The source of this uncorrected OCR text may be viewed in the DjVu format at: http://fax.libs.uga.edu/HD2951xC776/co26 or http://purl.galileo.usg.edu/ugafax/HD2951xC776/co26 CO-OPERATION PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY The Co-operative League of U. S. A. VOLUME XII January—December 1926 •f CO-OPERATIVE LEAGUE OF U. S. A. 167 West 12th Street, New York City 1926 INDEX A Accounting, Cost ................................................................ 56 Adams, Mass. .......................-...........••••••••••-•••••••••••••••..•.•• 122 Agricultural Societies in France................................................... 29 Alanne, V. S. ................................................................203, 228 Alberta Co-operative League ...................................................... 192 Alien, Thomas ................................................................... 213 Amalgamated Credit Union .....................................................73, 175 American Consumers' Alliance ..................................................... 156 American Institute of Co-operation................................................ 171 Annual Financial Eeport of Co-operative League.................................... 217 Auditing Bureau .............................................................. 44, 76 Auditing Dept., Kansas Farmers' Union............................................ 94 Auditing Not Enough ............................................................ 26 B Bakery, Co-operative .......................................................... 13, 61 Banks, Co-operative ...........................................................63, 74 Banks, Labor .............................................................27, 49, 188 Bankers and Christians .......................................................... 45 Bankers Unfriendly to Co-operative Banks........................................... 53 Bearcreek, Montana .............................................................. 194 Belmont, Mass. .................................................................. 122 Benld, Illinois ................................................................... 110 Bergengren, Eoy F. ..........................................................205, 229 Berlin Co-operative Theatre ....................................................... 191 Blaha, Joseph ................................................................... 3 Bjorkman, C. E. ................................................................. 139 Blackwell, A. S. ................................................................. 139 Blauvelt, A. LaT. ................................................................ 69 Bohemian Co-operators in U. S..................................................... 3 Book Eeviews ..........................................15, 116, 126, 136, 177, 195, 224 Book-shop, Co-operative .......................................................... 157 Books for Christmas Sale......................................................... 216 Brady, Peter J. ................................................................. 27 Branch, E. E. .....................:............................................. 229 Bread Consumers' Dollar ......................................................... 209 Bread Trust ..................................................................... 13 Breth, J. A. ..................................................................... 118 Bristol, Ct. ...................................................................... 124 British Congress Eesolution Against War........................................... 132 British Co-operative Problems .................................................... 25 British Co-operatives . . ........................................................ 34, 192 British Co-operatives Help Towns.................................................. 105 British Co-operative Employment .................................................. 71 British Labor Leader on Co-operation.............................................. 50 British Strikes . . . ............................................................... 131 Brookhart, Smith W. ............................................................. 205 Brooklyn Workers Home .......................................................... 76 Brownsville Bakery .............................................................. 62 Building Loan Association ........................................................ 177 Burandt, F. F. ............................................................... 206, 230 Business Methods, Sound ......................................................... 44 INDEX Page Camp, A Co-operative ........................................................ 173, 223 Cambridge, Mass. ..................................................-••••••••••••• 122 Canadian Co-operative Union ................................................... 26, 192 Capital, Co-operative, Helps Private Business........................................ 109 Cartoon Contest ..............................................................-18, 158 Central States Co-operative League........................................ 135, 158, 198 Chain Store Profits .............................................................. 112 Cheel, M. W. ...............................................................-147, 162 Cherry Valley, Pa., E. E. & E. C. Association......................................... 76 Christopher, HI., Co-op. Undertaking Assn........................................... 157 Churches on Co-operation ......................................................... Ill Classes in Co-operative Societies, All............................................... 144 Cleveland, O., Czecho-Slovak Co-operatives........................................... 74 Clifton, N. J. .................................................................... 124 Clinton, Mass. ...............................................................110, 123 Cloquet, Minn. ................................................................... 141 Coal, British: How About Co-operation............................................. 169 Coal, Cost of .................................................................... 126 Coal, How Co-operatives Save on ............. 1..................................... 50 Coal Mine, Shilbottle ............................................................. 10 Colleges, A Trip Among N. E...................................................... 160 Combinations, Large ............................................................. 84 Commercialism in Co-operative Movement........................................... 106 Compagnie Nationale du Ehone .................................................... 108 Competitors, Co-operate with Your ................................................. 84 Compulsory Co-operation ......................................................... 26 Conference of Eastern Societies..................................................... 97 Congress, Fifth ...............................91, 133, 161, 167, 185, 202, 207, 226, 228 Consumers' Co-op. Credit Union ................................................... 76 Contests Among School Children.................................................... 86 Contrasts, Co-operative ........................................................... 147 Co-operation and the Labor Movement.............................................. 229 Co-operation in the U. S. ..................................................... .226, 227 Co-operation Pays for Minnesota Highways......................................... 129 Co-operative Central Exchange .............................................. 33, 55, 113 Co-operative Home Builders in N. Y................................................ 22 Co-operative Housing De Luxe .................................................... 222 Co-operative Educational Association .............................................. 31 Co-operative League . . .......................................................... 226 Co-operative League Officers ................................................... 230, 231 Co-operative Marketing, Principles and Practices of.......................... 94, 210, 224 Co-operative Theatre . . ...................................................... 106, 191 Co-operative Beview, The ......................................................... 193 Co-operative Union of Great Britain............................................... 109 Corporation Versus Co-operation in Cost of Coal..................................... 126 Correspondence File ............................ 17, 18, 38, 58, 79, 99, 118, 138, 199, 239 Cost Accounting System .......................................................... 56 Cotterill, A. E. .................................................................. 229 Course of Development of Socialism (Book Eeview)................................. 116 Creamery, Co-operative (Waukegan) ............................................... 82 Creamery, Franklin Co-operative (Minneapolis)...........32, 55, 72, 95, 106, 148, 182, 228 Credit Union, National, Extension Bureau .......................................... 229 Credit Unions ..............................................12, 53, 73, 76, 95, 175, 229 Critcliley, Joseph ................................................................ 225 Curing Ills with Bills. ............................................................ 44 C. W. S. Jubilee in New York...................................................... Ill Czecho-Slovak Co-operatives in Cleveland, O. ........................................ 74 INDEX D Danish Co-operative Bank ......................................................... 50 Davies, John E., Speaks on Co-operation............................................. 4 Debs, Eugene ................................................................... 225 Dillonvale, O. .................................................................... 1 Directors' Page ................................................. .14, 34, 159, 179, 218 Disarmament, The Need for Total.................................................. 153 Discipline Among Co-operative Workers ............................................. 125 District Leagues .................................35, 55, 75, 95, 113, 158, 178, 197, 228 Dollar Distribution ............................................................... 176 Eastern States Co-operatives .................................. .55, 75, 97, 114, 121, 197 Economics, Co-operative .......................................................... 89 Educational Campaign at Waukegan............................................... 215 Educational Work at Minneapolis............................................... 72, 95 Electric Light and Power, Co-operative. ............................................ 93 Electric Transmission, Farmers' .................................................. 13 Emme, J. F. ..................................................................... 119 Employment in Non-Profit Business................................................ 71 Endowment Fund, League ........................................................ 117 Epstein, Abraham ............................................................... 175 Failures Among Co-operatives.................................................. 110, 112 Fairhope, Ala. ................................................................... 75 Fake Co-operative League ...................................................... 94, 157 Farmer-Labor Summer School ..................................................... 156 Farmer, Living Wages for......................................................... 155 Farmer Viewpoint on Co-operation................................................. 87 Farmers As Co-operators ......................................................... 7 Farmers, Co-operative, in Oklahoma................................................. 174. Farmers' Co-operative Wholesale in Nebraska....................................... 52 Farmers In Eevolt ............................................................... 214 Farmers' Mutual Telephone, Washington........................................... 41 Farmers of Alberta .............................................................. 187 Farmers' Organizations .......................................................... Ill Farmers Union Mutual Life Insurance Co........................................... 92 Farmers Win Fight for Bank ..................................................... 176 Fascist Government, Protest to .................................................... 74 Fascist Persecution, Eesolution on ................................................. 52 Fascisti, Does Mexico Have Its..................................................... 109 Fat and Lean Years in Co-operative Movement....................................... 105 Financing Co-operative Housing ................................................... 223 Finland, Co-operators in .......................................................... 108 Finnish Co-operative Courses ...................................................... 113 Finnish Co-operative Trading Assn. ................................................ 13 First Co-operative Convention, 1914................................................ 210 Fitchburg, Mass. ...................................................... 32, 68, 102, 123 Foreign News ........................................9, 50, 70, 108, 131, 162, 191, 212 Fraley, Edgar S. ................................................................. 79 Franklin Co-operative Creamery ........................ 32, 55, 72, 95, 106, 148, 182, 228 Franklin Women's Guild ...................................:..................... 176 French Co-operative Societies ...................................................... 29 Fundamentals, Getting Close to the................................................. 224 INDEX Page INDEX K Page Gardner, Mass., United Co-operative Society......................................... 77 Gasoline, Co-operative ............................................................ 112 German Cities Join Co-operative Societies........................................... 125 German Industrial Productive Societies............................................. 1-54 Germany, Consumers' Co-op. Movement in........................................... 137 Get-Eich-Quick Co-operators ....................................................... 95 Giant Power Under Co-operative Control............................................ 108 Gide, Charles ................................................................133, 209 Goss, Albert S. ...............................................................203, 231 Governed, It Costs Us a Lot to Be.................................................. 86 Government and Co-operative Control .............................................. 108 Government to Supply Pood ....................................................... 45 Graham, James D. ............................................................... 214 Grange Exchange, N". Y........................................................... 72 Grange, Washington ...........:......................-........................ 148, 162 Greenhead, England .............................................................. 193 Grocers, Lots of ................................................................. 208 H Halonen, George .............................................................204, 229 Halten, Olaf ..................................................................... 206 Harrisville, E. I. ................................................................. 