The source of this uncorrected OCR text may be viewed in the DjVu format at: http://fax.libs.uga.edu/HD2951xC776/co43 or http://purl.galileo.usg.edu/ugafax/HD2951xC776/co43 NEW BOOKS AND SPECIAL EDITIONS NOVA SCOTIA, Land of Cooperators—bv Father Leo Ward. This book, just published, is not merely another account of cooperatives in Nova Scotia. It is rather the story of the co operative movement as told by the people them selves — Ed Power and old Ben Marchand, Johnny and Jean LeClair and all the rest — to a keen observer of human nature. Father Ward's story is timely and of real human in terest. ............................................. Co-op Edition, $1.50 HOW TO TEACH CONSUMERS' COOP ERATION—by C. Maurice Wieting. Educators will welcome Dr. Wieting's book, presenting as it does the results of his experience in the curriculum laboratory at Teachers College, Co lumbia. He surveys the present status of con sumers' cooperation, as well as methods of teaching it, shows how it can be worked into curricula in different ways, and suggests units suitable for several types of classes. Co-op Edition, $1.50 PROBLEMS OF COOPERATION—by J. P. Warbasse. This analyzes the mistakes of de funct societies, points out weaknesses inherent in cooperatives, and indicates the most danger ous external obstacles to be overcome. A book for wide-awake strategists. Co-op Edition, $1.00 THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS—by Joshua K. Belles. A vivid and comprehensive portrayal of the cooperative movement in America, it serves as a popular introduction for anyone who would like a candid look at cooperatives through the eyes of an experienced reporter. Co-op Edition, $1.00 PADDY THE COPE—by Patrick Gallagher. This heart-warming autobiography tells of the struggles and heartaches and final victory of the Templecrone Cooperative in bleak Donegal County, Ireland. It is the story of common folk, poor but proud, who clashed with the "Gombeen" men and freed themselves from the shackles of greed and exploitation. It is refreshing for its candid outlook; and its lilting style, so characteristic of good Irish prose, is delightful. ................................. Co-op Edition, $1.50 COOPERATIVES IN AMERICA^by Ellis Cowling. A revised edit'On of this account of the cooperative movement in the United States is expected to he ready for sale at the eri(l of January. ... Probable Price, Co-op Edition, $1.00 COOPERATIVE DEMOCRACY—by J. P. Warbasse. The Bible of the American cooper- ative movement by its foremost authority, brought up to date in a new revision. If you want one book about cooperatives, their his tory, principles, present extent and implica tions for the future, this is it. Co-op Edition, $1.50 THE MORALE OF DEMOCRACY - by Jerry Voorhis. Congressman Jerry Voorhis' an swer to the question, "What is the morale of democracy?" is: "The spirit of cooperation," in which he sees the democratic hope for a new world. ................._......................... Co-op Edition, 50c. CONSUMERS COOPERATIVE LEADER- SHIP—"Consumers Cooperative Leadership" will be of value for thousands of American consumers who want to cooperate for the com mon good, but do not yet know how to do sc successfully. The very nature of the book requires A it be technical ; however, the terminology usée is explicit and no reader should find the detail laborious. The book answers the question y i want to know about starting and managing a successful co-op. "How much capital is .,.• quired ?" "How should the capital be raised?' "How large should the store be?" "Should the) sell meat because some members think :t would be a good idea?" "What amount f fixtures and furniture is necessary?" and other questions just as vital to the success or faih . of a co-operative society. The book is not written by one person l t is an attempt at a presentation of facts devel oped by investigation and research, in the course of which a number of people were used. This book should be of inestimable value . for all leaders in consumer cooperative societies. $1.25 Plus Postt . 181 Order from THE COOPERATIVE LEAGUE 167 West 12th Street New York City CONSUMERS o OFFICIA- , ORGAN Of The Consumers' Cooperative Movement in the U. S. A. VOLUME January — December 1943 Published by The Cooperative League of the U. S. A. 608 S. Dearborn 726 Jackfion p,ace Chicago 5, 111. Washington 6, D.C. 167 W. |2th Street New York 11, N. Y. INDEX CONSUMERS' COOPERATION (NOTE : The October, November and December issues were incorrectly numbered. To save confusion, we have added the month to the page number for these issues.) j(\ PAGE Abundance is Here—It Can Be Produced .............................................................................. 19 Advertising, The Need for Cooperative ........................................................................................ 86 Advisory Councils, Ohio Farm Bureau .................................................................................... 74 All Things Considered ...................................................................................................................... 73 Alien, Adam ..............................................._^ 96 Alien, Harland .............................................................__^ 141 Another Cooperative Year—1943 ............................................................................................ 1 Are You Starving Your Co-op ? ............................................................................................................ 76 B Bacon, Margaret ................................................................................................................................. 128-Nov. Baldwin, Lewis M. ............*.................................._ 66 Beaton, Neil S. ...........................................................................................~^ 147 Bogardus, Emory S. .................................................................................................................................. 16, 43 Bowen, E. R. .......................................................................................... 2, 14, 105, 107, 133, 105-Oct Boyd, Neva L. ..............................................................^ 134 Brandeis Really Believed About Business, What ..................................................................... 83 British Co-ops are Meeting the War Emergencies, How .......................................... 99-Oct. Brookings Institution ..................................................................................................... 106-Oct. Bryan, Darwin R. ....................................................................................................................... 26, 128 Buck, Pearl ........................................................^ 42 Builds Better Houses and Makes Happier Homes, Cooperation ................................. 54 Business, Cooperative ............................................................................................................. 2, 46 Business Looks to Co-ops .................................................................................................... m Business of Sixteen Regional Cooperatives Topped Hundred Million in '42 46 Calkins, Oilman ........................................................................ 154, 129-Dec., 140-Dec., 143-Dec. Campanell, Tomasso .............................................................................-.--.-------------•---•••• 10° Campbell, Wallace J. ........................................................................ 6, 9, 105, 109, 155, 137-Dec. Campus Co-ops, First Official Survey by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ............ 88 Canadian Parliament Hearings ...................................................................................................... 11° Capitalist-Monopoly and Communist-Bureaucracy Meet in Berlin, What Will Happen When ............................................................................................................................ 113-Nov. Capitol Letters ................................................................................................ 8, 30, 111-Oct., 126-Nov. Centennial Campaign ........................................................................... 45, 68, 123-Nov/r 143-Dec. Centennial Campaign, Preliminary Plans for 1944 .................................................................. 68 Centennial Campaign, Plans Rolling For ........................................................................ 123-Nov. Central Cooperative Wholesale .........................._..................................................................-.....-......- 1° Central Coordinating Group ........................................................................................................ 112-Oct. INDEX PAGE Century of Cooperation, The ..................................................................................................................... 4 Challenge of American Business to the Cooperative Economy .................................... 141 Chamberlain, John ............................................................................................................................................. 42 China, Cooperation in ........................................................................................................................ 112-Oct.- Christian Century, The ................................................................................................................................. 6 Circle in 1944, Plan a Complete Cooperative .............................................................................. 71 Circuit Schools .......................................................................................................................................... 124-Nov. Civilian Spending and Saving in 1941 and 1942 ........................................................................ 52 Coady, M. M. ...................................................................................................................................................... 96 Commonweal, The ............................................................................................................................................. 7 Conditions of Peace, a review .................................................................................................................. 31 Consumers Cooperative Association .......................................................................................... 27, 67 CO-OP, Introducing ....................................... ................. . ...... 140-Dec. * O ............. ............................... .......... J. AVX *-• •».•-• Cooperation Advances on All Seven Fronts .................................................................................... 145 Cooperative Community, Inc.—Glenview, 111. ........................................................................... 54 Cooperative Economy—a review ........................................................... .. 95 L J ........... ......................... s •* Cooperative League Board of Directors Meeting .................................................................. 45 Cooperative Union ................................................................................................................................. 100-Oct. Co-ops, Cults and Consumers ...................................................................................................... 118-Nov. Covey, Esther ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Cowden, Howard A. .......................................................................................................................... 67, 105 Credit Union and Cooperative League Plan Closer Cooperation .............................. 29 Credit Unions, Growth of, a chart ...................................................................................................... 48 D Days of the Big Push, The .................................................................................................'....................... 27 Democracy by Discussion, a review ...................................................................................................... 16 Development of Collective Enterprise, a review ..................................................................... 16 Dillman, Mary .................................................................................................................................................... 88 Directors Meeting Opens with Poetry and Philosophy, Cooperative League ...... 100 Distribute Abundance, Cooperation is the Only Way to ................................................... 19 Detroit Play Co-op ............................................................................................................................. 12 5-Nov. Dollar A Share, a review .............................................................................................................................. 96 Dairy, James C. ................................................................................................................................................... 48 Dykstra, Waling ....................................................................................................................................... 102-Oct. Eastern Cooperative League ........................................................................................................................ 28 Eastern Cooperative Recreation School .................................................................................... 95, 112 Eastern Cooperative Recreation School Yields Week of Fun, Heaps of Co operation .......................................................................................................................................................... 160 Eck, Carl .....„...._............................................_ 123 Economic Freedom at Home, We Must Win .............................................................................. 33 Editor, Meet the New ........................................................................................................................... 129-Dec. Editors are Doing and Planning, What Co-op ........................................................................... 114 Editor's Dream, An .......................................................................................................................................... 97 Education, Cooperative ............................................................ 2, 10, 27, 44, 76, 118, 125-Nov. INDEX PAGE Education for the World We Want...................................................................................................... 135 Educational or a Commodity Man, Which is More Important .................................... 102 Educational Program, Developing a Local Co-op ..................................................................... 127 Educators are Doing and Saying, What Co-op .............................................................................. 116 Eldridge, Seba and Associates .................................................................................................................. 63 Encyclical of Pope Pius XI ........................................................................................................................ 77 Everybody Can Act ........................................................................................................................................ 42 Faulty Translation Changed Economic History, A .................................................................. 