbelt, Md.) 1937-1954, 1940-11-07

and winter months useful period for consolida-
ton of the gains the cooperative has made here and
for Improvement OF the stores themselves to more
nearly Greenbelt's needs.
We shall point several problems confronting the
Greenbelt Consumer Services in the next few issues
of this paper. Above al ire work OF educati
needs attention, and it is with this consideration
that open inquiry.
In theory cooperative does need to
advertise, but it does carry consumer education
work with members and with outsiders and there real
ly is definite and serious difference between ad
vertising and educational work. In practice Green
belt Services, adverti sing to attract
business. This reflects the difference between
Greenbelt's cooperative and those in other coumuni
ties. host cooperatives of which Rochdale stores
in Washington are typical, begin with six eight
families buying groceries in case lots to save
failing costs. After several years of study and
perience and slow growth this neighborfood buying
unit opens full-f1edged grocery service station
still continuing the education which is
vital part of the cooperative movement.
Greenbelt Consumer Servic on the other hand,
cane very near to springing forth full grown. It's
entry into Greenbelt was accompanied, it is true,
by study and education, but at hest this
what haphazard, and recently has declined to the
di disappearing point. To prove our point let us ask
you to the Rochdale Principle of Cooperation.
Most cooperatives sell to their members rather
than to outsiders The Whole idea cooperation lies
distributing facilities of their to serve their
needs. In this way the store mana enent is able
to curb wastage and niscalculation whic make the
competitive system expensive. Thus direct cometi-
eliminated. But in Greenbelt large bulk of the
patrons non-members. The theater, for example
than half its attendance from people out
side of Greenbelt, and the local patronage is
probably not than 10 percent members.
This large group of non-members who use the
stores of Greenbelt Consumer Services carry wi tn
them the siboleths of competitive chain store buy
ing. They expect loss Leaders. They do not ask for
graded meat. They do ask for nationally adver-
tised brands" They would like credit and rome del
livery. They look for fashy ADVERT sements. They
think the employees are overpaid Our cooperative
education has touched them just enough make them
expect better products and better service for less
money. Until they take the trouble to study short
changing, short wei ching loWgrade substitntions,
slack filling, and labor Shaving practiced by
private competitive groceries they Will be dissat-
isfied wi It'll Rood Store.
One decision that Greenbelt Consumer Services
should make is whether they willing to
devote the effort needed to lake this town 100 per-
cent cooperative, whether they intend to sell
just to the cooperators enrolled, whether
they intend shape their selling policies for
members who buy locally.
Many former members of cooreratives in other
towns who have shares in Greenbelt Consume
Services still refer to HTheir" service in var
iety store instead of -FOUR" service in Variety
store. The for this is to be found in a
hasty Mo easy lessons" in cooperative edu-
cation here. There is solution, and of this
shall have to say next week.