123 Herron, L. S. ..................................................................58, 87 Highways, Minnesota ............................................................ 129 Hillsboro Co-operative Association, Illinois.........................:................ 193 History, Making ................................................................. 210 Holmes, Emil .................................................................... 18 Housing Bill ..................................................................64, 73 Housing, Co-operative (N. Y.) ...........................................21, 23, 78, 222 Huddersfield, England ............................................................ 192 Hull, J. T. ...................................................................... 230 Ideal Co-operative Society ......................................................... 213 Illinois Miners . . ............................................................... 193 Illinois Societies . . .......................................................... 149, 157 Income Tax ..................................................................... 53 Industrial Arts Co-operative ...................................................... 69 Installment Business ............................................................. 16G Institute of Co-operation .......................................................... 171 Insurance . . ........................................... .............54, 92, 154, 229 International Co-operative Congress ............................................ 230, 234 International Co-operative School ................................................. 92 International Co-operative Women's Guild.......................................... 152 International Co-operators' Day ............................................... 103, 130 Iowa Farmers' Union ......................................................... 149, 174 Italy, Co-operative Movement In.................................................. 4, 125 Jaeggi, Bernhard ................................................................ 70 Jardine, W. M. .................................................................. 187 Johnson, Geo. J. ................................................................. 113 Journalism, Good ................................................................ 32 Kansas Farmers Union ........................................................... 94 Keen, Geo. ...........................................................-26, 44, 228,232 Keeney, Pres., Neb. Farmers Union................................................ 225 Labor and Capital Co-operate ..................................................... 194 Labor and Co-operative Movement ................................... <............. 229 Labor Bank on Wrong Side....................................................... 188 Labor Becoming Less Militant, Is................................................. 175 Labor Leader on Producers' and Consumers' C. M................................ 127, 146 Labor Party On Co-operation ..................................................... 10 Landauer, Walter ..................'.............................................. 58 Lavergne, Bernard ............................................................... 29 Laws ....................................................................11, 26, 31 Leaders, Why Have We Lost Those................................................. 165 Lectures, At Co-operative Educational Assn., Bklyn. ................................. 64 Lecturing, I Go A................................................................ 150 Leomiuster, Mass. ............................................................... 123 Les Co-operatives de Consommation en France........................................ 29 Liberty . . ...................................................................... 24 Life Insurance ........................................................54, 92, 154, 229 Life, Not Wages ................................................................ 65 Lindeman, E. C. ................................................................. 6 Literature, Sale of Co-operative.................................................... 209 Litho Credit Union .............................................................. 77 Loan Association, Building ........................................................ 177 Long, C. .............4, 5, 26, 46, 65, 86, 106, 126, 145., 165, 188, 202, 208, 210, 225, 230 M McNary-Haugen Bill ............................................................. 44 Maiden, Mass., Progressive Workmen's Credit Union................................. 95 Management, Store ................................................ 14, 34, 44, 179, 218 Managers' Conference ............................................................ 186 Malmgren, Carl ................................................................. 118 Manitoba Co-operative Wheat Producers.........................................214, 230 Marketing, Co-operative ................................................... 94, 196, 229 Maspeth, N. Y. .................................................................. 124 Maynard, Mass., United Co-op. Society............................................. 77 Meddling, Some More Official...................................................... 50 Mercer, T. W. ................................................................ 10, 138 Mexico, In ...................................................................... 51, 109 Middleman, The ........................................ .^ ...................... 13, 187 Milk, Co-operative ...........'................................................. 106, 182 Milk, Uncomplicated ............................................................ 104 Milk Wagon Drivers' Union....................................................... 65 Mill, Co-operative ................................................................ 162 Mine Disaster ................................................................... 234 Minnesota and Its Many Co-operatives.............................................. 182 Moore, U. G. ..................................................................46, 118 Morann, Pa., Co-operative Association.............................................. 76 Morrow, Should We Take Thought of the.......................................... 25 Movies .....................................................................223, 231 Mussolini . . .................................................................. 9 Muste, A. J. ..................................................................... 66 INDEX N Page Nearing, Scott ................................................................... 38 Nebraska Farmers Union State Exchange........................................... 52 New Co-operative Co. ............................................................. 2 New England Co-operatives ....................................................... 122 New Era Association ..........................................................54, 229 New Haven, Ct. ................................................................. 124 New York Co-operatives .......................................................... 31 • Niemela, W. ...................................................................3, 199 Nitgedaiget, Camp ............................................................... 173 Nordby, H. I. ................................................................203, 228 Northern States Co-operative League..................35, 75, 114, 135, 158, 178, 1&5-, 198 Norwood, Mass., United Co-op. Society.............................................. 78 Nova Scotia Miners Flock to Co-operation.......................................... 51 Nurmi, H. V. .................................................................... 228 0 Oberoutcheff, C. M. .............................................................. 17 Oerne, Anders ................................................................... 51 Official, The Co-operative ......................................................... 25 Ohio Co-operative Banks Among the First.......................................... 1, 2 Oklahoma . ..................................................................... 174 Pascoag, R. I. ................................................................... ... Passaic Strikers Aided ........................................................... 174 Paterson, N. J. .................................................................. 124 Patronage Dividends . . .......................................................... 155 Patronage Voting . . ............................................................. 188 Penetrating Co-operative Jungle .................................................. 122 Pittsfield, Mass. ................................................................. 122 Place of Producers' and Consumers' Movement...................................... 6 Poisson, Ernest .................................................................. 116 Poland . . ....................................................................... 71 Political Neutrality .............................................................. 93 President's Address .............................................................. 226 Prices, Reducing ................................................................. 212 Producers' and Consumers' Co-operative Movement...... 5, 6, 27, 46, 66, 87, 106, 127, 146, 189, 232 Producers' Co-operative Industries in U. S. ......................................... 215 "Produktion" . . ............................................................... 154 Profitable Industry .............................................................. 224 Progressive Workmen's Credit Union............................................... 95 Prosperity, Is the Auto an Index of................................................ 224 Punishing Our Bad Co-operators................................................... 145 Questions on Co-operative Movement................................................ 9 R Kansom, F. W. .................................................................. 230 Eecreation . . . .................................................................. 159 Eecreation, with Co-op. Housing. ................................................... 223 Eegli, W. E. ................................................................ -228, 235 Eeno, Milo ...................................................................... 229 Resolutions ...............................................................52, 93, 230 INDEX Eestaurants . . .....................-••••••..•••••-•••.••••••••••..••..•..•.•..••. 12 Retail Stores Fail ................................................................ 112 Eoanoke, Illinois ................................................................ 193 Bonn, Eskel .................................................................204, 229 Russia ..............................................................38, 94, 172, 213 Sagamore, Mass. ................................................................. 123 Sales, Increase of ................................................................ 24 Saylesville, R. I. ................................................................. 123 School, A Consumers' Co-operative..............................................31, 113 School, International Co-operative .................................................. 92 School, Summer .................................................................. 156 Seattle, Wash. ................................................................... 162 Seward, Gertrude C. .............................................................. 169 Shilbottle, Eng., Coal Mine........................................................ 10 Shortening Working Hours ....................................................... 11 Siegler, A. A. ................................................................... 229 Single Tax ..................... ............................................... 75 Socialism, Development of ........................................................ 116 Soo Society Passes Half Million Mark.............................................. 93 So. Framingham, Mass. .......................................................... 123 Sparta, 111. ...................................................................... 157 Stafford Springs, Ct., Workers' Co-op. Union........................................ 77 Statement of Co-operative League.......:.......................................... 57 Statistics . . .......................................................... 94, 95, 110, 135 Stockholders' Control ............................................................ 208 Stoike, Carl ..................................................................... 15 Students' Beading List .......................................................... 213 Subscription Contest Winner ...................................................... 33 Success Turned to Failure......................................................... 144 Summer School .................................................................. 156 Surplus in 1925 ................................................................. 105 Sweden Has a, Co-operative Postmaster General...................................... 51 Swiss Co-operative Societies ...................................................... 70 Tax Collector on the Escutcheon................................................... 85 Taxes Saved for Miners' Co-operative.............................................. 53 Telephones, Co-operative ....................................................... 42, 52 Tenhunen, Matti ................................................................. 204 Terryville, Ct. ................................................................... 123 Theatre, Co-operative ........................................................ .106, 191 Toksvig, P. K. .................................................................. 79 Tombstone Inscription ........................................................... 71 Town, Co-operators Help the. ...................................................... 10-5 Trade Unionists Become Capitalists................................................ 65 Trade Unionists, Duty of......................................................... 50 Turnover of Merchandise ............................................... .... 179 238 Twenty-weeks Clubs ............................................................. 34 U Undertakers . . .................................................. 157 United Co-operatives .................................................. .. ... - 75 United Workers' Co-op. Assn. (N. Y. C.) ......................................... 222 Utica, N. Y., Co-operative Society.................................................. 78 INDEX Page V Voting . . ....................................................................... 188 W Wage System ................................................................... 133 Wages and Dividends on the N. Y. Times........................................... 216 Walker, John H. ............................................................. 127, 146 Wall Street Paper on Capitalism.................................................. 85 War, Eesolution Against ......................................................... 132 Warbasse, A. D. ................................................................. 29 Warbasse, J. P. ........25, 26, 45, 6S, 85, 105, 125, 144, 150, 166, 187, 202, 209, 224, 226 Ward, Gordon H. .........................................................38, 106, 171 Warinner, A. W. ..................................................2, 189, 203, 228, 239 Warning, Timely ................................................................ 