77 Finance, Cooperative ..................................................................................................................... 2, 138-Dec. Fisher, Dorothy Canfield .............................................................................................................................. 71 Food—A Weapon for Victory, a review ....................................................................................... 48 Four Great Steps in Co-op History ...................................................................................................... 105 Fowler, Bertram B. ............................................................................................................................................. 48 Free World Round Table ........................................................................................................................... 110 Freedom to be Free, The, a review ....................................................................................... 128-Nov. Gill, Eric .................................................................................................._ 101 Green, Perry L. ...................................................................................................................................................... 106 Greer, Paul .........................................................„..............................................................................._................. 22 Gross National Product by Use, a chart ............................................................................................. 50 Group Health Mutual ....................................................................................................................................... 58 H Hart, Leslie A. .......................................................................................................................................... 115-Nov. Health Cooperative in the Making, The Story of One ......................................................... 58 Helping Europe After the War ............................................................................................................... 137 Hobbies in War and Peace ........................................................................................................................ 13 Housing Committee, Cooperative Post War ................................................................................ 45 Housing, Cooperative ....................................................................................................................................... 54 How to Work with People in Building Cooperatives ............................................................ 134 Hhtchinson, Carl R. .......................................................................................................................................... 74 I Saw a Cooperative World Being Built .............................................................................. 132-Dec. Ida B. Wells Homes ......................................................................................................................... 112-Oct. Income Paid to Individuals by Use, a chart ................................................................................. 57 Incomes, Agricultural and Industrial Workers ........................................................................... 20 Individual Instances vs. General Averages .................................................................................... 103 Inflation, Beware the Post War Dangers Of .............................................................................. 81 International Cooperative Relief and Reconstruction ................................................ 112-Oct. International Cooperative Trading, Coordination In ................................................ 102-Oct. INDEX J PAGE Jacobson, George W. ....................................................................................................................................... 58 India, Cooperation in ........................................................................................................................... 133-Dec. Johansson, Albin ................................................................................................................................................ 150 Johnston, Eric ......................................................................................................................................................... 83 K Kalkin, Miriam ................................................................................................................................................... 47 Kallen, Horace M. ................................................................................................................................................139 Kendall, Erick .................................................................. 114 Kennedy, E. D. ................................................................._ 4l LaFollette, Senator Robert M., Jr. ......................................................................................................... 40 Lake, Helmi .................................................................................................................................................^ 121 Landis, Benson Y. ............................................................................................................................................. 95 Lane, Dr. Howard ............................................................................................................................................. 135 Laski, Harold .................................................................................................................................................^ 4l Leading Cooperation to Ruin ..................................................................................................................... 37 Leatherman, Wilbur ......................................................................................_ 118 Leisure, Cooperation and Organization of ........................................................................... 108-Oct. Listen! Think! Act............................................................................................................................................. 104 Lincoln, Murray D. .................................................................................................................. 106, 108, 147 Linson, Ellen ................................................................................................... 12, 62, 94, 160, 108-Oct. Literature We Need arid How to Distribute It, The ................................................ 115-Nov. Little Thing Like This, A, a play review ........................................................................ 125-Nov. Los Angeles Daily News .............................................................................................................................. 6 M MacMillan, Mary ................................................................................................................................................ 112 Manufacturing Boots Savings, Co-op ................................................................................................ 67 Marshall, James ....................................................................................................................................... 128-Nov. Marx, Dr. Walter John .............................................................................................................................. 64 Mayer, Milton ...................................................................................................................................................... 143 McLanahan, C. J. .............................................................................. 10, 27, 44, 76, 116, 124-Nov. Merchandising Managers Are Doing and Planning, What Co-op .............................. 120 Midland Cooperative Wholesale ............................................................................................................ 28 Midwest Cooperative Recreation and Education Institute ................................................ 79 Miller, Merlin G. .......................................................................................................................................... 64 Mills, Factories and Refineries Owned by American Consumer Co-ops, One Hundred .......................................................................................................................................... 15 5 Milwaukee Play Co-op ..................................................................................................................... 125-Nov. Motherwell, Hiram ......................................................................................................................................... 137 Movie Tells Story of Sharecroppers of the Sea ........................................................................... 47 Movies for 1943, New and Old ............................................................................................................... 5 N Nation, The .................................................................................................................................................. 7 National Cooperatives, Inc. ..................................................................................................................... 46 INDEX INDEX PAGE National Cooperative Finance Association ....................................................................................... 2 National Co-op Staff, Three Important Additions to ............................................................ 153 National Product and Its Expenditure, The .................................................................................. 34 National War Debt and Taxes ............................................................................................................... 14 Nevins, G. E. .........................................................._ 120 North Kansas City Play Co-op Hobby Night ........................................................................... 95 Norris, George W. .................................................................................................................................... 6, 9 Norris, Ruth ................................................................................................................................................ 63, 118 Nova Scotia, Land of Cooperators, a review ................................................................................. 112 o O'Brien, Howard Vincent ........................................................................................................................... 73 Olson, Hanford ....._............................................._................_.........._ 127 Owned by Members, Cooperatives Should be Completely ............................................. 82 Out of Debt, Out of Danger, a review ................................................................................. 111-Oct. Palmer, R. A. ............................................................................................................................................. 101-Oct. Parsons, Rev. Wilfrid .................................................................................................................................... 77 Pasadena Recreation Association ............................................................................................................ 94 Pay Off Your Debts, Urge Cooperative League Directors ................................................... 18 Pay Once or Pay Thrice for the War ................................................................................................ 104 Peoples Entertainment Society ...................................................................................................... 108-Oct. Perkins, Lionel ...................................................................................................................................................... 16 Permanent Peace, Cooperation the Only Basis for ............................................................... 150 Permanent Plasters on our Economic Cancers, Should We Put ....................................... 36 Personnel Directors are Doing and Planning, What Co-op ............................................. 123 Petroleum Administration for War .......................................................................................... 126-Nov. Play Cooperators ......................._........................................................................................................ 125-Nov. Play to Understanding, Through ............................................................................................................ 26 Plays, Two New .................................................................................................................................... 125-Nov. Political Governments Change, When and Why Do ............................................................ 103 Post War Planning, A Report on Cooperative ............................................................... 137-Dec. Post War Reconstruction, Co-ops Role in, a chart ..................................................................... 146 Post War Reconstruction Requires Cooperative Economic Organization, Democratic ................................................................................................................................................... 91 Press, A Consumer-Owned Daily ......................................................................................................... 22 Priestly, J. B. ................._.....................................................:.........................................................„ 109-Oct. Private Business, What is Happening to ....................................................................................... 53 Proebsting, James L. ....................................................................................................................................... 153 Production, Cooperative ................................................................................................................................. 155 Profit-Debt System, The "Defective" ................................................................................................... 102 Profit Prevents Our Having Plenty arid Peace ........................................................................... 17 Profits, Covering Up The ........................................................................................................................... 103 Progressive, The ................................................................................................................................................... 7 Proven Program for Freedom from Want, A .................................................................. 143-Dec. Public Ownership to Cooperation, The Relation of ................................................... 121-Nov. PAGE Publicity, National and International Recognition Given to Co-ops in New Blaze of ......................................................_ 109 Publicity Program, Developing a Local Co-op ........................................................................... 125 R Radio Controversy Established Fundamentals Points ............................................................ 6 Recreation, Cooperative ........................... 2, 12, 26, 42, 62, 79, 112, 118, 160, 142-Dec. Recreation Leaders are Doing and Saying, What Co-op ...................................................... 