Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1944-09-22
Labor Needs


the OnlLeu OldIeS, nave Deen
disinherited. We own the
clothes on our backs, our fur
niture, perhaps a car or a
small bank account. But the
great productive resources of
America, the factories, mines
and railroads which we built
and paid for, are owned by an
ever smaller privileged group.
Even our farms, traditional
stronghold of individualism,
are increasingly owned by
great banks and insurance
companies and worked by
tenants.
Ownership is no idle ques-
ton of who holds an en-
graved deed. 1t determines
whether our economy is to be
run for abundance and full
employment, or for scarcity
and private profit. 1t deter
mines whether we have pro-
gressive or reactionary laws,
for money and property speak
louder in Washington than
labored letters from little
people.
Restoring ownership to the
common man is the crucial
task which faces America to-
day. A swiftly growing move
ment of workers and farmers,
consumer cooperation, is be-
ginning this task of restoring
ownership. Today co-ops own
III factories, mills and re-
fineries producing wide
range of products. Peace
fully and quietly they expand
their share of the economy,
buying a cannery here, build
ing an oil refinery there,
weaving them into a pattern
of plenty.
EARNINGS RETURNED
The earnings from these
plants, together with local
earnings, are returned to the
consumer through his local
cooperative. 1t is not uncom-
mon for the member of an
efficient cooperative store or
gas station to receive a refund
of SO of the amount of his
purchases. This is the over
charge on what he bought,
which would be profit in pri-
vate business.
The local cooperative is
democratically controlled by
its members, each of whom
has one vote, and it in turn
controls cooperative whole
sales and factories. Control of
the dollars we spend through
cooperatives is the logical
compliment to control of the
dollars we earn through labor
unions. If we have only con-
troll of earnings, pay increases
are quickly robbed in price
increases.
When Work k ers organize
both as producers and con-
sumers, they control real
wages. They can fatten the
pay envelope with one hand,
and roll back prices with the
other. For this reason, organ
lied labor and cooperatives
have worked closely together
ever since % weavers founded
the first cooperative just 100
years ago in Rochdale, Eng
land.
CONTROLLED QUALITY
Co-ops troll not only
price, but quality. Wherever
possible they use United
States Government grade Ia
bells to give exact quality in
formation. This idea, intro
duced by co-ops, was bitterly
fought in Congress last year
when Gamers and advertisers
shrieked socialism" because
o. P, A. proposed to tell us
the truth about what we buy.
Co-ops have no motive to
give shoddy merchandise or
misrepresent quality to mem
ber-ownerS.
Yet the profit motive has
lead to national distribution
of worthless and even harm
full products-common chem
icals worth a few cents
pound bally-hooed at ancy
prices under catchy names,
and sweet-smelling concoc-
tions guaranteed to cure aw-
full new diseases unknown to
medical science. Plain and
fancy lying in four color ligh-
ography has been rechristened
creating demand" and palm
ed off as a sacred part of the
American way of life.
When they finally brought me
out of it ] discovered that l
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