210 Water Power .................................................................... 108 Waukegan, Illinois ........................................................ 32, 82, 215 What Cheer, Iowa ............................................................... 194 What it Means for Telephone Users to Co-operate.................................... 42 Wheat . . ....................................................................... 235 Wholesales, Co-operative ...................................33, 52, 54, 75, 111, 162, 174 Wildbrandt, E. .................................................................. 116 Winchendon, Mass. ............................................................... 123 Women Keal Co-operators in Bussia................................................. 172 Women's Guild .......................................................... 152, 172, 176 Woodland, Wash. ................................................................ 148 Workers' Co-op. Union, Stafford Springs, Ct......................................... 77 Y Year Book ....................................................................18, 230 Young, Owen D. ................................................................. 224 CHJIOTION A magazine to spread the knowledge of the Co-operative Movement, whereby the people, in voluntary association, produce and distribute for their own use the things they need. Published Monthly by THE CO-OPERATIVE LEAGUE 167 West 12th Street, New York City J. P. WARBASSE, Editor Entered as Second Class matter, December 19, 1917, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of VOL. XII, No. 1 JANUARY, 1926 10 CENTS .1' The largest 'business block in Dillonvale, Ohio, a mining town of about 1500 people, is one of the pieces of real estate owned by the New Co-operatwe Company. At the right of the picture is tJie space occupied by the railroad company, which rents its ticket office, waiting room and baggage room from the Co-operators. At the extreme left, barely discernible in thte photograph, is the headquarters of The First National Sank of Dillonvale, which also pays rent to the Co-operative Company. Between the banh and the railroad, office are the entrances to the three centra^ilW Kii Uf—Ji^Co-operative: the grocery store,' the butcher shop, and tlie general storj^fofc sa^'df^f^^ods, shoes, clothing and house The second story over tlf'se stores is also used og the last-named department. LIBRARY CO-OPERATION An Ohio Co-operative Ranks Among the First in the Country "P\ID you ever hear of Dillonvale, Ohio? Perhaps some of you can vaguely recall having heard it briefly mentioned in some co-operative publication or meeting in the past but most of you never heard of it before. And it is the home of one of the strongest and most successful co-operative store societies in America. . Dillonvale is a little mining town tucked away among the hills of Eastern Ohio. Here a group of some four hundred Bohemian miners have attained a degree of success in the development arid operation of their own co-operative business enterprises that entitles this little town to be designated as one of the most important points on the co-operative map of this country. They have been content, however, to spend their time and talents entirely in quietly and diligently building up and firmly establishing their movement rather than shouting their success from the house-tops. They have gone about this task in such a matter of fact way and with so little bluster or ostentation that they have attracted very little attention from the outside world, co-operative or otherwise, and. they have not sought the meager publicity their efforts have received in the past. The store was started in 1908 when thirty Bohemian miners got together and decided they were going to have a co-operative store regardless of how small it might be and in spite of difficulties that confronted them. They each contributed $10 to the original capital after which they proceeded to gather, from whatever source they could, the material with which to erect a store building. By having each member donating his time arid labor on Sundays and days when the mines were idle, they soon had a small building constructed. In fact, it was a very small building and could in no way lay claim to architectural beauty or grandeur but it was their own and that fact compensated for many other deficiencies. While the building was under construction they were gradually adding to their membership and capital and by the time it was completed they were able to purchase the few' essential items of equipment which they could not build with their own hands, and a small stock of groceries. The first year's sales amounted to $4,000. To-day, their sales far exceed that amount every week in the year, their monthly average for this year being approximately $25,000. The Company owns five pieces of business property comprising four store buildings and a large warehouse. One of these is the largest and most valuable business property in the town. It is a two-story brick structure covering an entire block on the main business street. In this building is housed one of their four grocery stores, meat market, dry goods, shoes, clothing, and house furnish- ings departments, while the balance of the building is occupied by the town's only bank, the railroad station and waiting rooms and a pool hall. This is perhaps the one spot on earth where the bank and the railroad are tenants of, and pay tribute to the co-operative society. In addition to this grocery store, they operate another one in Dillonvale, one at Piney Pork and one at Bradley, both of which are near-by mining camps. They also operate a hardware store and own their own hall arid club rooms. The hall can also be used as a theater as it is equipped with stage and scenery. This is used for the company's social, educational and business meetings and func tions and also as a meeting place for practically all the labor unions, radical political organizations and foreign secret societies. CO-OPERATION The butcher shop operated by the Co-operative is by far the neatest and best in the town, and the prices and quality of goods handled far more attractive than those of private competitors. The stores handle groceries, meats, dry goods, clothing, shoes, ladies' ready- to-wear, millinery, furniture, draperies, floor coverings, shelf and heavy hard ware, automobile accessories including gasoline and oils, lumber, roofing, lime, cement, hay, grain and feeds of all kinds. They purchase hay, grain, feed, cement, roofing, lumber, flour and sugar in car-load lots, their turnover in these commodities for this year amovinting to approximately sixty cars. In their sixteen years of painstaking effort they have built up a working capital of $95,000 and a surplus reserve of $78,000. Their capital consists of $22,000 share and $73,000 loan capital. The capital and surplus is invested in business property, equipment and merchandise, their physical inventory on June 30th of this year showing merchandise on hand to the value of $96,000. While attaining this enviable financial condition they have regularly returned from 6 per cent to 9 per cent purchase rebates to their members every half year and have paid a 2 per cent purchase rebate to non-members. The New Co-operative Company has always been a member of The League and one of its strongest supporters. Joseph Blaha, who has been with the Com pany as manager since the beginning, shares the distinction with W. Niemela of Maynard, Mass., of being the only managers in the country who have attended every congress of The League. We hear much about the Finns who co-operate in America. We hear about the Jewish co-operators, and those of other foreign language groups. The Bohemians who succeed with co-operative stores are by no means all in Dillonvale. Chicago Bohemians have a society which has had as many as five stores at one time, though lately two of these have been eliminated and the work concentrated. Cleveland co-operators from the same country, in the Workingmen's Co-operative Company, operate six grocery and meat stores and are most successful. Other smaller groups of these people are contributing their share to the pioneering efforts of co-operators of all nationalities who strive to build a strong movement in America. In the future, when you hear of Dillonvale, let it bring to your mind a picture of outstanding co-operative store success in America. There is little doubt but that this Co-operative Company will continue to stand as one among the best of our living refutations of the oft repeated statement that co-operative stores cannot thrive in the atmosphere of our highly developed super-individual ism. They have proved beyond a doubt, as many other groups are doing, that by intelligent and dilligent application to the task before them and by backing this up with the highest type of loyalty and fraternalism, success equal to that attained in any European country is possible in America. A. W. WAEINNEE. CO-OPERATION CO-OPERATION Vital Issues CO-OPERATION BEING CRUSHED IN ITALY npHE LEGA NAZIONALE DELLE CO-OPEKA- 1 TIVE of Italy, the Educational Union of that country, had a membership of 8,000 societies before the Fascisti came into power. By the beginning of 1924 the number had been reduced to 4,600. In the autumn of 1925 the number had shrunk to 1,000. And now is announced the entire destruction of the League by the Fascisti. When the Fascisti first began their reign of terror, the co-operatives were subjected to the same attacks as the labor headquarters and Socialist and Com munist buildings. Many of the stores were burned, officials were beaten, many killed, others exiled. And this persecu tion continued unabated for months. Meanwhile the Government began the organization of its own Fascist Co operative Union, and many of the co operatives were forced to join this. In November of 1925 came the news that the offices of the Lega Nazionale had been seized by the Police Prefect of Milan. Immediately telegrams and cablegrams of protest were sent from the offices of the International Co-opera tive Alliance, and many of the Co-opera tive Unions of the various countries. The cablegram of The Co-operative League of the U. S. A. was as follows: "Italian Prime Minister, Home, Italy: The Co-operative League of United States of America asks you to protect Lega Nazionale delle Cooperative. Warbasse, President." Meanwhile the President of the Lega Nazionale, Antonio Vergnanini, sends a message of greetings to the co-operatives of other countries, closing with these words: "Let us remain united and wait with con fidence. The great struggle between the two opposing forces of speculation and the con sumers becomes every day more extended and more formidable. . . . The latest exploita tions of the dominant minorities, if they can still find defenders for their possessions, must submit to the law of progress, which wills the aontinuous increase of the benefits of civiliza tion to all human forces. . . . "Fellow Co-operators, the Lega Nazionale delle Cooperative is dissolved. Long live the Lega Nazionale deUe Cooperative." Almost at the same time as this dis quieting news comes by way of the International Co-operative Alliance and the British Union, other sources of in formation reveal the fact that the same kind of persecution is being carried on by the Fascisti against the Co-operative Credit Unions, a very large number of which are Catholic. The Fascist organi zation threatens to take control of the People's Banks and Rural Credit Unions into Fascist bodies. The High Commis sioner of the Grand Fascist Council has been directed to take such control. And a vigorous note of protest is voiced in the Osservatore Romano, semi-official Catholic daily paper in Eome. C. L. MR. DAVIES SPEAKS ON CO-OPERATION E. EHYS JOHN DAVIES, Under Secretary of State for Home Af fairs in the MacDonald Ministry, now a Labor Member of Parliament, and "a man of long experience in executive po sitions in the British Consumers' Co operative Movement," spoke at a dinner arranged by the Educational Council of The Co-operative League, at the Twenty- fifth Street Consumers' Co-operative Services Eestaurant, on November 18. A good audience of interested co-opera tors was present. Mr. Davies gave a picture of some of the important facts of the British move ment. He showed how the societies control prices, how successfully they compete with profit business and how much they mean to the working people. The audience was surprised that Mr. Davies regarded the "Producers' Co operative Industries" as the most ra tional form of co-operative production, especially in the face of the fact that, as he stated, "it is doubtful if they can compete with the consumers' Co-opera tive Wholesale Society." Milk distribution, Mr. Davies said, could be carried on better by the munic ipalities than by the co-operative socie ties. In fact, in response to several pressing questions, the speaker asserted that the political municipalities were better qualified to carry on such dis tributive business as they attempted than were the co-operatives. "The most honest, most efficient, and the most re liable bodies that I know of are our municipal governing bodies. They are less corruptible and more efficient than the co-operative societies, than the friendly societies, or than the trade unions.'' Mr. Davies frankly gave his hearers to understand that he was for political action in preference to voluntary co operative action, that he was for Social ism rather than for Co-operation. It was obvious that he believed the Co-operative Movement could help the cause of Socialism. Co-operators natur ally asked themselves: How much could British Socialism help the cause of Co operation ? It appears that British Labor Party statesmen regard Co-operation as a help to the promotion of state Socialism; and that when the Labor Party has gotten fully into power, the political govern ment will take away from the co-opera tive societies their functions of distribu tion and turn them over to the political bodies. This of course may be done by placing the Co-operatives under political con trol, or by making all of the Co-opera tive officials political officials, or by the simple expedient of "taking over" as was unsuccessfully attempted by the Eussian Soviet Government. Mr. Davies did not mention any of these matters; they are simply the ideas that naturally eome to the minds of Co-operators present. One thing is obvious: the future holds in its cabinet of uncertainties the con flict between the voluntary principle of Co-operation and the coercive principle •f State Socialism. Most British people are politically minded. They do not recognize a con flict of forces. To them the political government should be the natural agent of the people. They would make Co operation the tail of their political kite. But in every continental European country this conflict is clear and press ing. In every continental country in which Co-operation is making great progress the Co-operative Movement takes a firm and positive stand against political alliances of any kind, against conceding to the political state any of the functions or prerogatives of the co operative societies. Mr. Davies is a Socialist first and a Co-operator second. He is a fluent speaker, a sincere and honest man and an ornament to the British Parliament. J. P. W. SERIES OF ARTICLES ON PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS IN THE CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT Beginning with this number we are starting a new series of special articles on the general topic "Producers and Consumers in the Co-operative Move ment." The series which we ran last year under the title "Why Co-operation is not Enough," interested a large num ber of people and inspired them to send us numerous comments, one of which appears in our correspondence columns this month. Mr. E. C. Lindeman, who contributes the opening article in this new series, is a trained student of social science, a teacher, an editor of the New Republic, author of several books. Among other contributors to the series are Peter Brady, President, Federation (Labor) Bank, New York; Smith W. Brookhart, U. S. Senator from Iowa; L. S. Herron, Editor, Nebraska Union Farmer; Frank E. Lowden, former Governor of Illinois; Oscar McGill, Secretary, Co-operative Lumber Exchange, Seattle; A. J. Muste, Secretary, Brookwood Labor College; Norman Thomas, Director, League for Industrial Democracy. C. L. CORRECTING SOME ERRORS In the December number of CO OPERATION the leading article on the Northern States Co-operative League contained several mistakes due to over sight or lack of complete information. The Board of Directors named was 6 CO-OPERATION CO-OPERATION the board whose term expired early in the year. The present board of the N. S. League is Harold Nordby, Franklin Creamery, president; Paul F. DeMore, Union Consumers' Association, Duluth, vice-president; V. S. Alanne, Franklin Creamery, secretary; E. H. Anderson, Franklin Creamery, treasurer; F. F. Burandt, Franklin Creamery; Mrs. C. E. Nelson, Franklin Women's Guild; H. V. Nurmi, Co-operative Central Ex change, Superior; Eskel Bonn, Co-op erative Central Exchange, Superior; Frank Yetka, Cloquet Co-operative Society, Cloquet. Contrary to our statement, the "Honor Boll" buttons are not for gen eral distribution to the membership of the N. S. League, but are given to in dividuals who have rendered unique service to the League. The special lec turers reported to have been engaged for the Training School did not give the lectures reported in the article, as the regular work crowded the schedule to capacity. The Place of Producers and Consumers in a Co-operative Program FEOM THE VIEWPOINT OF A SOCIAL SCIENTIST By E. C. LINDBMAN "What profound spiritual life can there be when the social order almost forces men to battle with each other for the means of existence?" A. E. both conflict and co-operation are essen tial features. Is it not possible also that many enthusiastic supporters of the consumers' co-operative movement have over-emphasized the consumption phase of the bio-economic process? Has not this placing of presumed opposites created an intellectual problem which stands in the way of progress? Producing and consuming are con tinuous and inter-dependent activities within the bio-economic system. One cannot exist without the other and both vary directly with respect to each other. Discrepancies between the two functions create our economic problems. Every living human being is a consumer. In a rationally-organized society every in dividual would also be a producer of essential services if not of consumable goods. For the great bulk of our popu lation, it is still true moreover that pro ducing and consuming are both com bined in each person. Because a few people have succeeded in manipulating the economic system by means of pro duction and credit control, difficulties arise. In modern industrialized society goods are produced primarily for profit and not to meet needs. It is not sur prising therefore to note that those pro ducers who supply our primary needs, of the simplest fallacies in rea- soning results from placing things in opposition. Thus we argue at great length over heredity versus environ ment, assuming that these two processes are somehow antagonistic; obviously there can be no heredity, i.e., growing, reproducing organisms, without an en vironment. Likewise we speak of individual versus social, conflict versus co-operation, means versus ends, et cetera, indicating that our mental pic tures of these objects or processes present them to us as antithetical, incon sistent opposites. We therefore think that we are discussing important prob lems whereas the difficulties arise out of our naive thought procedures; and of course problems do exist if we think they do. These easy delusions often result from a partial view of a total process. Thus when we speak of either conflict or co operation, we are seeing only one portion of total adjustment. Some idealists tend to develop blind-spots for the conflict phase of adjustment; they dislike struggle and therefore wish to do away with it. But there can be no life without conflict. Living is in fact a continuing adjustment between an organism and its environment in which farmers, are obliged to operate their business with restricted credits and for the most part without profits. They created through intermittent savings the original funds of capital which were promptly utilized by the bankers for promoting quick-profit industries other than agriculture. Farming is still a marginal capitalist enterprise but it travels continuously in the direction of bankruptcy. Our complex industrial organization may collapse but life will still go on if farmers continue to function. If food- production as an economic process de generates, however, no amount of con sumer-co-operation will suffice to prevent a general decline of the standard of liv ing. Many observers, aware of this situation, urge consumers to enter the field of agricultural production. This seems unwise counsel. It means either that people who know nothing about farming will nevertheless be induced to become farmers or that farmers will be exploited by groups of organized con sumers. ' It amounts to throwing the baby out with the bath-water—and the wrong baby at that! The farmer as a bona fide producer is not the consumer's enemy. Moreover, no group of consum ers acting merely as consumers is justi fied in using its savings, its economic power, to dispossess another producing group. Farmers, on the other hand, are likely to prolong the unnecessary conflict be tween producing and consuming func tions by over-emphasizing aspects of capitalistic methods. They are now or ganizing gigantic co-operative associa tions for the purpose of maintaining a higher price level for their products. This they aim to do by eliminating cer tain middlemen and by increasing con sumption through advertising. In so far as they are permitted to secure modified monopolistic control of specific commodi ties, this program may succeed. It is certainly justified as a means of sub tracting the speculative profits of dealers from consumers' prices. Thus far the program has not, however, resulted in lightening the consumer's burden. The price of raw cotton and tobacco, for example, has been partially stabilized, but the consumer has not benefited. Intermediate consumers, those who buy raw products for refinement, are still able to pass the increase on to the ulti mate consumer. In addition, the farm ers' co-operative movement flourishes only where it receives the sanction of powerful governmental or private credit agencies. So long as it remains safe for the bankers, it is encouraged and blessed by the high priests of capitalism. Thus although the farmer as a legitimate pro ducer ought not to be at odds with his customers, the consumers, he virtually assumes this role by playing the capital ist's profit-seeking game. If the present tendency continues, the result will be increased tension between producers and consumers. So long as urban consumers acting on behalf of their consuming function oppose rural producers, or vice versa, the two functions and their rep resentative groups will continue a use less and wasteful warfare. If, as this essay indicates, the conflict between consuming and producing func tions is unnecessary and wasteful, how may the problems involved be ap proached with realistic attitudes ? Ideal ists whose counsel of perfection amounts to pessimism insist that nothing can be done until the entire economic system is altered. They tend to forget that the system is a reflection of our. habits of behavior and that these habits are tena cious. Habit-changing and system- changing must go hand in hand if we are to have orderly progress. Systems and their controlling power-groups may become so case-hardened as to be un amenable to change save by means of revolution, but revolution is justified only when change via the route of science and experiment has failed. Habit- changing as a process subsequent to revolution may turn out to be a costly and painful method. In any case, the true idealist is also an experimentalist. His faith is sustained by the slow gains resulting from the application of scien tific method to human problems. He does not attempt to change parts by changing the whole but rather envisages the changing whole in terms of minute changes in the manageable parts. The above constitutes an argument for the 8 CO-OPERATION CO-OPERATION introduction of rational scientific prin ciples to the problems involved in the relations between consuming and pro ducing functions. In which direction does science point? If producing and consuming are co ordinate processes, two sides of the same shield, two equally essential functions of the on-going life, is it not apparent that creative results may be expected when they integrate? By the same token, is it not rational to suppose that these two functions will negative each other, i.e., produce non-creative results when they are allowed to remain in juxtaposition? How then may the producing and con suming functions be integrated? The scientific answer is: by experiments which look toward integration. If for example consumers behaving as if their consuming function were primary, or ganize consumers' co-operative societies and leave their producing functions un organized, non-co-operative, the two proc esses cannot integrate. If on the other hand they view themselves as total per sonalities in which both consuming and producing are considered to be vital aspects of life, they will also make some effort to bring their producing function within the co-operative program. Again, farmers who organize selling co-opera tives but continue to buy as individuals may never be helpful in changing our present economic system. If, however, they also apply co-operative principles to buying, credits et cetera, they will soon become a powerful stimulus for fundamental change. This process of integration must necessarily begin on modest levels of experiment. It will probably succeed best when applied to commodities of universal need. Milk may be used as an illustration. With respect to this com modity, farmers will naturally view themselves as producers and urban dwellers will assume the role of con sumers. An efficient distributing or ganization is needed for purposes of insuring quality, purity, prompt de livery and other standards. Hitherto this intermediate agency has bought and sold milk at a profit. If milk-producers organized and demanded higher prices they merely shifted the increase to the consumer. When the price reached a certain level, numerous marginal dairy farmers increased their herds and their production until the middleman was able to "beat down" the price to the producer in general. No one gained by this irra tional procedure save the intermediate buyer and distributor. Milk consumers might also attempt to make certain sav ings through collective buying and dis tributing. Their aim, naturally, would be to secure milk at the lowest possible price and they could succeed only by maintaining a continuous battle with the farmers. Obviously what is needed in this case is a strong producers' co operative association, a strong consum ers' co-operative association, and a joint distributing agency composed of the two groups essential to each other. The integrating process would then follow within the area of joint activities. Pro ducers would be compelled to learn something about the incomes of con sumers and likewise consumers would come to learn something of the cost of milk-production. The ultimate and just price of milk would constitute a ratio between income on the one side and cost on the other. Farmers would then come to have a stake in the industrial workers' welfare and the urban consumer of milk would come to view farming as a process integral to his life. If the joint co operative agency were properly organ ized and efficiently managed, it would create capital through savings. This capital could then be utilized for pur poses of producing a commodity needed by both groups. Why for example, should not farmers and industrial labor ers manufacture the shoes which they jointly need? Why should anyone profit by the credits which are periodi cally necessary to both groups? The theory underlying the above proposal includes five premises: (1) the producing function of one group inevitably intersects the consuming func tion of another; creative possibilities lie at this point of intersection; (2) since consuming and producing are equally- essential functions of life, they should be viewed as mutually-dependent vari ables and not as opposites; (3) co-opera tive techniques applied to one aspect of economic activity (consuming, e.g.,) implies that other phases (producing, e.g. ) will also be brought within the area of co-operative experimentation; otherwise we learn co-operative habits on one level only to negative them on another; thus farmers who limit their co-operation to the one process of selling may actually build an organization which inhibits co-operative activities in other spheres; (4) a co-operative program which aims to integrate consuming and producing functions can effect radical changes in the economic system; co operation confined to either one or the other probably does no more than in crease the efficiency of capitalism and the selfishness of co-operators; (5) achievement in the direction of the above proposals does not await general or sweeping changes in the political or economic system; rather it depends upon an accumulation of small experiments. These are obviously simple principles derived from the known facts of human behavior. But their simplicity adds to the weight of the challenge involved. Dogmatists who base their hopes not upon the realistic facts of existence but upon some abstracted and idealized wish will discount these premises. They are interested in conversions not experi ments; they are evangelists not scien tists. This sketchy outline leaves many queries unanswered. A co-operative program based upon the assumption that economic control should ultimately be confined to the consumers who pro duce must take into account such factors as political and legalistic sanctions, the role of the expert, the function of trade unionism, adult education et cetera, et cetera. Its protagonists must also be aware of insidious defenses of capital ism. Profit-sharing, for example, is sure poison to the co-operative move ment; it merely accentuates and dis tributes bad habits. Many of these ques tions and innumerable others implicit in the co-operative ideal will take on new meaning and resolve themselves into positive equations once we begin to see that consuming and producing are not antagonistic functions. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION* 1. Assuming that all living human be ings are consumers, what proportion of the population may be consideeed as legitimate producers? a. In your community? b. In your county? c. In your state? d. In the nation? 2. Why must some producers produce more than they consume? 3. What groups of producers are affected by your consumption? 4. What groups of consumers are affected by your production? 