118 Recreation in Cooperatives, a review ................................................................................................... 63 Recreation, What's Ahead in Cooperative .................................................................................... 12 Recreation Survey .........................................................._...................................••-.••.•.•..---•...--- 142-Dec. Recreation News Notes ........................................................................................................................ 62, 94 Report of General Secretary to Board, 1942 and 1943 ......................................................... 2 Research Service, Cooperative League ............................................................................................. 7 Reunion, Eastern and National Cooperative Recreation School ................................. 62 Reviews, Book ..................................................................... 16, 31, 63, 64, 80, 95, 112, 128-Nov. Ride the Publicity Waves .............................................................................................................................. 98 Robert Owen, a review .................................................................................................................................... 80 Robin Co-op, A ......................._...............„......................„..™ 104 Rochdale Cooperation and American Democracy ......................................................... 130-Dec. Rodell, Fred .......................................................................................................................................^ Rose, Al. G. ..............................,..................................^ 154 Rural Electrification Administration ................................................................................................... 8 Rural Youth of Lancaster County ......................................................................................................... 63 Sales and Advertising Program, Developing a Local Co-op ............................................. 131 Sanders, Harvey .......................................................................................................................................... 86, 131 Schmidt, Hans ........................................................................................................................... 13 Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society .......................................................................................... 37 Self-Help Co-ops .................................................................................................................................... 139-Dec. Setting the Sights for 1943 ........................................................................................................... 10 Services, Prepare to Push Co-ops ......................................................................................................... 49 Signs of "The March of Fascism" in America ........................................................................... 101 Staff Conference, The 1943 National Co-op ..................................................................... 80, 114 Staff Organization, National, Regional, District and Local Cooperative .................. 20 Stevenson, Janet ....................................................................................................................................... 125-Nov. Study-Action Groups Today, How are Your .............................................................................. 44 Study Groups Prove to be Action Groups ....................................................................................... 74 Study-Action Leaflets ....................................................................................................................................... H Sweden in the Spotlight .............................................................................................................................. 111 They Are Riding Again .................................................................................................................. 124-Nov. Thompson, Carl D. .............................................................................................................................. 121 -Nov. Tichenor, George ..................................................................................-...............-•--.-.•-—-----••-• 125 INDEX PAGE Toad Lane, a poem ............................................................................................................................................. 66 Today's Crisis Brings Greater Cooperative Opportunities ....................................... 97-Oct. Toothill, Fred ............................................................_ 99-Oct. Trial Balloons Thrown Up at Geneva ............................................................................................. 133 Truman, Senator Harry S. ........................................................................................................................ 40 Turn of the Tide, a film review ............................................................................................................... 64 U United Nations Food Conference, a report .................................................................................... 147 United Nations Food Conference Recommends Co-ops to Cut Food Costs ...... 108 University of Minnesota Tax Conference .................................................................................... 30 U.S. Co-op Manufacturing Plants, a chart .................................................................................... 157 V Vborhis, Congressman Jerry ............................................................................................. 40, 111-Oct. W Wagner, Richard Robert .............................................................................................................................. 80 Wake Up America ......................._..........................................._.„................................................................... 50 Wall Street Moves to Washington ......................................................................................................... 39 Wallace, Vice President Henry A. ................................................................................. 4, 112-Oct. Warbasse, James Peter ........................................................................................................................ 37, 80 Ward, Rev. Leo ..................................................................................._ 112 Way to Political Peace is Through Economic Cooperation, The .............................. 99 Webb, Beatrice, a Servant of Society ................................................................................................ 84 Where Does the Consumer Come In? ................................................................................................ 139 White, William Alien .................................................................................................................................... 40 Wholesale Prices During and After Wars .................................................................................... 15 Will Your Cooperative Be Prepared for Peace? ......................................................... 131-Dec. Wilmington Recreation Conference ................................................................................................... 94 With the People—a play review ............................................................................................. 125-Nov. Women are Active, Yes .................................................................................................................. 110-Oct. Women are Doing and Planning, What Co-op ........................................................................ 121 Workbook, Educational ................................................................................................................................. 10 Workshop, Cooperative Recreation ....................................................................................... 125-Nov. World Economic Plan & Other Economic Proposals, The Cooperative ...... 105-Oct. Z Zaritsky, Max ...................................................................................................................................... 33 MAR 10 1943 The Cast of Here is Tomorrow recording the first program. 1943 ANOTHER COOPERATIVE YEAR NATIONAL WAR DEBT AND TAXES E. R. Bowen WHOLESALE PRICES DURING AND AFTER WARS WHAT'S AHEAD IN COOPERATIVE RECREATION Ellen Linson SETTING THE SIGHTS FOR '43 C. J. McLanahan RADIO CONTROVERSY ESTABLISHES FUNDAMENTAL POINTS W. J. Campbell JANUARY NEW AND OLD MOVIES FOR 1943 Esther Covey "43 CAPITOL LETTERS John Carson «NATIONAL MAGAZINE FOR COOPERATIVE LEADERS SPECIAL CONGRESS ISSUE Copies of the Congress issue of CONSUMERS COOPERATION are still available. This issue contains a complete report of the Cooperative League Congress which was held in Minneapolis in September. All the speeches of the principal speakers appear in condensed form. You may write for a prepared outline for discussion which goes with this issue to The Cooperative League, 608 South Dearborn St., Chicago. This outline will be very useful in discussion groups wishing to use the Congress issue for study. You may obtain extra copies of the magazine for 25c. per copy from THE COOPERATIVE LEAGUE 167 West 12th Street New York City THE COOPERATIVE LEAGUE 608 South Dearborn, Chicago 167 West 12th Street, New York City 726 Jackson Place N.W., Washington, D. C. DIVISIONS: Auditing Bureau, 167 West 12 St., N. Y. C. Medical Bureau, 1790 Broadway, N. Y. C. Design Service, 167 West 12 St., N. Y. C. Rochdale Institute, 167 West 12 St., N. Y. C. AFFILIATED REGIONAL Name Am. Farmers Mutual Auto Ins. Co. Associated Cooperatives, N. Cal. Central Cooperative Wholesale Central States Cooperatives, Inc. Consumers Book Cooperative Consumers Cooperative Association Consumers' Cooperatives Associated Consumers Cooperative Wholesale Cooperative Distributors Cooperative Recreation Service Cuna Supply Cooperative Eastern Cooperative League Eastern Cooperative Wholesale Farm Bureau Cooperative Ass'n Farm Bureau Mutual Auto Insurance Co. Farm Bureau Services Farmers Cooperative Exchange Farmers' Union Central Exchange Grange Cooperative Wholesale Indiana Farm Bureau Coop. Association Midland Cooperative Wholesale National Cooperatives, Inc. National Cooperative Women's Guild Pacific Coast Student Co-op League Pacific Supply Cooperative Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Coop. Ass'n Southeastern Cooperative League United Cooperatives, Inc. Workmen's Mutual Fire Ins. Society AND NATIONAL COOPERATIVES Address Publication St. Paul, Minn. 815 Lydia St., Oakland Cooportunity Superior, Wisconsin Cooperative Builder 2301 S. Millard, Chicago The Round Table 27 Coenties Slip, N.Y.C. Readers Observer N. Kansas City, Mo. Cooperative Consumer The Proclucer-Consuniti S. Calif. Cooperaiui Consumers Defender The Recreation Kit Amarillo, Texas 7218 S. Hoover, L.A. 116E. 16 St., N. Y. Delaware, Ohio Madison, Wise. 135 Kent Ave., Brooklyn The Cooperator 135 Kent Ave., Brooklyn The Cooperator Columbus, Ohio Columbus, Ohio Lansing, Michigan Raleigh, N. C. St. Paul, Minn. Seattle, Washington Indianapolis, Ind. Minneapolis, Minn. Chicago, 111. 608 S. Dearborn, Chicago Review Ohio Cooperator Ohio Farm Bureau News Michigan Farm News The Carolina Cooperator Farmers' Union Herald Grange Cooperative News Hoosier Farmer Midland Cooperator Berkeley, Calif. Walla Walla, Wash. Harrisburg, Penn. Carrollton, Georgia Indianapolis, Ind. 227 E. 84th St., N. Y. FRATERNAL MEMBERS Credit Union National Association Madison, Wisconsin Campus Co-op News Letter Pacific N.W. Cooperator Penn. Co-op Review Southeastern Cooperator The Bridge CONSUMERS' COOPERATION OFFICIAL NATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE CONSUMERS' COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT PEACE • PLENTY • DEMOCRACY Volume XXIX. No. I JANUARY, 1943 Ten Cents 1943—ANOTHER COOPERATIVE YEAR "Consumers' Cooperation is really moving," said a cooperator in a burst of enthusiasm, after sitting in on a session of the National Publicity and Education Committee, who were holding their midwinter conference in Chicago (which has been rightly termed "The National Cooperative Center,") on January 4-5, 1943. The P and E Committee meeting was immediately followed on January 7-8, by the first 1943 quarterly meeting of the Directors of The Cooperative League, at which fourteen of the fifteen directors were present. Because of the urgency of many matters affecting Consumers' Cooperation, the national directors of the I«ague not only held a two-day meeting in advance of the Thirteenth Biennial Congress in Minneapolis on September 26-27, 1942, as well as an organization meeting immediately after the Congress, but also held another two-day meeting on November 10-11 and have now started the New Year of 1943 with a two-day meeting early in January. These meetings, be it said for the judgment of the delegates in having elected them as well as to the credit of the Directors them selves, are hard-working meetings consisting of at least five sessions. As a result of the faithfulness of the Directors and Committees to their national responsibilities, the year 1943 has begun with a more definitely planned program for Consumers' Cooperation than ever before. The following pages will give you a summary of some of the highlights. Read them carefully and then resolve to take your place to a greatei degree in realizing the challenge of our President-Emeritus, Dr. James P. Warbasse, that "The time for audacity has come." The year of 1943 has been planned out nationally to begin to realize this challenge to greater accomplishments. An organ to spread the knowledge of the Consumers' Cooperative Movement, whereby the people, in voluntary association, purchase and produce for their own use the things they need. Published monthly by The Cooperative League of the U.S.A., 167 West 12th St., N. Y. City. On alternate years, however, published monthly excepting Nov.-Dec. issues bi-monthly. E. R. Bowen, Editor, Wallace J. Campbell, Associate Editor. Contributing Editors: Editors of Cooperative Journals and Educational Directors of Regional Cooperative Associations. Entered as Second Class Matter, December 19, 1917, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Price $1.00 a year. 1942 AND 1943 Report by E. R. Bowen, General Secretary to the Directors of the Cooperative League at their meeting in Chicago on January 7 and 8, 1943. I HAVE repeated before the statement made by Fauquet of France that two things are necessary: first, to strengthen the Cooperative Movement internally and second, to give the Movement the radi ance it deserves. We did both during 1942—we should do still more in 1943. 1942 Whether 1942 was more or less sig nificant than other years in cooperative history may be difficult to measure, but it was surely a notable year in what was accomplished and the advances which were made. Some of them were the fol lowing : I. INTERNAL STRENGTH 1. Recreation Fortunately we have recognized the fundamental nature of coop erative recreation and have trained hundreds of members to carry on neighborhood folk rec reation when travel has now be come restricted. 2. Education An Education Secretary was added to the national staff and the results are already apparent in the Workbooks for Commit tees, in Outlines for Study-Ac tion Groups, etc. The Special Congress Issue of Consumers' Cooperation is evi dence of the fact that the Thir teenth Biennial Congress was outstanding in the publicity it gave the movement and in the educational values of the ad dresses. 3. Finance The organization of a National Cooperative Auditing Service was approved by the National Society of Cooperative Account ants, which should produce re sults of great value in standard izing regional and local coopera tive financial statements for com parative purposes and in in creased efficiency. More regionals and many more locals went on a cash basis dur ing 1942 as all should do. The incorporation of a National Cooperative Finance Association was finally approved. We should now be able to begin to mobilize the savings of cooperatives and cooperators and eventually free the Movement from private or political financial control. 4. Business Lines were diversified to a great er degree — outstanding were the entrance of Ohio and St Paul into the grocery field. Production facilities were ex panded. Ohio bought a refinery. Midland and St. Paul took steps to the same end. Kansas City bought a cannery and saw mill. Pennsylvania, Southern States and Ohio built a feed mill. More building would have been done if material had been available. The Consumers' Cooperative Movement is most fortunate to day in that it is yet largely engaged in the distribution of food and supplies for food production which will be con tinued to a larger percentage than most lines. This should be kept in mind when irritations develop on account of priority restrictions, under which every other business must also operate. II. EXTERNAL RADIANCE During the last half of 1942 the Consumers' Cooperative Movement gained its greatest recognition as the incarnation of the public welfare. This was in part the result of vol untary action and in part involuntary action. 1. The Movement acted to become the representative of the public welfare in national matters in three important ways: (1) in an adequate and equitable con sumers' tax program, (2) in freedom of the air, and (3) in the advance rationing of scarce commodities to prevent hoard ing. A revealing comment on Henderson's forced resignation as Administrator of the OPA was this: "The real reason why Henderson was defeated is that there is still no organization in America which speaks for the American people." That is what the Consumers' Cooperative Movement should increasingly become. 2. Relationships with other coop erative, religious, educational, la bor and farm organizations were strengthened. This was clearly evidenced by their representa tives appearing on our Congress program. The value was demon strated when we took the lead in the radio and rationing mat ters and were strongly supported by these other groups. This may prove to be the most important thing of all in the preservation and extension of democracy and the prevention of dictatorship in America. 1943 The agenda of the last Directors meet ing discussed general plans for the com ing biennium. The following are specific recommendations for 1943 action: I. INTERNAL STRENGTH 1. Education a. Education Committees should be organized in every local cooperative. b. Study-Action Groups should be far more widely organized among members in every co operative. c. The proposed National Con sumers Co-op Technical Maga zine should be started. d. National Research and Educa tion Services for Cooperative leaders should be developed, Vol. 1, No. 1 of each of which has just been printed. 2. Finance a. The drive should be intensi fied for adequate equity capi tal in cooperatives. b. The National Cooperative Fi nance Association should be gotten under way. c. Consideration should be given to national insurance. 3. Business a. 1943 will be significant alone if the first nationally owned cooperative factory is acquired and successfully operated. b. Other factories should be bought by regionals. c. More private stores should be taken over and converted into cooperatives. II. EXTERNAL RADIANCE 1. The first national radio program will be put on the air and funds should be collected for a second longer program for 1944. 2. Preparations should start for the 1944 Centennial Congress. 3. Relationships with other national democratic organizations should be still further strengthened. 4. Post-war cooperative programs should be more definitely planned. Consumers' Cooperation January, 1943 THE CENTURY OF COOPERATION NEW AND OLD MOVIES FOR 1943 THE first half of the Twentieth Cen tury will go down in history as the period of time when the application of gas and electric power to agriculture and industry first made potential abundance possible for everyone. This meant physi cal cooperation. The second half of the Twentieth Cen tury ahead must be the period of time when the people will organize themselves cooperatively to distribute the abundance which power production has made pos sible. This means social cooperation. The comprehensiveness of the coopera tive ideal grows upon one as time goes on. Cooperation represents a. new age of man. It will mean a far greater advance over the age of competition, than com petition was over serfdom, serfdom over slavery, or slavery over barbarism. There are four principal necessities which must take place to bring into full fruition the age of Cooperation. First, we must convert ourselves into true cooperators. As yet we are much af flicted with the spirit of competition, even between those who have been chosen by their fellows to be the standard bearers of the cooperative ideal and to lead in cooperative organization. To be come a true cooperator and sluff off the remnants of the competitive spirit in which we have been' trained from our youth up by every social organization is the first great task of everyone who would attempt to achieve the cooperative ideal, and should in particular be the responsi bility of those who are chosen as leaders. Vice President Henry A. Wallace first said that the closing years of the twenti eth century would become the century of cooperation. Now he says that the clos ing years of the twentieth century must become the century of the common man. Both statements mean one and the same thing. If the tiventieth century is to end as the century of the common man, it must become the century of the coopera tive man. We are but forerunners of the cooperative men to be. We should set the example for the present and the future insofar as we are able. Second, as and when we become true cooperators in spirit, we will automati cally join with our fellows in cooperative associations to provide for our needs co operatively, whether it be recreation, edu cation, finance or business. It is our task to build and strengthen the foundations of cooperation in all of these fields, on which future generations can erect the structures of a cooperative world. When one sees the great cathedrals of Europe which took centuries to build, and where, as George Russell says, only "the third generation saw the realization of what their grandsires had dreamed" one realizes the need of building the founda tions strong today to carry the mighty world structure of cooperative peace and plenty. Third, we must not become exclusive in our thinking and act as though Con sumers' Cooperatives represent in them selves a complete cooperative economy. Instead we must join forces with those who are building publicly owned utilities, social insurance programs, labor unions, marketing cooperatives, etc. to build a complete cooperative economy in every form of activity, whether purchasing, marketing, finance, etc. Fourth, we have a final responsibility as cooperators in helping to develop the cooperative spirit and ideal as the founda tion of the other major social organiza tions as well—in religion, in education, and in politics, or in the church, the school and the government. For all social organizations at any one time in history are built upon similar foundations. To day all are built upon competitive founda tions. Only when all four social organ izations become cooperative in spirit and form, will we be able to join them to gether into a free cooperative society. We can only today see dimly the steps to the goal. They will become dearer as we strive onward during 1943 and the fu ture years of the twentieth century beyond. Consumers' Cooperation Esther Covey 'T'HE cooperatives associated with The A Cooperative League are in the midst of their greatest film undertakings at the present time. There are now available seven silent films and four sound films, with five new movies now in the process of production. The movies which are now available or on which production is in its final stages are as follows: 1. "Planning for a Saner World"—A motion picture of the 13th Biennial Con gress of The Cooperative League of the USA. This is a sound motion picture, twenty minutes in length, describing dramatically the highlights of The Co operative League Congress and contains some of the most dynamic speeches which have ever been made on the American cooperative movement. 2. "International Cooperation"—-A sev en-minute sound motion picture of Neil S. Beaton, president of the Scottish Co operative Wholesale Society in his hemi sphere-wide radio address from The Co operative League Congress in Minneap olis in 1942. 3. "Here Is Tomorrow"—A dramatized documentary vividly portraying the de velopment and scope of Consumers Co operation as it exists today in the U.S.A. 4. "Consumers Serve Themselves"—A film showing the testing kitchen of East- cm Cooperative Wholesale and telling how consumers can provide themselves with tested, quality products. Avaikble in both sound and silent version. 5. "The Co-ops Are Comin' "—A pic torial record of the development of Con- ! sumer Cooperatives in the middle west which was photographed in connection with the first Ail-American Co-op Tour in July 1941. The film is silent and is available in both black and white or color. 6. "Lets Cooperate"—A two-reel silent motion picture about the cooperative store operated by the students in the Pine Mountain Settlement School in Harlan January, 1943 County, Kentucky. 7. "The Lord Helps Those—Who Help Each Other"—The story of the adult ed ucation and the cooperative program which is rebuilding Nova Scotia. A silent film with titles. 8. "Traveling the Middle Way in Swe den"—A record of how Sweden's prog ress has been achieved. The film is di vided into three units of two reels each. 9. "The House Without a Landlord"— A silent film with titles, telling the story of the Amalgamated Cooperative Apart ments in New York City. The following movies are now in pro duction. 1. "Our Heritage"—A three-reel sound film that is being produced by the Penn sylvania Farm Bureau Cooperative Asso ciation about the cooperatives in Penn sylvania. The film is a sound production and will be available in black and white or color. 2. "The Credit Union, John Doe's Bank"—This is the first motion picture telling the story of the credit union move ment in the United States. 3. "The Turn of the Tide"—A dramatic story of the development of credit unions and the cooperatives by the lobster fish ermen on the coast of Maine. It is a 16mm color picture available in both sound and silent versions. 4. The Co-op Saw Mill in Arkansas re cently purchased by the Indiana Farm Bu reau cooperatives, a 16mm silent movie made in color picturing the operations of the saw mill, its products and the use of its products by the cooperatives and the country. 5. A colored silent movie of the co-op cannery at Scottsbluff, Nebraska, as yet vithout a title, being produced by the Consumers Cooperative Association. Information about the availability of these films can be secured from the Film Department of The Cooperative League of the USA at its New York office. RADIO CONTROVERSY ESTABLISHES FUNDAMENTAL POINTS w.j.Campbeii Assistant Secretary, The Cooperative League THE co-ops are on the air coast-to- Broadcasting Company was arranged for coast every Sunday starting February late November. This was followed by meetings of representatives of The Co operative League and the Code Commit tee of the National Association of Broad casters in Washington December 14. The action of the Code Committee following the conference established several funda mental principles on the right of the co operatives to purchase time. First, was the right of the cooperatives to purchase time on an equal status with private business. Second, was the right to tell the cooperative story in terms of the basic principles of cooperation. Third, was the right to use sustaining time for discussions of the cooperative movement in terms of its relation to the national economy and for the use of educational and newsworthy broadcasts about the co operative movement. The decision of the National Associa tion of Broadcasters has been hailed by publications from coast-to-coast as not only a sensible resolution of the contro versy but a fundamental reaffirmation of the right of the cooperatives to purchase broadcast time. The Christian Century, national Prot estant weekly, declared editorially in its issue of January 4, that: "The cooperative movement is at last to be allowed to purchase time for a series of thir teen radio broadcasts over a coast-to-coast chain of some thirty radio stations. Friends of both the cooperatives and the radio will welcome this agreement which is obviously in the public interest." The Los Angeles Daily News, in its editorial January 5, declared: "The Code Committee of the National Asso ciation of Broadcasters has agreed that there is not now and never has been any good reason why radio stations should refuse the paid pro grams of the Cooperative League. It is diffi cult to see how any other decision could have been reached. We commend the broadcasters for changing their minds without awaiting an investigation by the Senate, as proposed by Senator Norris." 