5. Have any experiments in consumer- producer co-operation been con ducted? What are the results? 6. Is an artist a producer? A teacher? An advertising specialist? A house wife? 7. Is the farmer a capitalist or a laborer? 8. Is a farmer-labor political party feasible? Under what conditions? 9. Are farmers' commodity co-opera tive marketing associations organized to function as non-capital societies really co-operative? 10. Is capital necessary for all economic systems? 11. Why should the earnings of capital be limited? 12. What causes over-production? Un- der-consumption ? *As Headings for Discussion Groups, in ad dition to the books included on our lists, Mr. Lindeman suggests: Foundations: A Study in the Ethics and Economics of the Co-operative Movement, W. Clayton and A. Stoddart; A Theory of Social Economy, G. Cassel. Foreign TO SIGNOR MUSSOLINI r\OST feel secure, 0 Duce! in thy high "It is right that Mussolini should place, know what British co-operators think Among thy Black Shirts, strong in law- about him."—THE CO-OPERATIVE NEWS. less power, 10 CO-OPERATION CO-OPERATION 11 Who now the wealth of humble men devour, While theft and murder multiply apace ? Didst think thou long couldst chain a noble race, Or that within thine own appointed hour Thou couldst make all men low before thee cower, All dreams of freedom from their souls efface ? Men in whose veins the blood of Dante runs, _ Whose fathers were by Garibaldi led, Whose own free minds were by Mazzini fed, Will not endure thy lordship many suns: A tyrant is by all true men abhorred,— Who rules by terror has his fit reward. T. W. MEECEE. British Co-operative Union, Novem ber 30, 1925. THE CO-OPERATIVE COAL MINE AT SHILBOTTLE Would the co-operative societies of the country give their support to a con sumer-owned coal mine if we had one? An indication of the correct answer to that puzzling question is perhaps to be found in the experience of the Co-opera tive Wholesale of England. Shilbottle Colliery and the new col liery village is property of the co-opera tives of England, and the coal mine there is co-operatively owned coal. What happens to it? Tom Myers, an ex-Member of Parlia ment, makes several charges, the most serious of which is as follows: "The men who produce the coal say that it is very doubtful if more than 10 per cent of the coal produced finds its way into co-operative channels. The coal goes to the Shetland Islands, to Banff in the North of Scotland, into boats from the little coal ports close at hand, to make up the shortage in the supplies from private collieries. The co-operative supply used as an accom modation for the collieries of a big combine. Hundreds of thousands of co- operators buying coal, and the co-opera tive pit standing nine days in a period of three weeks recently for lack of trade, and co-operative employees on the dole, while the manager was scouring Scotland seeking orders from private enterprise for co-operative coal." These are serious charges. The reply of the Co-operative Wholesale is to the following effect: That considerably more than 10 per cent of the coal mined goes into co operative channels, but that many of the societies which are closer to private ly-owned collieries continue to use non- co-operative coal, as freight rates are lower. That sales to private firms are at a price above that paid by the co operatives. That the management of the Shilbottle Colliery is most anxious to sell only to co-operatives, but that if they will not buy, certainly the surplus coal cannot be dumped into the sea; better sell it to private firms than shut the mines down entirely. That there is no use establishing new selling agencies for coal among the co-operatives, for there already are coal departments at four points which handle Shilbottle coal. THE LABOR PARTY ON CO-OPERATION Mr. Lang, newly elected Premier of New South Wales on the Labor Party ticket, has had his advisors draw up a resolution setting .forth the attitude of the Labor Party toward the Co-opera tive Movement. Here is the resolution: "As the main objective of the Labor Party in New South Wales is the social ization of the means of production, dis tribution and exchange, it therefore stands squarely behind the Consumers' Co-operative Movement, which is al ready securing ownership of industry for the people, control by the people and is equitably distributing its trading surpluses to the people, and not to the owners of capital. The Labor Party recognizes that the Co-operative Move ment is democratic in every respect. "As the Labor Party has been re turned to power by a majority of elec tors for the purpose of putting its platform into effect, it must therefore extend to the Co-operative Movement every assistance necessary to provide for its unhampered development. That all facilities for Co-operative education be granted and vested interests be re strained where it can be shown they are discriminating against Co-operative organizations.'' CO-OPERATIVES FIGHT PRIVATE FIRMS WITH BOOKS. Germany has some remarkable "book societies," which are co-operative in character. Eeaders pay an annual mem bership fee in these societies and receive four or even six books well printed and bound from their own co-operative publishers every year. The oldest of these, according to a writer in the New York Times, is the Peo ple's Club of Book Lovers, with nearly one hundred thousand members; it is also the largest. The German Book Associa tion is almost as large; and there are many that are smaller. And the private publishers are becoming seriously con cerned, for their sales are falling off. In fact, they made a public announce ment not long ago that any writer who had these co-operatives publish his works would not be sold in the private book stores of Germany. Immediately both the co-operatives and the various Writers Associations rallied to the defense of the novelists, essayists and poets, and in a few months the boycott was lifted and the private publishers and booksellers acknowledged defeat. Again the co operative principle stands vindicated as being more sound economically, much wiser as a social program, and on a higher ethical plane. CO-OPERATIVE NAMES FOR STREETS In England co-operators may see on the corners of their avenues and streets names to memorialize the great work done by the Rochdale Pioneers. In Kettering there is Kingsley Ave nue, Neal Avenue, Blandford Avenue, Holyoake Street, Mitchell Street, Hughes Street. In Enderby there are Federation Street, Co-operation Street, Holyoake Street, Equity Road, Mitchell Road, Maxwell Road, Shillito Road. In New Normanton may be found Derby Street, Industrial Street, Provi dent Street, Co-operative Street, Society Street—the five words that go to identify the society that has established a branch in this town. There is also a Holyoake Terrace and a Merchant Avenue named by the co-operators. MORE COMPULSORY CO-OPERATION In CO-OPEEATION for October, 1925, appeared an editorial on the new law enacted in Queensland, Australia, which provided that when 75 per cent of the growers of any one commodity agreed to market through a co-operative associ ation, the other growers should be com pelled by law to market through this organization also. The editorial pointed out that this is the first attempt at compulsory co-operative marketing. The International Labor Office now tells of a similar law in South Africa, with a similar provision that 75 per cent membership may compel the other 25 per cent of the growers to join the original 75 per cent. There was vigor ous opposition to the bill, but it finally prevailed. The opposition was of two kinds. Some opposed the very principle of compulsory co-operation itself; others thought that 75 per cent was too low a figure. On the other hand, there were many who approved entirely of the measure and wanted even a lower figure than 75 per cent. SHORTENING THE WORKING HOURS Of course, after all is said about the glory of work, everybody wants to be free to do as little as he can. The Co operative Movement is helping toward this end. As an employer of labor co operative societies have taken the lead in shortening hours of work and raising wages. In Europe every co-operative society has abolished the ten-hour day among clerks, although it is still com mon among private employers. In Great Britain the eight-hour day is practically universal among co-opera tives. Now about half of the societies have established the 40-hour week among clerks, which means that they work five days a week. In England in 1913 there were 23 societies working 48 hours or less; in 1914, there were 96; in 1917, there were 134; and in 1924, the number was 779. 12 CO-OPERATION CO-OPERATION 13 News and Comment CO-OPERATIVE CAFE IN CHICAGO HpWELVE years ago a group of •*• Swedish people organized the Co operative Temperance Cafe Idrott. Emphasis was placed upon good food, low prices, good working conditions to the employees. The only restrictions upon membership at the beginning were those forbidding membership to users of intoxicating liquors. The association was organized without capital stock. From the beginning the organization was so successful that new members be gan to swarm in. Believing that too rapid a growth was dangerous, an amendment was drawn to the by-laws which limited the number of new mem bers to ten each year. The society now has 200 members. Surplus has been regularly turned back into the business, so that they now oc- eupy an entire building on Wilton Avenue and operate a branch cafe in another location. In the main building they not only run a large cafe with dining rooms and club rooms for mem bers, but also a bakery and a meat de partment. There is also a good library, game room, room-renting service, and mail distribution service. The new building was erected two years ago. The society is not incorporated; each member has only one share; directors and manager are elected annually. CREDIT UNIONS IN NEW YORK At the beginning of 1925 there were 115 credit unions in New York State, a gain of eight during the previous year There are thirteen new unions; five have dissolved. Total resources increased by $2,000,000 in the year to $10,550,- 000. About a score of these institutions realize their identity with the Co-opera tive Movement and have an interest in it; the rest are maintained by com mercial interests as easier means of securing credits. UNION WORKERS CREDIT UNION, BOSTON This little Credit Union, organized among some of the leading trade union ists of Boston, only a few years ago, now has 157 members, 58 of whom are borrowers, and only 17 of whom are depositors. The share capital has in creased from $2,500 to $3,330 during twelve months, and the loans from $2,327 to $3,579. Total assets are $4,396. Harry Haskell, clerk and treasurer, reports an excellent condition, attested to by the fact that the Bank Examiner O.K.'d every page of the books and all notes and securities. Not a single cent has been lost from the beginning of business. There are 21 officers, all of them serving without pay. Prom the very start 5 per cent has been paid on deposits and 6 per cent on shares. THE COST OF HANDLING The spread of costs between the pro ducer and the consumer should be kept before the people until they decide to do something about it. A crate of celery has been followed from Norfolk, Vir ginia, to the consumers' home in New York City, and this is what happened: The producer sold the crate for 40 cents. Commission man No. 1 sold it for 60 cents; No. 2 sold it for 75 cents; No. 3 sold it for 90 cents; No. 4 sold it for $1.05; No. 5 sold it for $1.15; No. 6 sold it for $1.25 to a buyer for grocery stores; the buyer sold it to a retail grocery store for $1.35; the grocer sold it to his cus tomers for $2.60. This study was made by Franklin D. Eoosevelt, former Secretary of the Navy. B. F. Yoakum in a recent investiga tion found that the farmer received an average of $16.40 a ton for cabbage for which the consumer paid from $60 to $75 a ton; the farmer received an aver age of $31.79 per ton for tomatoes for which the consumer paid $100 per ton; that the farmer received &/% cents for a watermelon for which the consumer paid 50 cents to $1.50. CAN CO-OPERATORS COMPETE WITH THE BREAD TRUST? It is an old story that over in Eng land, the co-operators are undercutting the private bakers much of the time, and still making a surplus. But how about America? We have been deluged recently with stories of the great bread mergers, with a new national bakery corporation having a capital of $400,000,000, etc., etc. One of these huge concerns is the Ward Baking Company. In New York they are selling a twelve ounce loaf of white bread, made by non-union bakers at 8 cents a loaf. The large Finnish Co-operative Trad ing Association of Brooklyn sells a 16- ounce loaf of white bread for the same price—8 cents. Three pounds of bread from the Co-operative costs 24 cents, but if you buy the same amount of bread from Ward, you pay 32 cents. And at the co-operative a higher quality flour and other materials are being used, and full union conditions prevail. This scare that the American workers are giving themselves about bread mo nopoly is only about one-third justified. The other two-thirds is pretty largely the traditional lack of enterprise and initiative of American workers. Ninety- nine per cent of our industrial workers and farmers wail to High Heaven that the Bread Trust is robbing them. But the other 1 per cent quietly go about the job of baking better and cheaper bread for themselves in their own co-operative plants. This Co-operative Bakery did a busi ness of nearly $215,000 in 1925, and there is now such a demand for its products, that it has outgrown its large Brooklyn plant and is planning a new and much larger building in the Bronx. The hand some building in Brooklyn, erected by the co-operators only five years ago, will become a branch to feed the Brooklyn and Long Island, trade, while the new plant will handle the much larger busi ness in Manhattan, Harlem, the Bronx and Northern New Jersey. THE FARMERS' CO-OPERATIVE ELEC TRIC TRANSMISSION LINE. Can the farmer's wife substitute elec tric lights for the kerosene lamp, and at the same time enjoy the use of a washing machine, electric coffee perco lator, toaster, vacuum cleaner, curling iron, even the electric stove and sewing machine and refrigeration? And can her man use "white coal" for pumping his water to the barn and fields, for cutting his wood and ensilage, for run ning the milking machine, cream sepa rator, shop motor, hay baler, clipper, grain cleaner, churn and elevator! More important yet, can the farmers organize to get their electric current co-operatively ? In many parts of the Central and Far West the farmers have organized their own co-operatives for getting electric current without paying the huge profit toll exacted by the private companies. One example of such a Co-operative is the Berwick Transmission Line Company of Nemaha County, Kansas, organized in 1919 with $25,000 capital and seventy- eight customers scattered along its thirty miles of line. The co-operators each took one share of stock at $250, elected a Board of Directors, and decided to purchase their current at wholesale rates from the City of Sabetha. The company supplies the poles, wire, insulators and hardware to convey the current along the public high way and the user supplies all equipment between the highway and his house. Current is metered out at a rate of nine cents per kilowatt hour for lighting and seven cents for power, with extra charges for incidentals. Among the users of this co-operative brand of electricity are 69 farmers, five schools, one church, one township hall, one store and one commercial garage. The output of current is increasing each year. How long will it be before the Co-operative is large enough to produce its own current, as so many of the Co operative electric societies of Europe are doing? 