14. This announcement is not only news in terms of cooperative publicity but it also has within it the seed of historic portent for cooperatives everywhere. The first nationwide co-op program is financed by nearly twenty thousand in dividual co-op members from coast-to- coast, who contributed $1.00 a piece to carry the story of cooperatives to the American people. The co-op program was scheduled to go on the air October 11 over thirty sta tions from Massachusetts to California. Final details had been arranged, the first program transcribed and hundreds of thousands of listeners already had made a mental note to tune in, when the two major networks decided that the coopera tives were "controversial in nature" and that time could not be sold to the coop eratives because "they made a funda mental change in the methods of distrib ution of goods and services." For two months a controversy raged with thousands of letters going to officials of the National Broadcasting Company and the Columbia Broadcasting System and the Senate Committee on Interstate Commerce. The venerable Senator George W. Norris introduced a resolution in the Sen ate asking a thorough investigation of the action of NEC and Columbia. Before this investigation could be launched, how ever, word about the co-op program and the decision of network sales executives had reached the top in the networks and the men with more familiarity with co operatives in day-to-day operation sought some sort of a solution of the controversy which would make it possible for coop eratives to carry on with the same rights and privileges as ordinary business. A meeting at the offices of the National The Nation, liberal weekly, said Decem ber 26: "The two major radio networks which in Oc tober refused to sell time for the purpose of publicizing the cooperative method of retail ing have since then received quite an educa tion. They have learned that the cooperative movement is neither a freak affair nor a sub versive organization but an eminently sensible means of self-help, embracing several million consumers and enjoying formidable political The Commonweal, national Catholic weekly in its editorial January 1, pointed out that: ".. . In their very struggle to get the benefits of the Rochdale system brought to the na tional attention by means of one of the most effective means available, the co-ops have again demonstrated that by banding with his fellows the individual without sizeable wealth or in fluence can make himself heard, can even marshal sufficient strength to win out against powerful and well-organized opposition." The Progressive, hard hitting liberal weekly which earlier in the year had urged the co-ops to organize a "hell-to- breakfast" fight in Washington to guar antee the right of the co-ops to buy time on the air, commented January 1 : "The co-ops have won their fight against the big radio chains and will be given the oppor tunity to tell the people of America about the cooperative movement. It is ironic, indeed, in a democracy, to have to say that any group has won a fight for the right to buy time on the air, but that is exactly what happened in the case of the co-ops." LITTLE LESSONS IN ECONOMIC FACTS WHICH ALL COOPERATORS SHOULD STUDY Because of the intensity of the many emergency situations which affect Coop eratives today, the Cooperative League has inaugurated a new service for cooperative leaders — COOPERATIVE LEAGUE RESEARCH SERVICE —of which Volume 1, Number 1 has been distributed to the regional directors and staff members. However, cooperative members generally should also study the same economic facts, and we will, accordingly, continue to publish from time to time statistical tables, charts and explanatory matter in CONSUMERS' COOPERATION, as we have been doing during the past several years. Because of the fact that mounting war debts and taxes and increasing price levels are now awakening the people, we are publishing "Little Lessons" on these vital subjects in this issue. WANTE D We are running short on the following volumes of CONSUMERS COOPERATION and would be grateful to anyone who can supply them. ^ I. II. III. IV. V. VIII. IX. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. XXV. Please communicate with us if you wish to sell any of the above volumes. THE COOPERATIVE LEAGUE 167 West 12th St. New York City Consumers' Cooperation Hary, 1943 DEBT and democracy are incompatible. Men who have been injured by eco nomic conditions until they are compelled to give a mortgage on their earning pow er and their energies are not as free as they would like to be, and should be. Only free men can make a democracy. These self-evident truths were affirmed by the board of directors of the Coopera tive League, USA recently when resolu tions were adopted and sent to the Con gress, the President, Secretary of Agri culture Claude Wickard, Secretary of Commerce Jesse Jones and all other Cab inet officers.. The resolutions struck de cisively at persons and organizations which might seek to get control of farm ers and other borrowers from govern ment. The League board acted after getting a report of long continuing efforts on the part of persons high-up in the Rural Electrification Administration to mobilize REA borrowers into a political pressure group. But the resolutions dealt with principles of democracy and thus they applied to all other government lending agencies and with full recognition that a debt of a citizen to a government agency developed far greater menace to democ racy than any other form of debt. The resolution was as follows: "Whereas, The obligation of every demo cratic government is to "govern best" by "governing least" and the obliga tion of every public servant in a de mocracy is to strive for conditions which will encourage and enable self- government by all groups, or govern ment by internal forces, and thus les sen the necessity for external political government, and John Carson Washington Representative The Cooperative League "Whereas, Our government in Washing ton, in the years of depression and panic, established through loans of public money and otherwise certain business enterprises as relief measures and also for the improvement of con ditions on farms and in towns ani! cities, and "Whereas, There is inherent in every gift or loan of public money, the oppor tunity for persons or forces in govern ment to attempt to gain control of the people to whom loans or gifts are made, and the temptation to seek sudi authority and control is so insidious that it must be guarded against with the eternal vigilance recommended to those who would preserve their lib erties ; "Therefore Be It Resolved: That the Cooperative League of the USA shall advise the President of the United States and each and every mem ber of the Cabinet of the President, and every Administrator of war agen cies of government, and the Congress of the United States, that the League and the millions of cooperators for whom the League speaks, states anJ affirms these principles to which every democratic government must subscribe: 1. That every society of people in terested in preserving a democracy will and must seek every possible means of freeing people, as rap idly as possible, from each and every influence and obligation which might restrict their freedom and their right to fulfill their obligations as citizens of the democracy, and particularly must seek and approve of means which will enable citizens to repay all loans from public funds and thus escape from the ever- present threat to their political free dom which exists in a debt of a citizen to any agency of government, and 2. That every society of people which is interested in preserving de mocracy must oppose, resolutely, every attempt to use any funds of government or "public funds," or any resource of government or "pub lic resource" in association with any organization or corporation or com pany which might influence or at tempt to influence, the will of the people and particularly the will of any persons who have been affected in any way by the use of those "pub lic funds" or those "public re sources," and 3. That the high ideals of democ racy expressed by Honorable George W. Norris in writing into the law which provided for the establish ment of the Rural Electrification Ad ministration the legal mandate against political activities and politi cal influences in REA should be ad hered to in letter and in spirit, and 4. That cooperative organizations of consumers, owned by consumers, organized on the soundest of demo cratic principles which are govern ment of the organizations by men and not by money, organized and operated on a non-profit basis, or ganized and owned in large part by the same citizens who are members of rural electrification cooperatives, are fully capable of producing and distributing all the goods and serv ices desired by rural electrification cooperatives and their members and no benefit to cooperatives or to the members of rural electrification co operatives or to the public can be had from duplication of cooperative organizations, arid Consumers' Cooperation January, 1943 5. That the menace to democratic institutions inherent in the loan of public money, by any agency of gov ernment, and to any citizen or group of citizens is so great that it is the obligation of the Congress of the United States to maintain constant vigilance over such loans and a con stant spotlight of publicity should be kept on the activities of all such agencies of government, including the Reconstruction Finance Corpora tion and all its subsidiary agencies, the Department of Agriculture and all of its agencies, so that the temp tation to misuse public funds will be minimized, and 6. That therefore, every agency of government in these United States should declare immediately against each and every person and each and every organization of persons and every activity of such persons and such organizations which would: (a) Permit or induce the use of any government funds, by direct or indirect means, for the promo tion of any organization which might directly or indirectly, influ ence the opinion or the policies or the decisions of any agency of government, and (b) Permit or induce the expen diture of any government funds in the employment of any person any part of whose official activi ties would be associated in any way with the promotion of any organization which would attempt- in any way to influence or control the actions or decisions or poli cies of our government or any of its agencies." SETTING THE SIGHTS FOR '43 C. J. McLanahan, Educational Secretary The Cooperative League THERE was once a psychology professor who said that the best place to begin was at the beginning. Self-evident as that truth may appear, we have overlooked it in our cooperative groups and all too often have tried to develop our educa tional programs without first building a sound foundation. making it as important as the board itself. d. The committee should consider hav ing a part-time paid secretary who will help carry out decisions of the committee much as the board of di rectors has the manager to carry out its decisions. e. CCW will run training schools for these educational secretaries and will hold week-end conferences for members of the educational com mittee. As local educational committees come into being, they will want a guide book with suggestions of how they can build up their local program. To fill this need, * i • -•- ~ t ii, ~ ..„ How, it may be asked, can you expect to build an educational program in a local cooperative unless there is some group to take responsibility for doing the job? Of course, many kinds of activities can be carried on spasmodically or for short periods of time or by outside people coming in to promote some special event. But no long-range, smooth-running, self- motivated educational plan can ever be the educational departments ot the re developed unless there is an educational gionals, working with the Cooperative League, have prepared regional WORK BOOKS. These are loose-leaf and all car ry the same index divisions. The pages in them are, however, tailored for each particular area. Thus as soon as an educational com mittee is organized, the regional is pre pared to put in its hands a WORKBOOK that is full of how-to-do-it suggestions. There are four main divisions in the book — Organization, Publicity, Public Relations, and Recreation—and under Ul- V *~L\Jl_«_vi ULl*t-.j.j *--.__ - __ ___ _ committee on the job 52 weeks of the year. CCW Sets the Pace Central Cooperative Wholesale at Su perior, Wisconsin, has always believed in the value of educational committees but only lately have they thought of them as an absolute necessity. This year it is their one major goal—an active educa tional committee in every co-op. They have some unique suggestions. a. The committee should be related to the board by having at least one board member on it. b. The committee should be given a budget, perhaps one-half of one per cent or some other percentage of sales with which to work and not have to run hat-in-hand to the board every time there is an expenditure, c. Committee members should be paid on this same basis as board mem bers, per diem and mileage. You can see how this will raise the pres tige of the educational committee, 10 , each main heading are a number of sub divisions. As new ideas are developed, old pages are taken out and new ones added. Thus the WORKBOOK can al ways be kept up to date and express the latest and best in educational ideas. Study-Action Groups a Must After taking care of these elementary and all-important items in building an educational program, we come next to the activities of the committee itself. What should it do? There are any num ber of worthwhile activities, all of which are outlined in the WORKBOOK. One of the most important activities, how ever, should be mentioned in detail— that is, the development of Study-Action groups, operating in some areas under the name of Advisory Councils, in others as Neighborhood Clubs and in still others as Guilds. Every educational committee should develop Study-Action groups in the local community. How many? Louis Warbing- ton of Ohio says, "Organize them until you run out of people." It is in these groups of 6 to 10 families meeting in formally in each other's homes that the most valuable membership participation is achieved. Here in these around-the- living-room circles, neighbors gather to study, discuss and decide on courses of action. It may be action directly related to building the cooperative, it may be action related to other affairs of the com munity, but in every case through coop erative planning and participation the members are learning to work together. There is no better builder of the people. TOi recreation and good times added in, these small groups become social organ izations of immeasurable value. Without them we can build cooperative institu tions, but without them it is doubtful whether we can build a cooperative so ciety. Special Materials Available In order to supply materials for these Study-Action groups, the League is pre paring a series of leaflets and pamphlets: Tkee of the leaflets are now out, and others will follow at the rate of one a month. "Must It Always Be a Dream?" lie first leaflet, is for use by groups which be come together for the first time and tells how to go about organizing a Study- Action group. No. 2 in the series deals lith one of the major economic prob lems of the day, "What Can We Do to Stop Inflation?" The third is entitled 'Whose Air Is It?" and gives the inside story on the turn-down of the Coopera tive League's radio program by the big chain broadcasters and throws light on a phase of the radio controversy that has yet to be settled. These leaflets are for one evening's study. The pamphlets will be longer and are designed for from three to six evenings' study. The first of these will be "How to Read Financial State ments" by Miller and Fox of Consumers Consumers' Cooperation January, 1943 Cooperative Association, North Kansas City, Missouri. It will be out about the first of February. There are many other approaches and devices to be used in speeding up the educational program, but in 1943 the big job is to put down the basic foundations, an educational committee in every coop erative, with a well rounded program— and at least one Study-Action group jor every 100 member jamilies. Then in '44 we can celebrate our 100 years' anni versary by building on this groundwork the kind of movement of which even the original Rochdalers would be proud. 11 WHAT'S AHEAD IN COOPERATIVE RECREATION? Ellen Linson, Recreation Secretary The Cooperative League ship in the cooperative movement, will not be held this year. Difficulties of transportation, the war effort and short age of farm help forced the directors to feel that it should be suspended this year. Emphasis will be on regional train ing schools, probably one week in length, where the transportation problem is not so great. Several such schools are already planned—one in the East, one in Ohio and probably one in southern Wis consin and another in northern Minne sota. Encouragement should be given the setting up of such training schools in areas not reached by these schools—in the middle west and in the south. Education-Recreation-Publicity Conference The five-day National Cooperative Staff Conference, to be held this summer, will bring together local, district, regional and national staff members working in the fields of recreation, education and pub licity. It will provide a real opportunity for these groups to discuss mutual prob lems, and to synthesize their common ed ucational efforts. Such a national confer ence might be duplicated regionally and locally. Use Recreation at Meetings, Conferences Whenever cooperators get together to conduct business, to study or to hear lec turers, some form of recreation should be included on the program—games, group singing, a puppet play, dancing. Our co operative gatherings for the duration may have to be less frequent and smaller, but we can make them lively, enthusiastic gatherings. Let's bring in all four corner stones at these meetings. We'll get not only a varied, interesting program but a better appreciation of all that it takes to build a well rounded cooperative program. Recreation Literature There is a real need for a pamphlet '' I 'HE war crisis provides a real -*• opportunity for cooperatively ad ministered recreation. Because of the tenseness and strain of these times and because of the curtailment of transporta tion, there is more need for play and less mobility for commercial amusements. Cooperators who have always emphasized recreation which the people create and participate in themselves, and which gives those participating a creative re lease, have a challenging opportunity to meet." The above conclusion of the discussion group on Recreation at the Thirteenth Biennial Congress sums up the situation facing those interested in recreation in the cooperative movement. What specifi cally can cooperatives and cooperators do ? Here are a few recommendations. It is sincerely hoped that all of those who are concerned about the future of rec reation will add to these suggestions. Provide More Recreation Leadership Training The time when recreation leaders could travel from community to com munity helping out with an evening of play is over. In addition, those in the community who have been taking the leadership often have been drafted or are doing defense work. This means that local communities are going to have to develop and train new leaders—which is greatly to be desired. Conferences of two or three days where cooperators from a number of near-by communities can get together with a trained staff to learn techniques of leadership should be planned by regional associations. Where the community is large enough, Work shop Training Courses, ten to fifteen weeks, meeting once a week, can be set up. The National Cooperative Recreation School, well-spring of recreation leader- 12 presenting the reasons why recreation is in important part of the whole educa tional process and how as cooperators we can use recreational techniques in learning how to work together. Much of the thinking along this line has come from the staff of the National Coopera tive Recreation School. This material is now being coordinated and edited and it is hoped that within the year, this pamphlet will make its appearance. We need to share our ideas and ex periences so that a group in Pennsylvania, for example, can benefit from a group in Wisconsin. For that reason, a Coopera- lire Recreation News Service, has been bunched and will be expanded. It will include not only news stories but sources of new material, reviews, and articles on recreation theory. One of our real needs is to discover ways in which we can dramatize the philosophy and spirit of the cooperative movement. There is a crying need for good dramatic material, and little, if any, available. Let's encourage authors to ex plore the possibilities of the cooperative movement as the source of dramatic ma terial. Let's encourage our own groups to dramatize their problems and to produce worth while plays. Youth and Recreation Surveys have indicated that one of youth's greatest needs is recreation. This need is intensified in time of war, and cooperators can perform a valuable function in stimulating arid aiding young people in their need for wholesome play. This does not mean that we should set up recreation facilities for young people but provide the kind of leadership which will stimulate young people to do this for themselves. Hans Schmidt has ex pressed the kind of a "youth program" cooperators should be interested in in a recent issue of the Cooperative Euilder. He says it should be a "program which realizes that young people cannot be told where to go and what to do but that the choice of action and decision lies Consumers' Cooperation January, 1943 with the individuals ... to mold youth by giving them an opportunity to mold themselves under wise adult counsellor- ship is a difficult and patient undertaking. It demands a fine understanding of the principles that underlie cooperative lead ership." Young people cleaning up an old hall or a garage for a recreation hall, planning and leading the dances, singing or games, deciding how much to charge themselves and what to do with the "profits"—here's a young program that starts with a real need of youth—recrea tion—and builds the spirit of working, planning and playing together that is the foundation of cooperation. Community Recreation We should use all of our ingenuity in discovering new recreational resources in our communities and in making them available to all. Cooperative clubs in southern Wisconsin have set a pattern for action that all co-op groups would do well to follow. Members of co-op clubs in this area have taken the leadership in the community in fixing up the present seldom-used community hall or in build ing a new one, and opening it for com munity use. In some communities it has started with a regular "open house" spon sored by the co-op club every week or every two weeks, with movies, games, dancing and refreshments, open to all. The program has expanded to the point where the community hall is the social center of the community, with meetings, dances, parties, reading rooms, etc. Here is a role in community relationships which every cooperative should play. Through developing a community hall for social recreation, the cooperative can make an important contribution to the community. It can make friends for and establish the cooperative as a cornerstone of community progress, along with the churches and the schools. As tensions grow and pressures of all kinds bear down, there will be a real need for the healing relaxation that co operative play brings. 13 I l 1 I NATIONAL WAR DEBT AND TAXES E. R. Bowen '"THE vital significance of the fact that •*• the national debt has now crossed the 100 billion dollar line for the first time in history and that estimates predict a debt of 250 billion if the war continues to 1945 should be thought through by every cooperator. The first world war debt reached 26 billion and was only slightly reduced. Some academic and journalistic apologists for the profit system assume that we will and can carry a debt of 250 billion in definitely. This would mean an interest 1001 U.S. PUBLIC DEBT 75- 50- 25- \ November, 1942, |$100.000,000,000 IPeorl Harbor $52,500,000.000 World War I peak: $26,390,000.000 19181920 1925 1930 1935 load of at least 5 billion a year, even at 2%, on the backs of the many as long as the profit system is allowed to last. Thomas Jefferson once said, "I place . . . public debt as the greatest of dangers to be feared." We should surely heed his warning today. We, the people, are now generally financially intoxicated from our larger 14 incomes. We want to spend them or save them, rather than to turn our excess sav ings above minimum needs over to the government to pay for the war. So we force the government to borrow from the banks and duplicate the money we hoard. The "morning-after" always comes when we must pay in money, as we cannot help but pay as we go in goods. Remember that, as John K. Langum, Assistant Vice-Président of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, recently said, "The sale of government securities to commercial banks is just another way of printing money. Excessive 'bank- bonds' are no less dan gerous than greenbacks,' about which we know from sad experience." Other democratic countries are collecting half or more of their expenditures in taxes as compared with our collecting only about one-fourth. Our taxes are likely to be much higher. For immediate self-preservation from dangers of possible political upheaval and economic collapse inherent in a large na tional debt, cooperators and cooperatives should prepare themselves for storms ahead by getting out of debt insofar as possible, and also support sound govern mental efforts to prevent them. Consumers' Cooperation 1940 1942 WHOLESALE PRICES DURING AND AFTER WARS Cooperators should take note of the precipitous drops in prices which have universally followed the end of previous wars and prepare to be "out from under." Prepare to ride the chutes over another precipice. The danger of gambling on inventories should be heeded. If a co operative has no receivables, it cannot lose by their non-payment. If it has receivables which are fully covered by reserves or capital, then their non-payment can only reduce its assets. If a cooperative has no debts, it cannot be embarrassed by credi tors. If its inventory and facilities are wholesale price rises are shown on the chart, not only for the two world wars but also for previ ous wars. Recent controls which have been adopt ed by the Government may slow up fur ther price increases, or at least make them more uniform between commodities. However, the pressures by producer groups—of business for higher profits, of workers for higher wages, arid of farmers for higher prices—together with the pres sures by consumers to spend the increased billions they are now receiving which Prices in America in 3 Centuries INDEX Index Numbers of Wholesale Prices in *he United States. 1750-1941, INDEX ">-|fc as Reported by Dr. Frank A. Pearson 1910-14-100 250 250 Peak 232 in Hard Honey; Hay 13. 1781. $1 of hard money equaled $1,000 in pape 50 1750 '40 '70. "80 ~Vl 1800 "10 '20 -30 '40 '50 -40 70 '80 'VS 1900 '10 '20 '30 '40 '50 Study the Breaks in Prices in 1780, 1812, 1864, and 1920 after Previous Wars. Courtesy The Chicago Tribune w not being taxed out of their pockets jnd which they are not investing in bonds, make up a combined producer- consumer economic force of tremendous explosive pressure. Attempts by political officials to control such economic pres sures may continue to result in the elimi nation of such administrative officials who endeavor to oppose such pressures in the interests of the people as a whole, either by price control programs or by increased taxation programs. January, 1943 fully covered by reserves or capital then a decline in their values can likewise only reduce its assets. Do not gamble on inventories, get on a cash bash, pay off debts, invest in co operative capital, build up reasonable cash reserves. Do not be in a position where you can be embarrassed by post war precipitous price declines. Instead, get ready to buy out competitors when they become embarrassed. 15 II BOOK REVIEWS Democracy by Discussion Democracy by Discussion by Emory S. Bogardus: American Council on Public Affairs, Washington, D.C., 55 pages. $1.00. There are those who may feel that the issuance of a new little book on the tech nique of Discussion is an anachronism in time of war. The slogan "pass the ammunition" implies quick, disciplined action. Dr. Bogardus, author of Democ racy by Discussion, and Chester Williams, who wrote the foreword, both believe that "in a people's war the problems of run ning it ought to be grappled with by the people generally as well as by the leaders arid experts." They go further and ask a priority rating on consideration and discussion of the practical question of what can the American people them selves do about these wartime problems. Within the covers of this book are concisely enumerated progressive methods of discussion which may be utilized in any neighborhood group for the purpose of achieving a better community under standing of both the immediate and larger issues represented in winning the war and earning the peace which will follow. Cooperators will be pleased to note the emphasis Dr. Bogardus places on study and discussion techniques used by cooperatives throughout the United States. He is well known both as an eminent sociologist and as a cooperator. In this book he carefully considers and evaluates the discussion techniques which have been used successfully in the re gional areas served by Eastern Coopera tive Wholesale, Ohio Farm Bureau, Cen- ; tral States Cooperatives, Central Coop erative Wholesale, and Consumers Co operative Association. Discussion technique is defined and 16 articulately described through its evolu tionary stages. Chapters are given to the Forum, Panel, Round Table, Listening- Discussion, Informal Discussion, Reading Circle, etc. Dr. Bogardus sweeps away the usual cobwebs of confusion as to what distinguishes these various ap proaches to discussion from each other. The influence of cooperative experience is demonstrated in following chapters on Advanced Discussion, Advisory Discus sion, and Discussion Group Values. Con cluding chapters cover the Organization of Discussion with graphic illustrations of both Discussion and Advisory Groups in action. The book ends abruptly with the final illustration of an advisory group in ac tion, and the student's appetite by this time is easily stimulated for careful di gestion of an excellent annotated bibli ography which Dr. Bogardus has thought fully included. It is Dr. Bogardus' premise that "in wartime discussion groups are more ur gently vital to democracy than in peace time." It is his opinion also that the cooperative movement has developed the discussion technique furrther than any other agency, institution or social move ment. It is likewise this reviewer's opin ion that Dr. Bogardus, in writing Democ racy by Discussion, has prepared for co- operators a most valuable handbook that should be within reach of everyone plan ning discussion or study circles. Dr. Bo gardus writes well and, as Shakespeare may have said, "he has a pretty wit." —LIONEL PERKINS Consumers' Cooperation LIBRARY 7 1943 UNIVERS™ OF Credit Union and Cooperative League Executives meeting at Indianapolii FEBRUARY 1943 PROFIT PREVENTS OUR HAVING PLENTY AND PEACE E. R. Bowen A CONSUMER-OWNED DAILY PRESS Paul Greer THROUGH PLAY TO UNDERSTANDING Darwin Bryan THE DAYS OF THE BIG PUSH C. J. McLanahan NATIONAL MAGAZINE FOR COOPERATIVE LEADERS SPECIAL CONGRESS ISSUE Copies of the Congress issue of CONSUMERS COOPERATION are still available. This issue contains a complete report of the Cooperative League Congress which was held in Minneapolis in September. All the speeches of the principal speakers appear in condensed form. You may write for a prepared outline for discussion which goes with this issue to The Cooperative League, 608 South Dearborn St., Chicago. This outline will be very useful in discussion groups wishing to use the Congress issue for study. You may obtain extra copies of the magazine for 25c. per copy from THE COOPERATIVE LEAGUE 167 West 12th Street New York City THE COOPERATIVE LEAGUE 60S South Dearborn, Chicago 167 West 12th Street, New York City 726 Jackson Place N.W., Washington, D. C. DIVISIONS: Auditing Bureau, 167 West 12 St., N. Y. C. Medical Bureau, 1790 Broadway, N. Y. C Design Service, 167 West 12 St., N. Y. C. Rochdale Institute, 167 West 12 St., N. Y. C AFFILIATED REGIONAL Name Am. Farmers Mutual Auto Ins. Co. Associated Cooperatives, N. Cal. Central Cooperative Wholesale Central States Cooperatives, Inc. Consumers Book Cooperative Consumers Cooperative Association Consumers' Cooperatives Associated Cooperative Distributors Cooperative Recreation Service Cuna Supply Cooperative Eastern Cooperative League Eastern Cooperative Wholesale Farm Bureau Cooperative Ass'n Farm Bureau Mutual Auto Insurance Co Farm Bureau Services Farmers Cooperative Exchange Farmers' Union Central Exchange Grange Cooperative Wholesale Indiana Farm Bureau Coop. Association Midland Cooperative Wholesale National Cooperatives, Inc. National Cooperative Women's Guild Pacific Coast Student Co-op League Pacific Supply Cooperative Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Coop. Ass'n Southeastern Cooperative League United Cooperatives, Inc. Workmen's Mutual Fire Ins. Society AND NATIONAL COOPERATIVES Address Publication St. Paul, Minn. 815 Lydia St., Oakland Cooportunity Superior, Wisconsin Cooperative Builder 2301 S. Millard, Chicago The Round Table 27 Coenties Slip, N.Y.C. Readers Observer N. Kansas City, Mo. Cooperative Consumer Amarillo, Texas ' The Producer-Consumer 116 E. 16 St., N. Y. Consumers Defender Delaware, Ohio The Recreation Kit Madison, Wise. 135 Kent Ave., Brooklyn The Cooperator 135 Kent Ave., Brooklyn The Cooperator Columbus, Ohio Columbus, Ohio Lansing, Michigan Raleigh, N. C. St. Paul, Minn. Seattle, Washington Indianapolis, Ind. Minneapolis, Minn. Chicago, 111. 