14 CO-OPERATION CO-OPERATION 15 Directors' Page TO ALL GROCERY STORE MANAGERS job has its duties and re- sponsibilities. These are the most essential requirements of our store managers. You are responsible to the Co-operative Society for the success of the store assigned to you. The Executive Staff of The League stands ready to help you, but the responsibilities which you assume, you must either carry out or let the other fellow do it. In your relations with your store clerks at all times conduct yourself so that you have their respect. Be cheer ful but avoid familiarity. Be firm, but remember kindly advice goes lots fur ther than harsh words with most per sons. The big job is to study your men and know how you can bring out the best that is in them for the mutual bene fit of the Co-operative Movement and themselves. Increased Volume of Business Many points come into play to ac complish a steady, permanent, increased volume of business. Clerks must be taught to put as much effort in selling their own personality to their trade as they do their merchandise. Everyone likes to make friends, and it is the surest way for a manager and a clerk to build up sales. With some men, this comes naturally, with others it requires con siderable effort, but the habit can be acquired. Continue to build the con fidence with customers by never ex aggerating the goods you are selling. Give the customers the actual facts and don't be afraid to tell the price. En courage the clerks to acquaint themselves as much as possible with the origin of the merchandise they sell, by reading trade papers, the monthly magazine CO-OPERATION, etc. It is always easier for a man to sell an article that he is thoroughly familiar with. Proper dis play of mei'chandise in windows and inside of the store is also helpful. Increased volume however, can only be accomplished by clerks getting and holding new customers. Selling Profitable Merchandise See that clerks are pushing profitable merchandise, and not spending all their effort on Specials. Specials, on the whole, attract only the transient trade, which however should be used to advan tage in an endeavor to develop new customers. Merchandise on Hand Stores must not have too much stock but they must have sufficient to satis factorily take care of their business. Store managers should look over whole sale orders and advise their clerks how to order, and avoid over-ordering. Especially in the case of perishable mer chandise, see that clerks do not over- order and that all perishables are sold out quickly to prevent spoilage. Stock Turnover The matter of stock turnover, or carrying too large an inventory for the amount of sales is also a big factor in chain store business. The clerk should be told that eveiy dollar's worth of mer chandise carried on stock costs the Co operative Society ...... per cent per annum which must be charged against the profits and is detrimental to the store showing. Quick turnover increases profits. Stock Shortage Another problem which the store manager must guard against is stock shortages. Impress upon the clerk's mind the importance of a good stock showing at the end of the month. A store may have a poor showing for a month, due to stock shortage but if the manager does not show improvement, he will be replaced. He may really be innocent as far as his honesty is con cerned—merely careless, but the record may keep him from getting another good job. Clerks must check all merchandise carefully and not sign for anything which they have not received, and watch out for spoilage of perishables. Have scales tested frequently as they soon become out of balance, and very often against the Company. Show the clerks the large amount of revenue that can be made at their stores by using extreme care in opening their containers. Espe cially so with sugar bags as sugar bags with linings in perfect condition wil^ bring a salvage of approximately eight cents while the same bags if linings are torn would have to be sold for probably three and a half cents. Good Clerks In order to accomplish the foregoing it is necessary for store managers to have good clerks in charge of the store; a good clerk is reliable, efficient and loyal to the Co-operative Society. Store managers must at all times have an effi cient man or men available to take the place of a chief-clerk in an emergency, or if a clerk should resign, or be dis charged and see that all clerks are able to intelligently wait on customers. Cleanliness Stores must be kept immaculately clean; store managers must see that proper care is taken of fixtures and machinery, that cellars are kept clean and orderly and above all see that clerks are clean and tidy personally. Rules See that clerks are thoroughly familiar with the rules. See that health and labor laws are thoroughly understood and obeyed by all clerks. Deposits and Care of Money Last, but by no means least, see that a deposit is made from the store once every 48 hours. Instruct your chief clerk that if, for any reason, you are not able to call at the store, he must see that the money gets to the bank. Also im press upon the clerks the importance of handling all their own cash in justice to themselves and the clerks working with them. This should be done wherever possible. Let us all be instilled with courage to bring about a bigger and better co operative organization year after year. CAEL STOIKE, Formerly with Co-operative Union of Germany. Book Review "AS OTHERS SEE US" Co-OPEKATION IN THE UNITED STATES. Published by Grain Dealers' Na tional Association. 126 pages. THE first impulse of a real co-operator, on picking up this little book, is toward ridicule. Who expects a fair treatment of the subject from those who have most to lose from the Co-operative Move ment? But let us hold our merriment in check. One of the common faults of co-operative leaders has been too much complacency. We are content to seek advice and criticism too exclusively from men within our own movement. There may be some very healthful in formation in the criticism of leaders of private business, provided it is carefully thought out. And in this book, the com ments are the result of careful study and mature deliberation. _The book opens with a survey of the history and development of Co-opera tion in America: co-operative insurance, credit, telephones, stores, packing houses, canneries, marketing. We are told that the store movement is a 99 per cent failure, that insurance is the best field for co-operation, with credit second in favor; that packing houses and canneries are universally a bad bet; and that marketing is still in the ex perimental stages with no assurance of permanency. An excellent analysis is made of the co-operative laws in the various states and at Washington. It is easy to pick many flaws in this treatise. For instance, in writing about the store movement, the author uses ex amples only of the groups of stores that have failed: the Granger stores, the Sovereigns of Industry, the Eight Re lationship League. He does not men tion the Finnish stores, the farmers' stores united with the Farmers' Union, the Grange stores in Washington. And he insists that farmers generally had 16 CO-OPERATION CO-OPERATION 17 better get into other lines of co-operative business than groceries and household supplies. There are many other glaring defects of this kind in the book. But there is also much to learn from these studies. A great deal of attention is given to the subject of failures among marketing associations and the reasons therefor. After analyzing the large centralized associations and their trou bles, the writer states his opinion that "the fundamentals (of co-operative marketing) are voluntary co-operation and a broad co-operative spirit which looks beyond immediate personal ad vantages to long-time results." He con demns in unmeasured terms the co operative organized without provision for building up a surplus; the high pres sure promotion campaigns of the Amer ican Farm Bureau and other central organizations and enterprising individu als and state bureaux; the effort of many marketing groups to defeat the law of increased production following higher prices; high prices and fees to execu tives and attorneys ($52,794 for Mr. Sapiro from the Prune Growers in 1921 alone); over-legislation and dependence upon legalistic rather than economic aids to co-operative development; tend ency to "drift away from the local co operative to the large-scale showy kind." Of course these people are strong for the principle of "individualism." They make much of their pet hobby that "if a man can run business efficiently, he will be in business for himself; if he can't, he will manage a co-operative." Their final conclusion at the' end of the book is that though co-operation can effect some petty economies for the farmers, their real salvation is in better methods of production. "And now abideth these three problems in Co operative Marketing: Price, Distribu tion, Quality; and the greatest of these is Quality." C. L. The Correspondence File "WHY CO-OPERATION IS NOT ENOUGH " Editor of Co-operation: Under this title I have read several articles published in your magazine, CO-OPEKATION. I personally realize that co-operation is not the only remedy for the present economic order which permits oppression 'by those in possession of economic means. I write this only to disclose some misunderstandings about co operation and its aims on the part of the contributors to this subject. The Anarchist says, "Idealism must domi nate economic interest." It is true. But is co-operation against idealism? Co-operation has as its aim the production and distribution of goods not for the interest of some indi viduals or social groups, but for the interest of all people. It is based upon a real demo cratic principle—all members are equal; for everybody there is a place in any co-operative organization. He further states: "My own social theory is that known as Anarchist Com munism: Free Communism as opposed to State Communism. It is a society based upon indi vidual freedom with communistic methods of production and distribution. This movement, like all social movements has an economic foundation; but the vitalizing force lies in the ideal of a society of free individuals, each living his life to its highest possibility and recognizing an equal right for others." The writer cannot fail to recognize that co-opera tion is the form of organization entirely sup porting his point of view and why he fails to endorse the co-operative movement is diffi cult to understand. But let us turn to the Socialist mayor who recognizes that '' True co-operation is based on ideals of 'justice, brotherhood and service.' If a civilization can be built on such ideals it will not only survive but be imperishable." Such an interpretation of aims and basis of co-operation gives to the author a right to endorse the co-operative movement as a move ment supporting the principles of the Socialist party to which he conforms and which sup ports "The collective ownership and demo cratic management of all monopolistically owned and controlled means of productive dis tribution." Answering the question "Why Co-operation is not Enough?" the Socialist mayor rightly concludes that only the joint common action of the three movements—so cialism, trade unionism and co-operation—could help in building up a new society based upon mutual help and not upon competition. As a Marxian Socialist he forgot that besides the working class there are many social groups which should also work to overcome individual selfishness. Co-operation, not being a class organization, gives an opportunity, not only to the working classes but to all other groups to achieve this end. The next article criticizes co-operation from the Communist point of view. It seems to me that this writer calls himself a Communist through a misunderstanding. Upon reading his article I find that he is a Bolshevik and not a Communist. The difference between Com munists and Bolsheviks, who claim to be Com munists, is that Communism is a theory of the reconstruction of society upon new bases while Bolshevism is exclusively a theory of struggle and destruction. He says, "The co-operative movement can be used to the advantage of the workers in their struggle provided it is organized and led on the basis of the fundamental class struggle. Co-operation between the workers— struggle between the workers and the bour geoisie; this is the formula for a successful co-operative movement." This is a denial of the very principles of co-operation. Co-opera tion does not care about this or that class. It is concerned in the improvement of condi tions for all classes and all groups of people and in the building up of a society by peaceful means upon new bases such as are so well out lined by the Milwaukee mayor. A man having recourse to struggle and destruction has no right to appeal to co-operators because the very aim of co-operation is reconstruction. The next article examines the co-operative movement from the point of view of the Social Evolutionist. He says, "The economic de mocracy which now impends, as the next great step forward in social evolution is plainly going to be something akin to socialism, it is truey- something akin to communism, something akin to co-operation. But it will be none of these. It will be something foreseen by no prophet now before the people." And further he takes the position of one who believes that there are "inexorable forces, which, under whatever name, history reveals as propelling and guiding the course of events along an orbit which man never controls, never approves, and never even foresees." On the strength of this he con- dudes, "CONSTRUCTIVE social evolution, on the one hand, lies wholly outside the domain of human mentality. The mind of man pos sesses no power over it. Its progress depends not at all upon man's mentality." If this were so, co-operation certainly could do no constructive work. But is it so? And then we come to the subject treated from the standpoint of the Single Taxer. The author speculates with the contradiction of con sumers' and producers' co-operation in which the consumer's object is to purchase goods at the cheapest price possible while the producer aims to sell them at the highest price possible. As this is not the only aim of co-operation and as joint price-fixing easily takes care of this problem, this can be no objection to co-opera tion. He is right in his conclusion that low taxes, and no taxes on livestock, buildings, improvements, implements and personal effects, will be of great benefit to consumers' co-opera tion as it is now benefiting the farmers of Canada. The evolutionist is followed by a professor of economics who discusses the ques tion from the capitalist point of view. It is interesting to note the opening lines of his article: "For certain classes of enterprises the co-operative form of organization is best." A little further he goes on to say, "In a situa tion where the main difficulty is not to get enough capital but to hold the loyalty of patrons, the co-operative form is better" (than the capitalist). Such remarks made by a professor of eco nomics in discussing the question of co-opera tion from the capitalistic point of view is very significant. It is a recognition of the form itself, and that means a great deal. He talks of the Oneida community which for thirty years existed as a communistic group but which finally changed into a New York State joint stock corporation with a capital of $600,000— thus justifying his arguments. As a defender of the capitalist system he praises the selling of shares to workers who thus become members of a corporation. Attacking Co-operation and praising ownership of shares by workers, he comes to this conclusion: "This diffusion of ownership is giving the working men, to a large extent, the ownership of the tools with which they work. There is no reason why it should not be carried further. The joint stock form of organization fits in perfectly with that idea, and it is being acted upon by millions of workers. It comes more nearly being genuinely co-operative than any plan now in operation." And finally the last issue, at the time of writing this, treats Co-operation from the point of view of the Syndicalist. Here the writer restrains himself by saying that "The Consumers' co-operative movement is not enough to insure the transition to a society controlled by the workers because it has in it no dynamic force." Such a restriction gives Mr. Baldwin the right to exclaim in conclusion, "No, consumers' co-operation is not enough for revolutionists!" But here we see again, as in the article of the Communist, that the chief purpose o_f humanity, and of workers in particular, is "to fight." If this is true, then Mr. Baldwin is right, especially if he thinks that "the co-operatives play a purely passive role." But is it true that an organization which is trying to reconstruct the methods of production and distribution for the benefit of all people is playing a purely passive r61e? Giving some credit to consumers' co-opera tion which "is all to the good on the way to a workers' society," Mr. Baldwin concludes: "But it is not the main line toward revolu tionary change, nor is it the essential factor in the actual reorganization of society by the workers." Certainly not! Co-operation means constructive work for the whole population and not for any favored group, whether they be workers or others. The commonwealth must be rebuilt for the people, by the people them selves and not by any special group. I think that it was not necessary to discuss the question: "Why Co-operation is not Enough," for I do not know any Co-operator who thinks that only through Co-operation can the world be saved from all the injustices of capitalist selfishness. But all the contributors to the subject failed to realize that Co-opera tion is not only interested in the reduction of prices but that it has as its aim the recon struction of society upon a new basis—on the basis of mutual help for all and not for the interest of some special group, whatever name this group may have. And working in this direction, Co-operation is doing a very im portant piece of work. Co-operation has its ideal but this ideal was forgotten by nearly all the contributors. New York City. C. 18 CO-OPERATION CO-OPERATION 19 A VETERAN OF WARS, ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND INTERNATIONAL Sditor of Co-operation: During the last election in this State, I was the Farmer-Labor candidate for Lieutenant Governor. While I received for that office 345,000 votes, was several thousand short of victory. Had I won, most of my program would have remained on the shelf as I would not have had a Senate favorable to me. Pre vious to this I organized the World War Veterans and worked with the Non-Partisan League, both organizations now being nearly a thing of the past. Eeaction struck and it crumbled everything before it. If we had put our money and energy into the Co-operative movement we would have had an economic background and would now be doing real things in the reconstruction of the economic system. By this experience I however intend to profit; it is better late than never, and the Co-operative movement is our only hope of survival in this economic situation in which we now find ourselves. I speak from a Worker's and Farmer's standpoint. EMIL HOLMES, President World War Veterans. Hopkius, Minn. From The League Office PRIZE CONTEST FOR CARTOONISTS. A PEIZE of $50 is offered by The Co operative League to the cartoonist, ama teur or otherwise, who presents the most acceptable sketch of the co-operative and the non-co-operative character in car toon. These two characters, engaged in dialogue, will be used regularly in publi cations of The League and in other publications of the labor, farmer, and co-operative press. We suggest two characters: one to represent the intelligent and active mem ber of the co-operative society; the other to represent the ignoramus, "bonehead," "boob," "poor fish." With each ap pearance of these characters in public will appear a new dialogue skit, in which the second character shows by his ques tion or comment his utter inability to grasp the most elementary co-operative idea; he gets cheated; while the first character shows his understanding of Co-operation, its significance and ulti mate purpose; he always wins out. Appropriate names for the two charac ters should be submitted also. Beyond these requirements, there are no limitations placed upon the imagina tion of the contesting cartoonist. The characters may both be men, both women, or they may be a man and a woman. A few names for these characters have already been suggested—"Wiz and Biz," "Coop and Snoop," "Imp and Simp," "Eazz and Jazz," "Eazz and Berry." The person submitting the most suit able pair of characters in sketch will then be requested to supply five sketches of these characters in various poses or posi tions, and upon receipt of these five sketches, the Executive Office of The Co-operative League will send a check for $50 to this winner of the contest. The idea will be copyrighted by The Co-operative League and the initials or name of the successful artist will be carried in every picture. Sketches for the contest should be sent to The Co operative League, 167 West 12th Street, New York City. They must be submitted before March 1, 1926. Winner of the contest will be announced in the April number of Co-operation. Contestants may not expect sketches submitted to The League to be returned, unless self-addressed stamped envelope is enclosed. YEAR BOOK OF NORTHERN STATES CO-OPERATIVE LEAGUE THE Year Book of the Northern States League is the first attempt to embody co-operative statistics in a Year Book in the United States. The book is paper- covered, has 128 pages, and many in teresting articles in addition to photo graphs, tables of statistics and other valuable information. Price is 20 cents. BOUND VOLUME AND INDEX OF CO-OPERATION INDEX of Volume XI of CO-OPERATION may be procured free from the office of The Co-operative League by anyone who wants a copy. Bound volume of the magazine for 1925 will also be ready in a couple of weeks. PUBLICATIONS — OF — THE CO-OPERATIVE LEAGUE .50 .10 .02 .10 4.00 4.00 2.50 1.00 HISTORICAL Per Copy Per 100 •j Story of Co-operation .............$ .10 $6.00 7' British Co-operative Movement..... .10 6.00 V) Consumers' Co-operative Societies in N. Y. State (Published by Con sumers' League ................ .10 59 Co-operative Movement in liurope.. .05 64 Progress of Co-operation in United States . .....".....".".'......... -05 TECHNICAL 4 How to Start and Run a Rochdale Co-operative Society ............ .10 5. System of Store Records and Accounts . . . . . . ............. 6 A Model Constitution and By-Laws for a Co-operative Society....... .05 8. Co-operative Education. Duties of Educational Committee Defined... .10 9. How to Start a Co-operative Whole sale . . . . . . • ................. 27 Why Co-operative Stores Fail...... 2 Co-operative Store Management..... 14 How to Start and Run a Women's ' Guild. ....................... .05 15. How to Organize a District Co-opera tive League ................... -10 29. Credit Union Primer (By Ham and Robinson). . . . . . . ............ .50 32. Application Blanks for Membership in a Co-op Society. ............. 43. Co-operative Housing ............. .10 50. A B C of Co-operative Housing.... .10 51. Model Lease for Co-operative Apart ment House ................... .10 MISCELLANEOUS 16. Model Co-op State Law. ........... .10 46. Producers' Co-operative Industries. . .10 11. Control of Industry by the People through the Co-operative Movement .10 12. Credit Union and Co-operative Store .05 33. Credit Union and Co-operative Bank .05 13. The Place of Co-operation Among Other Movements .............. .25 34. Co-operative Movement (Yiddish).. .02 30. " When the Whistle Blew " (Story, by Bruce Calvert) .............. .06 41. Social Aspects of Farmers' Co-opera tive Marketing (By Benson Y. Landis). .................... .25 42. Co-op Homes for Europe's Homeless .10 53. Real First Aid for the Farmers.... .05 54. Credit at Cost for the People. ...... .05 55. A Better World to Live In. ....... .05 56. Government That Begins at Home. . .05 57. How a Consumers' Co-operative Dif fers from Ordinary Business. . . . .02 60. The " Moral Equivalent " of Jazz. . . .02 62. Buttons (League Emblem in 3 colors) 34 inch diameter. ....... 63. Sign or Transparency of League Em ble .65 1.75 1.25 3.00 lem. Green and gold, 8 in. diam. . .25 15.00 ONE-PAGE LEAFLETS (One Cent each; 50 Cents per 100; $2.50 per 500; $4.00 per 1,000.) (1) Principles and Aims of The Co-operative League; (18) Do You Know Why You Should Be a Co-operator; (20) Why Loyalty Is Necessary; (21) Cost and Crime of Credit; (22) A Real Co-operator; (36) Resolutions Adopted by A. F. of L.; (26) Factory Workers Co operate!; (28) Do You Know About Co-operation in Europe?; (40) Have You a Committee on Education and Recreation?; (44) What Is the Co-operative Move ment?; (45) Schools and Stores; (47) A Man's Right to a Job; (48) Tips to Co-operators; (49) The Way Out; (58) Making Co-operation Succeed in America; (61) Co-operation Brings Disarmament. MONTHLY PUBLICATIONS CO-OPERATION—(In bundle lots, $7.50 per hun dred). Subscription, per year..............$1'.00 HOME CO-OPERATOR, 4 pages...... .$1.00 per 100 INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATIVE BULLETIN, (Pub. by The I. C. A.).......... Per Year, $1.50 BOOKS The following books are recommended as containing the best discussions of the modern Co-operative Move ment. They may be ordered through The League: Bergengren, Roy F.: Co-operative Banking, A Credit Union Book ..................... $3.00 Blanc, Elsie T.: Co-operative Movement in Russia . . . . . . . ....................... 2.50 Brightwill, L. R.: Animal " Co-op " Book—For Children............................ .15 Faber, Harald: Co-operation in Danish Agricul ture, 1918 ............................. 2.75 Flanagan, J. A.: Wholesale Co-operation in Scotland, 1920 ......................... 2.00 Gebhard, Hannes: Co-operation in Finland, 1916 2.00 Gide, C.: Consumers' Co-operative Societies, 1921 2.50 Gide, C.: Consumers' Co-operative Societies American edition and notes, 1922. Cloth, $3.00; paper bound...................... .90 Hall, Prof. Fred: Handbook for Members of Co operative Committees ................... 2.00 Harris, Emerson P.: Co-operation, The Hope of the Consumer, 1918. Cloth, $2.00; paper bound . . . . . . . ....................... .60 Holyoake: Rochdale Pioneers ................ 1.00 Howe, Fred C.: Denmark, a Co-operative Com monwealth, 1921 ....................... 2.00 Jessness, O. B.: Co-operative Marketing of Farm Products ......................... 2.50 Madams, J. P.: The Story Retold............ .50 Nicholson, Isa: Our Story................... .25 Potter, B.: Co-operative Movement in Great Britain . . . . . . . ....................... 1.00 Redfern, Percy: The Story of the C. W. S..... 2.00 Redfern, Percy: The Consumers' Place in So ciety, 1920 ............................. 1.00 Smith-Gordon & Staples: Rural Reconstruction in Ireland, 19.18 ........................ 1.00 Smith-Gordon and O'Brien: Co-operation in Denmark........................... 1.00 Smith-Gordon and O'Brien: Co-operation in Many Lands, 1920 ..................... 1.50 Sonnichsen, Albert: Consumers' Co-operation, 1919. Paper bound .................... .75 Steen, H.: Co-operative Marketing............ 1.00 Stolinsky, A.: The Co-operative Movement. (In Yiddish). . . . . . . ...................... 1.00 Warbasse, James P.: Co-operative Democracy.. 2.50 Webb, B. and S.: The Consumers' Co-operative Movement, 1921 ....................... 5.00 Webb, Catherine: Industrial Co-operation, 1917. 1.50 Woolf, Leonard: Co-operation and the Future of Industry . . . . . . . ..................... 1.00 Woolf, L.: Socialism and Co-operation........ 1.50 Co-operation in Great Britain and Ireland, paper .25 CO-OFERATION, Bound Volumes, 1915 to 1925 inclusive, each ......................... 1.25 Transactions of Second American Co-operative Congress, 1920 ......................... 1.00 Transactions of Third American Co-operative Congress, 1922 ......................... 1.00 Transactions of Fourth American Co-operative Congress, 1924 ......................... 1.00 Northern States Year Book, 1925. Paper..... .20 The People's Year Book, 1925. Cloth, $1.00; paper bound ........................... .60 (Ten cents postage should be added for books which cost 'more than $2.00, and five cents for the smaller books.) THE CO-OPERATIVE LEAGUE (Member of The International Co-operative Alliance) 167 West 12th Street, New York An educational organization for teaching the history, principles, methods and alms of the Co-operative Movement and for the promotion of Co-operation in the United States. Join The League and thus help promote the educational work of the Co-operative Movement. Subscribe fo» the Monthly Magazine and keep in touch with the Movement. D Subscription for CO-OPERATION, $1.00. Q Membership in The LEAGUE, $1.00. find * nna $. for lor Name... Address. Co-operative Central Exchange Wholesale Grocers and Jobbers, Bakers We supply goods to Co-operative Societies ONLY. We arc owned and controlled by Co operative Societies. We are organized to enable Co-operative Societies to do collectively what they cannot do individually. Co-operative Central Exchange Offices, Warehouses and Plant: Winter Street and Ogden Ave., SUPERIOR, WIS. Co-operators* Ltd. Mutual Fire Insurance Co. is noiv writing insurance in State of Wisconsin THE PRODUCER Issued Monthly Price 3d. If you want to keep in touch with business, organization, administrative affairs, and problems of the British Co-operative Movement, read THE PRODUCER. Published hy Co-operative Wholesale Society, Inc., I Balloon Street, Manchester Post free 4 sh. Cd. a year. The Trade and Technical Organ of British Co-operation. TEE NEW SECRETARY'S LEDGER Published by the Educational Department Central States Co-operative Wholesale So'ciety (208 Converse Ave., E. St. Louis, 111.) is the form for keeping the Membership Ledger of a Co-operative Society which provides ample and proper space for all transactions with a maximum of effi ciency and a minimum of time, worry and errors. Send for Samples and Prices Co-operafion in Scotland In no part of the world is Co-operation fur ther developed, or more successfully practiced than in Scotland. If you wish to keep in formed, read "The Scottish Co-operator" (Published Weekly) Subscription: Year 12 sh.; half-year, 6 sh. Address, 119 Paisley Road, Glasgow, _ Scotland The Madras Monthly Bulletin of Co-operation ROYAPETTAH, MADRAS, INDIA The premier monthly ou Co-operation in India. Special articles on Rural, Con sumers', Agricultural, Credit and Indus trial Co-operation; and Co-operation Abroad. Subscription Rs. 4/12 per annum. The Canadian Co-operator Brantford, Ontario, Canada The organ of the Canadian Co-or*cra- tive Movement, owned by and con ducted under tlie auspices of The Co-operative Union of Canada. Published monthly 75c per annum THE HOME CO-OPERATOR A .four-page magazine for use in co operative societies. Issued monthly, in bundles, $1 per hundred. Published by The