608 S. Dearborn, Chicago Review Ohio Cooperator Ohio Farm Bureau News Michigan Farm News The Carolina Cooperator Farmers' Union Herald Grange Cooperative News Hoosier Farmer Midland Cooperator Berkeley, Calif. Walla Walla, Wash. Harrisburg, Penn. Carrollton, Georgia Indianapolis, Ind. 227 E. 84th St., N. Y. FRATERNAL MEMBERS Credit Union National Association Madison, Wisconsin Campus Co-op News Letter Pacific N.W. Cooperator Penn. Co-op Review Southeastern Cooperator The Bridge CONSUMERS' COOPERATION OFFICIAL NATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE CONSUMERS' COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT PEACE • PLENTY • DEMOCRACY Volume XXIX. No. 2 FEBRUARY, 1943 Ten Cents PROFIT PREVENTS OUR HAVING PLENTY AND PEACE It's important in any game to get and keep one's eyes on the ball. In the tragically named "game of war" the economic ball that is batted back and forth is profit. No more revealing phrase was ever coined than by the Truman. Committee when they reported that "Even after Dunkirk" the international monopolists con tinued to play their game of profits by planning to resume relationships after the war. Even after the greatest military defeat and retreat in all history! Get and keep your eye on the ball of profits. It is profit that has prevented our having enough synthetic rubber. It is profit that restricted the production of alum inum. It is profit that is the economic cause of external political war. It is profit that is the economic cause of internal civil war. It is profit that primarily pre vents our having permanent peace and plenty. That's why the wisdom of the Rochdale Pioneers looms larger with the coming of the centennial of Cooperation. They set out nearly 100 years ago to eliminate profit. They wanted a world of plenty and peace and knew they could not have it under a profit system. That's why we cooperators have such a responsibility today to "Build Coopera tives Stronger and Faster," to break the chains of profit that bind the world to poverty and war. An organ to spread the knowledge of the Consumers' Cooperative Movement, whereby the people, in voluntary association, purchase and produce for their own use the things they need. Published monthly by The Cooperative League of the U.S.A., 167 West 12th St., N. Y. City. On alternate years, however, published monthly excepting Nov.-Dec. issues bi-monthly. E. R. Bowen, Editor, Wallace J. Campbell, Associate Editor. Contributing Editors: Editors of Cooperative Journals and Educational Directors of Regional Cooperative Associations. Entered as Second Class Matter, December 19, 1917, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879- Price $1.00 a year. URGE COOPERATIVE LEAGUE DIRECTORS PAY OFF YOUR DEBTS The profit system is built on debt. Debt is the other side of the coin of profit. The two are Siamese twins. Debt started when owners and workers were divided into two classes. To illus trate: suppose total production was $1,000,000. Suppose that the workers received $900,000 for their labor and the owner received $100,000 for his profit. He could not consume the food and goods represented by the $100,000 he received. There was only one thing to do—to sell them to the workers and take their I.O.U.'s for them and put them in debt to the owner. So the process has continued to this day with the worker on the farm and in the factory arid office losing ownership of pro ductive property and getting deeper in debt. The Rochdale Cooperative Pioneers set out to eliminate debt as well as profit. For some reason the elimination of profit is called a major Rochdale principle, while the elimination of debt is called a minor principle. Yet the principle of cash trad ing, which eliminates debt, is equally as important as the principle of patronage returns on purchases which eliminates profit. In the United States the national debt has just gone over the 100 billion dollai mark. It is predicted that it will reach 250 billion if the war is not over by 1944. The seventh of the President's seven point program to prevent inflation and defla tion urged the payment of private debt. In view of all of these facts, the Directors of the Cooperative League unani mously passed the following resolution at their recent quarterly meeting in Chicago: "The Board of Directors of the Cooperative League, meeting on January 7-8, 1943, has given serious consideration to the question of the dangers involved in possible inflation and later deflation as a result of the borrowing of billions of dollars from the banks and the creation of credit currency, and in view of their responsibil ities to Cooperatives and to Cooperators in urging upon them such action as will be for their best interests in passing through these critical times, do hereby repeat and urge the following: "First, that individual cooperative members consider carefully the matter of their financial condition and make every effort to pay off their debts and to get them selves in the soundest possible financial condition. "Second, that local cooperatives vote their savings into reserves of capital, and that they also urge their members to invest their savings to a greater degree in the shares of cooperatives in order that their cooperative associations may become finan cially independent and in the strongest possible condition not only to meet any storms ahead but also to be able to take advantage of every opportunity for ex pansion. "Third, that cooperators mobilize their surplus savings to a greater degree in cooperative securities in order that their regional wholesale associations may enter into production more rapidly and thereby become independent of private sources of supply." For immediate self-preservation from dangers of possible political upheaval and economic collapse inherent in a large personal debt, cooperators and coopera tives should prepare themselves for storms ahead by getting out of debt insofar as possible, and also support sound governmental efforts to prevent them. 18 Consumers' Cooperation ABUNDANCE IS HERE—IT CAN BE PRODUCED! At the beginning of the decade of the 1930's, those who had learned what technocracy could do, announced that we could produce plenty for all. A study "The Chart of Plenty" proved statistically that we had reached the place where we had the farm and factory capacity to produce an average of $4,370 per year, or $375 per month, per family of four. Now we have demonstrated, according to government statistics, that we can actually produce plenty for all, which these studies predicted. President Roosevelt says: 'The tremendous productive capacity of our country, of all countries, has been demonstrated. Freedom from want for everybody, everywhere, is no longer a Utopian dream." The pamphlet "Income and Economic Progress," which was a summary of a $150,000 four volume study by Brookings Institution, showed that the principal difficulty was in distribution—not in production—that excess savings were piling up in the hands of the few, which should have gone into the hands of the many in purchasing power, and were damming up the stream of distribution. But none of these studies gave the answer as to how purchasing power was to be distributed so that the many could consume the food and goods they produced. COOPERATION IS THE ONLY WAY TO DISTRIBUTE ABUNDANCE While we have now proven that we can produce abundance, we have done so by producing war goods as well as civilian goods, there are less civilian goods avail able today, we have gone in debt—but we have proven that we can produce abun- dmce, after centuries of scarcity. We must produce an abundance of civilian goods after the war is over. We can do so. But first, we must organize ourselves so that they can be distributed and consumed. That is why we must adopt COOPERATION. COOPERATION breaks the bottleneck between the production of plenty and the distribution of plenty to all. It reduces the price to the consumer to cost of production and distribution. It raises the pay of the producer—farmer, worker and professional—so that there are no excess savings between the pay to producers and the price to consumers. Cooperation results in a Just Price to every consumer and a Just Wage to every producer. COOPERATION is not new and untried. It has been proven by nearly a cen tury of experience. More than half the families of Great Britain are owners of shares in Cooperatives. The democratic Scandinavian countries have proven that COOPERATION reduces prices to consumers and raises pay to producers and distributes purchasing power widely among the people so that they recover owner ship of their homes and farms and become shareholders in businesses. TO HAVE PERMANENT PEACE WE MUST ABOLISH POVERTY We cannot be a nation of a few rich and many poor. Poverty must go because it causes people to consume little and produce less. There is no longer any excuse for poverty. Poverty for the many is the result of bad economics, bad politics, bad education, and bad ethics. It must and can be abolished by COOPERATION. February, 1943 19 AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL WORKERS INCOMES A CCORDING to government index *• *~ figures, if agricultural and industrial workers incomes were fairly comparable in the base years of 1910-14, then they are also fairly comparable today. The lat est index figures are 287.4 for agriculture arid 303.1 for industry. In this chart all farmers are included, whether own ers, tenants or employed hired hands. The millions of unemployed industrial workers, however, are not included. If unemployed industrial workers had been included in the chart from 1920 to 1940, the dotted line showing their incomes would have been much ».. „ram,„ <* m,c„u« lower and likely near the solid line show ing the incomes of agricultural workers. Farmers and factory workers incomes generally go up and down together. They have the same basic economic interests. Both have been receiving too low incomes as compared with the profits of industry and finance. Both have been losing own ership of productive property and getting further in debt on their durable consum er goods. AVERAGE INCOME OF AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL WORKERS. UNITED STATES. 1910-42 INDEX NUMBERS < 1910-14= 100 > IF AGRICULTURAL EUMHKt Farmers and factory workers have com mon cause against the profiteering of in dustry arid finance and should unite their interests as consumers in cooperatives to increase their real incomes, to recover ownership of homes and farms and shares in business enterprises, and to get out of debt. NATIONAL. REGIONAL. DISTRICT, AND LOCAL COOPERATIVE STAFF ORGANIZATION As presented to the Directors of The Coopera tive League at their quarterly meeting on Janu ary 7-8, 1943. Since then the Management Committee of Superior has recommended to their directors the adoption of a similar organ izational structure for their regional staff. TO start the discussion among coopera- tors on this important subject we are making the following general observa tions: Since the Consumers' Cooperative 20 Movement is in its early stages of devel opment in the United States, we have grown somewhat like "Topsy," as was natural. Because we are in our early stages of development our organization structure is comparatively flexible and can be more readily changed than when it becomes more permanent with entrenched posi tions as in some other countries. There are three major functions in Co- Consumers' Cooperation 1 NATIONAL STAFF 1.Recreation ORGANIZATION 2-Education 3.Publicity 4«Legislation REGIONAL STAFF ORGANIZATION Finance Manager 1 .Audi t ing 2 .Credit .Finar ce :nsui ance Business [Manager l^fesigning .Purchasing .Production 4.Distribution DISTRICT STAFF ORGANIZATION Education Manager — — \ \ / Educator 4 I ! I I Business Manager ^ v\ Salesman 1 LOCAL STAFF ORGANIZATION Loc Mant / ,al ige r \ 21 operatives—Education, Finance and Busi ness—whether national, regional, district or local. These three major functions should be recognized arid provided for by department organization structures, and all activities should be recognized as divi sions of these three departments. On a National basis, there would be three co-equal Managers of Education, Fi nance and Business. Whether the work of these three Managers should be under a General Manager or the President of the Board of Directors is a question. Like wise it is a question whether there should not be a single Board of Directors for all three functions of Education, Finance and Business, with Committees of the Board in charge of each major function, rather than separate Boards of Directors. Obser vations here and in Europe would lead to the conclusion that there might well be a single Board of Directors with three ma jor Committees supervising Education, Finance and Business and with the work of the three Managers coordinated under the President of the Board who would be a full-time paid executive and would unite the Directors and the Staff. At present the coordination of the three functions of Education, Finance and Busi ness under a General Manager seems to be the tendency in the Regionais, with a single Board of Directors. However, few regionals have as yet appointed three co equal Department Managers of Educa tion, Finance and Business under the Gen eral Manager, with all other heads of di visions coordinated under them, as called for in the chart. This might, we believe, do two things—first, relieve the General Manager of the pressure of dealing di rectly with so many division heads, and second, develop three Department Man agers under him who would relate to gether the work of the various divisions. In the chart, two alternative methods are provided for the District organization structure—first, the three District men working separately under the direction of the three regional department managers, or second, their work being coordinated under a District Manager. If the latter were done the activities in each District might be more efficiently carried out and without additional expense by reducing the number of Districts. The Local organization structure shown in the chart calls for all three functions to be coordinated under a Local Manager. These comments are made, not with any intention of presenting them as final con clusions, but to stimulate discussion on the important subject of staff organization. A CONSUMER-OWNED DAILY PRESS IT is imperative — and practical — that the consumer movement should de velop a daily press of its own. Certainly if the spread of cooperative enterprises is to proceed on a sound basis, Americans must not be left in the regrettable condi tion that Will Rogers implied in opening his comments with the phrase, "All I know is what I see in the papers." Big news, which cannot be found in the reading matter that dresses up the adver tising pages in today's newspapers, is the emergence of a consumer philosophy, of another way of life that is no less Amer- 22 By Paul Greet ican than the producer-profit philosophy that has had its day. Consumer-conscious people want to get the news straight, not diluted or colored to please advertisers or meet the idiosyncracies of a wealthy pub lisher. Wartime conditions necessarily accel erate the tendency toward control of eco nomic and even of personal life by the political government. In the emergencies to be faced when peace comes, this may develop into an unreasoning stampede toward statism of the European model. Any such tendency cannot be driven bad by appeals to preserve the sorely riven profit system, but in a democracy the dan ger can be met by a positive presentment of the successful use of mutual aid by the people in their own behalf as consumers. For a consumer-owned press to attempt to duplicate the content or general make up of present day journalism would be a useless arid costly business. The mere process of imitating the bulky, verbose metropolitan journals not only would re quire the outlay of several million dollars, but in so much chaff readers might over look the solid grain. It was out of a discussion such as this that the suggestion came from Mr. How ard A. Cowden, president of the Con sumers Cooperative Association of North Kansas City, Missouri, that I outline a feasible, low-cost plan for a national co operative daily newspaper. In a series of articles in the Cooperative Consumer I later laid down these principles: READER CONTROL — A newspaper should be responsible only to its readers, and not to any collection of private busi ness institutions in the guise of advertis ers. This, in turn, implies that the readers must be willing to carry the cost so as to eliminate dependence on advertisers. PULL INFORMATION—News should be presented with regard to its signifi cance, revealing not only what has hap pened, but also the background, or why it happened, recognizing too that the ac tion was not in a vacuum, but in a teem ing world in which no occurrence is with out its after-effect, often more important than the original event. CONCISENESS—The time and effort re quired by the reader to find out what is going on should be lessened by assembling news, not under as many headlines as pos sible, but in classified form and as tersely as possible, each item in its proper per spective. SEADIBILITY—The mechanics of easy reading suggests the use of larger type for the body of the news, with wider mlumns to fit the natural movement of the eyes. Consumers' Cooperation February, 1943 ECONOMY—Elimination of some of the features and departments that have made the old line press resemble an Oriental bazaar or a circus midway rather than a news paper could reduce publication costs materially. More ideas for keeping costs low will be suggested later. WHOLESOMENESS — A newspaper keyed on the spirit of cooperation and goodwill might generally be preferred to those organs spreading the assumption that the principle of dog-eat-dog is in- eradicably imbedded in human nature. This new journalism, without ignoring the bread and butter side of life, natural ly would devote skilled attention to the arts and sciences and to social and eco nomic trends. From this point of view, home eco nomics discussions would replace as far as possible the customary appeals of ad vertisers. A fact never to be lost from sight is that while mass production has lowered the first cost of goods, expenses of distribution have been forced upward by a clumsy and wasteful system that is designed in the main to induce people to buy more, whether needed or not, rather than to reduce handling charges and retail prices. The role of advertising in newspaper publishing has not been thoroughly un derstood, although its influence is widely regarded with suspicion. The truth is that the business of soliciting, setting up and publishing advertisements is the most costly item on newspaper ledgers. News collection is not expensive as organized by the press associations one of which is a closed-membership cooperative. The sum of this situation is that for his few pennies the reader is now obtaining ap proximately the amount of news for which he has paid, disregarding the possible value to him, positive or negative, of the advertisements. There would be, then, real economy in a new journalism in which display ad vertising, with its appeals to vanity, fear 23 I ' and the desire to keep up with the Joneses, would be omitted. With all other adver tising, such as want ads, limited and sub ordinated, news would become not a by product of the publishing business, but its sole concern. It is an instructive experiment to meas ure the columns of advertising space against the news columns in any daily newspaper. While one has the yardstick in hand, it is well to estimate the amount of real news as distinguished from serial stories, beauty hints, horoscopes, comic strips, society and movie gossip, horse race tips and the overdone pages of sports and financial quotations. Careful surveys of reading habits ia a number of cities have found that the aver age reader gives only 20 minutes a day to his newspaper. If this has a moral it is that a daily journal designed to fit the needs and tastes of the average man and woman can very thriftily dispense with many columns having only limited special interest. My proposal for a consumer-owned press contemplates printing the equivalent of a four page newspaper containing 32 ordinary columns. This is sufficient space in which to present in clear-cut fashion all that is vital about current affairs, and to include also special articles and illus trations closely analyzing matters demand ing magazine-style discussion. In effect, this would constitute a daily digest, the format of which would not follow that of ordinary newspapers with all their impedimenta of immense head lines, datelines and jigsaw scattering of news that should be pieced together for the reader's convenience. An ordinary newspaper folded double assumes the proportions of a New York tabloid which has the largest circulation of any daily in America. This is not a particularly well edited newspaper, and the convenience of its smaller page form undoubtedly has something to do with its 24 popularity. For our own sort of daily digest, I would suggest folding the paper once again, until it becomes a half-tabloid. In this shape the original four pages of standard sized newsprint have been divid ed until there are 16 pages. It is this size, approximately 8y2 by 11 inches, that of fers an attractive and functional form for this new sort of daily newspaper, conveni ent for holding in close quarters, as in a train, his or street car, and suited for carrying in the pocket. In the event of news of transcendent importance, the expense might have to be faced to add another page of newsprint, or eight more pages in quarter size. An other promising means of supplementing the digest would be the radio. This digest, according to my plan, would appear five mornings each week, from Monday through Friday. Absence of Saturday and Sunday publication would be primarily in the interest of economy, since among other items it must be con sidered that news writers and printers cus tomarily work only five days a week. Sudi arrangement need not be counter to the advantage of subscribers, since either Sat urday or Sunday, or on both days, a full account of important news developments could be given through a specially pre pared radio broadcast. These programs however should not consist of a bare re cital of what has happened, but might be cast in the form of a running comment between a man and a woman, or as a modernized version of the Autocrat of the Breakfast Table. In reaching out over the air the digest undoubtedly would attract many new readers to its printed editions and spread the word that here was a real peoples' newspaper in which all might share. This must be a complete newspaper, combining with a thorough coverage of public affairs elements hitherto found only in such publications as Propaganda Analysis, Consumers' Union and the newsletters of Kiplinger and David Law- Consumers' Cooperation rence. Much may also be learned from the concise technique of radio news broadcasts and from the more comprehensive back ground treatment in such weekly digests as Time and Newsweek. A great deal of the political news that finds its way into print nowadays comes from handouts of official press agents and is mere stage setting or mood music to prepare the public mind for develop ments. A good many speeches delivered by public figures are not of their own composition but have been carefully plant ed for reasons of political strategy. There is usually a solid core of purpose hidden among all these words, and it should be the function of a properly edited news paper to seek this out, rather than waste column after column in unanalytical repe tition of what most likely already has been heard over the radio. Another function of a digest news paper could be a column checking up the editorial, feature and news sections of the reactionary press. Here again mere repeti tion would not be enough, but the hand ling should be such as to make any stack ing of the cards apparent. No newspaper of general circulation is adequately reporting the news of the pro gressive or radical thought of this coun try. Someone familiar with contemporary political and economic thought should be set to reviewing these journals, which range from the New Republic, Nation and Progressive to the Socialist Call and the Communist Daily Worker. Thus "Column Left" would balance "Column Right," and in between might well be a survey of the public mind. A great deal of interest and a certain amount of credence is attached to the Gallup Polls of public opinion, and this digest by printing a ballot of its own on some outstanding issue could supplement its column of letters to the editor to sound the sentiment of the people. I am convinced that the turn of circum- February, 1943 stances is bringing close the auspicious moment for the establishment not only of a centrally located consumer-owned news paper, but of a chain of these daily di gests, one in each city having a coopera tive wholesale. The narrowing down of newspaper ownership through the heavy financial re quirements of publishing old fashioned journals has left many cities with only one newspaper, or one morning and one eve ning edition, often under joint ownership. In such monopoly-ridden fields there is opportunity for a reader-owned press. The way is opened even wider through the possibility of inexpensive simultane ous publication of material from the cen tral digest. Local pride and the keen sense of pro prietorship, assets of great value to each regional cooperative, could have full play under a cost-saving arrangement for the exchange of news among the several di gests. Insofar as possible, once the type were set in one office, the others would make use of it without resetting. Econ omy would be found in the exchange of the papiermache matrices to which the impression of each page of type is trans ferred as one step of the printing process. These mats, from which the metal plates are made for the rotary presses, are quite light and durable, capable of being transported over long distances without injury. Through use of the airmail, many mats suitable for publication could be sent from the central plant in time for simultaneous use in a number of cities. Thus the outlying publication centers could obtain all except their local news and occasional flashes on late develop ments at low cost. The situation thus would be that in each city the digest would prepare its own pages of regional news, set up in its own plant, but for many of the other pages would make use of the inexpensive cast ings from the mats delivered by airmail. 25 On many occasions an article developed in one of these regional offices would be mailed in the same way to all cooperative members of the publishing pool. In opening this discussion in the col- ums of the Cooperative Consumer, the editor, Mr. James W. Cummins, wrote what I think may well be my closing note: "First of all, before a free press can be established, it is necessary that the people should want to be free, and before they want to be free, they must realize the forces that enslave their minds, and sometimes their bodies." THROUGH PLAY TO UNDERSTANDING Darwin R. Bryan rjus veen utveiiv/ v] t>rsc yvwuj t**t-*->*>x™ *,* *,*^ *^~.*.~*^.v,, ^„f _........ ,t ,__ _ _ He has directed cooperative youth conferences many years and has seen the change young people go through as they get into the folk dance and then as that same spirit of cooperation carries into an understanding of the Cooperative Movement.) DURING the last five years the Ohio Farm Bureau through the youth division of its Education Department has carried on a consistent action program for youth with profound results. It does not follow a set program in its youth ac tivities but constantly works at getting youth of Ohio acquainted with the Co operative Movement and group play. A major part of the group play activity is the folk dance—the dance of the people. Why the folk dance has worked "wonders" with young people is difficult to explain; however, the play situation of the folk dance has proven beyond a doubt that better social relations have been created among young people. Its free style of spontaneous active fun sets up situations that allow young people to become thoroughly absorbed with their fellows in play. The sooner dancers can "pick themselves up" or be helped to "pick themselves up" imaginatively and "get into" the folk dance, the sooner gaiety will result. Somehow we believe the folk dance, more rapidly than any other play situation, does allow the in dividual to take on new life. He can psy chologically "lift" himself above the cares of the day with undetermined veloc ity of speed and with his fellow players in the same "fix" take on harmony of spirit and unexcelled happiness. The writer recalls an expression of verbal joy 26 from a youth who had just spent an eve ning in folk dancing: "Why I haven't had as much fun since I fell out of the cradle." A youth "lost" in folk dancing — this applies to other forms of play as well— has very little time to get "down in the dumps," less time to feel sorry for him self, is too busy to be self-conscious, and has small reason to build up grudges against people and conditions, and is less likely to form habits of thought which take on the garb of "the world owes me a living." Even the Biblical verse which states: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it . . ." takçs on higher mean ing when one gets himself to understand the importance of entering into a folk dance with full abandonment. The Play Party, as one form of the folk dance, is held in high esteem by the young people in Ohio. A Cooperative Youth Council meeting never gets very far before someone exclaims: "Let's play 'Brown Eyed Mary' or 'Jingle at the Window' or Tig in the Parlor,' etc." The easily and rapidly learned patterns of the play parties adapt themselves to the alive spirit of youth so that no play program can be complete without them. Almost at once young people can enter into play through the play party, with singing and cooperative effort. Individu alism exits and a something run by all Consumers' Cooperation enters. A unity of purpose predominates until the final solution to the play-party problem is found in a heightened mo mentum of exhilarating joy. No sooner is one play-p