Co-operative League OKJPER™ A magazine to spread the knowledge of the Co-operative Movement, whereby the people, in voluntary association, produce and distribute for their own use the things they need. Published Monthly by THE CO-OPERATIVE LEAGUE 167 West 12th Street, New York City J. P. WARBASSE, Editor Entered as Second Class matter, December 19, 1917, at tlie Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Price $1.00 a year. VOL. XII, No. 2 FEBRUARY, 1926 10 CENTS ONE OF NEW YORK'S CO-OPERATIVE HOUSES. Co-operative Bouses are loth large and small; ornate and plain; "high-priced and low-priced; for organized workers, professional and business people. This house, on Belmont Ave., Bronx, is one of the smaller. Built to house eight families, it was purchased two years ago l>y a Co-operative Association for $41000. Monthly charges ("Bents") range from $60 to $65 for six rooms and l>ath 22 CO-OPE RAT ION Co-operative Home Builders in New York '"PHE workers and professional people of Greater New York have begun to _-M;ake hold of co-operative housing in real earnest during the past few years. Jewish groups in the Bronx, Finnish groups in Brooklyn, miscellaneous groups in Manhattan and Queens—each borough of the great city has co-operative homeseekers driving by different roads toward the same goal: low-priced housing without profit, security of tenure, democratic control by the tenant members themselves. Here you see sixty single people in co-operative control of a lodging house which also provides two meals a day for its members. . There you find a colony of many co-operative apartment houses with two co-operative restaurants situated in the same neighborhood for the convenience of their occupants. A third group experiments with co-operative buying of a few lines of groceries. A fourth specializes in a large playground with tennis courts for the adults and sand boxes, wading pool, etc., for the children. Properties vary in value from $16,000 to $1,400,000. They vary in number of apartments from 8 to 340. They vary as to monthly "rental" charges between $5 per room and $20 per room. Average cost per building is about $175,000; average number of tenant-members, around 28; average rental per room, approximately $12. The most interesting feature of this new movement is its diversity. Among the 35 or 40 housing groups there have been nearly a score of different kinds of experimentation in matters of financing, incorporation, control, management. A rapid sight-seeing trip among these groups would show us some of the fol lowing variations: There are language differences. In the Bronx Borough there are several groups of Jewish workers, a few of Finnish workers. In Manhattan there are one or two Jewish groups, two or three associations.of professional and business people. In Queens we come across several small societies made up of workers or small business men of native birth. In Brooklyn there are more than twenty associations, the majority of them Finnish in nationality, but some Swedish, some mixed, some entirely American born; all of them are predominantly groups of workers. There are differences in form of organization. Many societies are incorpo rated under the joint-stock law, and the co-operative features have to be written into the by-laws. Some are organized as membership corporations without capital stock, and monthly rental charges constitute membership dues. The others are under the co-operative stock corporation law. There are variations in business and financial practice. A few have their members pay in at the very beginning a certain percentage of the total value of the apartment, and this constitutes their financial interest in the association for all time. All payments on mortgages are credited to the association, but no individual has any claim upon them. Other associations have their members subscribe for the complete value of the apartment, part of the payment being made on taking possession, the balance being paid in monthly installments with the rent over a period of several years. The member is given additional stock each year for the amortization payments he has made during that year. A small number of the associations conduct their business with most scrupulous regard to the strictest accounting practice, setting aside adequate reserves for depreciation of the building; amortizing temporary repairs and improvements (such as painting, etc.) over short periods; paying interest on stock owned by members, etc. The majority of the associations do not regard such practices necessary; they neglect such matters as depreciation of the property; make no allowance for interest on members' shares. Some of the societies set a flat initial CO-OPERATION 23 payment and a flat monthly charge for all the apartments in the building, regard less of the fact that some are much more desirable than others; and the early comers get the best locations at the low cost. Most of the societies try to fix initial payments and monthly charges in proportion to the relative value as living quarters of each apartment. There are many ways of handling management. One or two groups rotate membership on the management committee alphabetically among all the mem bers. Others elect boards of directors for one, two or three year terms. In some of the smaller houses the entire membership constitutes the board of directors. A few have a board which appoints one of the resident members to act as manager; others have a board which farms out the management and bookkeeping to commercial real estate agents. There is considerable divergence as to prohibiting members from selling or subletting at a profit. On the extreme left is the group which permits only organized workers to live in the house and evicts any member who sets up in private business. This group rigidly forbids any selling of stock or subletting of apartments on the part of the members at a profit. On the extreme right are the associations where, in spite of original intentions that no speculative practices shall creep in, individual members sometimes hold lease to two or more apartments and sublet at a profit; or they sell their stock at a higher price than they paid for it. In between these two extremes are many variations of the co-operative effort to prevent speculation and exploitation of the public. Some associations permit subletting of furnished apartments at a slight increase over the base price; others feel that control of price is impossible, so they put restrictions upon the period of time that a member may sublet. One association says that members may not sell at an advance in price "except at an advance equivalent to the increase in the assessed valuation of the property." Such are some of the different interpretations put upon the term '' Co-opera tive Housing" by two thousand of the residents of New York. They differ as to definition of co-operation when applied to this field of economic endeavor; they differ as to the best methods of administering such a difficult type of business. From such wide experimentation should come some valuable lessons. Early in January The Co-operative League called a conference of co-opera tive housing associations. Eighteen groups sent delegates; and at the meeting a committee of seven was appointed to make an intensive study of the various co-operative housing practices and to work out a proposal for the formation of a permanent co-operative housing federation of these groups. That committee is now holding meetings. Until a cleancut dividing line can be established between the "true" and the "false" co-operative housing associations, no adequate list of all of these enterprises in New York can be compiled with any accuracy. The list that follows does not pretend to be complete, but it is pretty comprehensive. Co-operative Housing Societies in Greater New York Manhattan Unity House, 135 Lexington Avenue. Workmen's Mutual Aim Association, 1786 Lexington Avenue. Rational Workmen's Co-operative Society, 1815 Madison Avenue. United Workers Co-operative Association, 1 Union Square. 105-117 East 102d Street Apartment Houses. Beekman Hill Co-operative Association, 343-349 East 50th Street. Consumers Co-operative Housing Association, 68 Barrow Street. Ethical Culture Co-operative Society, 579 West 65th Street. 167 West 136th Street Co-operative Corporation. Varma Co-operative Homes, Inc., 2056 Fifth Avenue. Suoja, 1 West 127th Street. 24 CO-OPERATION CO-OPERATION 25 Bronx Consumerized Homes, 1884 Belinont Avenue. Yiddishe Co-operative Heim Geselschaft, 406 East 149th Street. Long Island Smmyside First Co-operative Housing Association, Inc., Queens Boulevard and Carolyn Street, Long Island City, L. I. * Sunnyside Second Co-operative Housing Association, Inc., Long Island City, L.I. Brooklyn 517 49th Street Club, Inc. Berkshire Court, Inc., 7th Avenue and 40th Street. Florence Homes Association, 540 40th Street. Park Hill Home Association, Inc., 759 42d Street. Advance Homes Association, Inc., 870 43d Street. Baltic Homes Association, Inc., 4113 7th Avenue. Victory Homes Company, 671 46th Street. "Alku" Co-operative Apartments, 814-816 43d Street. 682 Lexington Avenue Co-operative Tenants Union, Inc. 684 Lexington Avenue Co-operative Tenants Union, Inc. 466 49th Street Club, Inc. Riverview Co-operative Association, 41st Street and 7th Avenue. Sunset Court Association, 4002-4012 7th Avenue. Bay View Association, Inc., 671 47th Street. Sunset Homes Association, Inc., 705 41st Street. Sunset View Association, Inc., 605 41st Street. Corner View Association, Inc., 4401 4th Avenue. Hillside Association, Inc., 566 44th Street. Parkslope Association, Inc., 570 44th Street. Pleasant View Association, Inc., 574 44th Street. Hilltop View Association, Inc., 4404 6th Avenue. Broadview Association, Inc., 4313 9th Avenue. Topview Association, Inc., 807 44th Street. Linden Heights Association, Inc., 702 45th Street. Sun Garden Home, 655 41st Street. Eight Family Home Association, 546 40th Street. Vital Issues LIBERTY A/TOST people do not want liberty. ^^ If they had it they would not know what to do with it. Whenever they are threatened with liberty they dodge it and try to escape. They are so suc cessful that there is not much liberty for anybody. There is a natural human apathy and indifference which prompts people to want to avoid responsibility. "Let George do it" is our national motto. We put it on our coins, but give it a high sound: "In God we trust." Political bosses provide the voters with candidates and tell them how to vote. Pedagogues tell people what to study. The great ethical and religious questions are taken care of. The deci sions as to what is right and what is wrong are all ready made. The fashions relieve people from the responsibility of making decisions about their clothes. In industry the boss tells them what to do. Workers' control of industry which im plies real responsibility of financing and administration, is a fatuous dream. The workers do not want control of industry. They just want more wages. Capitalistic business supplies the wants of the people. If capitalistic business fails to do it, the natural ten dency is to turn to the State. State socialism is the natural successor of capitalism, among people who do not want liberty. Let the State do it. Let the politicians do it. Let George do it. Let somebody else do it for me—and to me. And so more and more the people are directed, driven, told what to do, shoved, pulled, fed, paid, and sent home. The whistle blows, the clock strikes. Sit down, get up, open book, take off hat— it is all thought out and ordered before hand by somebody else. This method prevails because people prefer it. To have a Co-operative Movement re quires that people shall want the liberty to think for themselves; that they shall actually have the audacity to break away from the prevalent method of doing busi ness; that they shall have the boldness to defy disapproving opinions; and that they shall claim the liberty to assume responsibilities for the sake of making themselves masters of their fate. J. P. W. SHOULD WE TAKE THOUGHT FOE THE MOREOW? 'pHAT excellent little monthly, "The •*• Co-operative Official," raises a most important question in its leading edi torial for December, 1925. It is to the following effect. More than eighty years ago, under economic and social conditions which were markedly different from those that prevail to-day, the Rochdale co-operative society was organized. Since that time, right down to this age of giant power, billion dollar capitalist monopolies, in ternational combines of finance, world federations of labor unions, of co-opera tive societies, and of capitalist govern ments, the British societies calmly roll along with this same form of organiza tion, apparently feeling secure in the belief that the solution of the consumers' problems in 1844 was divinely ordained to stand as the solution for all future time and for all future conditions. As a result the leaders of the entire British movement are concerning them selves with minor problems entirely: Shall we sell at market price or cost- plus price: Should dividends be high or low? Shall we give employees a bonus? Fifty years ago these were the most vital problems besetting the move ment. To-day there are vastly greater problems demanding attention, and getting none. The co-operatives of many continental countries are experimenting with the problem of securing business efficiency without sacrificing democratic rule. A few of them are trying to find out just what share of the control and the earn ings of the society's business should be given to employees if the movement as a whole is to be most effective. What should be the relation between pro ducers' and consumers' co-operatives? How can we permeate the largest capi talist corporations and prevent these mammoth institutions from overpower ing the co-operatives? What should be the attitude of co-operatives toward state and municipal control of food or coal distribution; toward state ownership of public utilities? The editors of this valuable paper believe that the British Co-operative Movement needs an advanced body of thinkers who will do for it what the Fabian Society has done for the British Labor Movement. We in America have an advantage over our co-operative cousins. Any drastic changes to be made in England and Scotland must wait upon the conversion of a vast mass of thousands of powerful societies, hun dreds of thousands of officials too busy to stop and think, millions of consumers so steeped in the traditions of their co operative ancestors that any suggestion of drastic innovations may be anathema to them. The co-operatives of the United States are still comparatively few, still in the stages of early experimentation, still open minded and ready for sug gestions. The editors of CO-OPERATION are frequently blamed for discussing co-operative theory too much, and co-op erative practice too little. The latter part of the charge may be well founded. But we can't have too much questioning about these larger and more ultimate 26 CO-OPERATION CO-OPERATION 27 matters, for upon them depends in a very large measure the future ability of our movement to withstand the compe tition of the prevailing capitalist system. Co-operation demands not only the well- oiled machinery that keeps it going to day and to-morrow. It also needs a far-seeing philosophy that seeks out the very fundamentals of social and eco nomic science and seeks to apply them at once to the practical work of the moment. MOEE COMPULSOEY CO-OPERATION? In a recent number of CO-OPERATION we have reported the legislation in Queensland which compels a minority of farmers producing a particular com modity to market through the associa tion formed by t