CO-OPERATIVE TRADING

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 224, 16 June 1920, Page 8

CO-OPERATIVE TRADING

iPPROVED BY UNION DELEGATES.

A conference called by tho Labour was held in the Trades Hall last night to consider the advisability of promoting co-operativo trading In Wellington. Tho committee had sent a circular letter to nit unions nnd other industrial organisations on tho subject, and had invited them to. appoint delegates. The bodies represented inilided the Trades and Labour Council, tho local branches of the Labour Pariy, the Social Democratic Party, the Women's International League, <.nd the I'lugine Drivers, Timber Workers, StoneImaeons, Gosworlters, Painters, Furniture Trade, Brewery Workers, Metal /Workers, and. Dairy Workers' Unions. ■Mr. J. Itead was yoted to the chair.

,i Mir. Read said that three'or four years ;bgo a Eoeal co-operative society had teon formed by the printers, which had sejoured a measure of success in a small ,Vay. Lator the society was able to take over a "business in Ghuznee Street, and its operations had extended gradually, ffho preliminary expenses had now been Swiped out, and. with a reasonable increase in membership th) witlook wculd ,Ibe good. The trade of the society had 'grown to more than ,£2OOO per quarter, or, roughly, jjIO.OOO a year, provisions fclone being handled. It was hoped that pther Lines would'be taken up presently. H'Jio membership had increased to about $50,■' all the members being shareholders, ffho society paid interest on the memJtere' capital, and also paid a dividend tn the amount of cach members' purChases. This was the system that nad [proved highly successful on a iery big Boalo in Britain. Mr. Read sketched tho brogress made by co-operative societies In other parts of New Zealand, and said fr'hat tho Wellington Society, if supportled by tho workers, had a great future before it. This co-operative inovoment jras substantially a class movement, and it should be regarded as an important [actor in the industrial light. ; Mr. W. Atkinson moved: • "Thai; this conference recommends Labour bodies and Government employees jbo support the co-oporativo movement, pnd to help in building up the local Co-operative Society, first by iaking shares as corporate bodies, and, secondly, py recommending their members to become _ members of the society and support it in every .manner possible." j A delegate stated, in the course of further discussion, that the Wellington fiocioty charged more for 'its goods, in piuny cases. tJian . the ordinary shops phurged. It aimed nt profits rather than Dt cheapness. i Tho chairman said that evory retailer !?iad one or two lines which he was prepared to sell at a loss as an uttraot.ion To purchasers. The co-operative societies jbnd never done this. They charged fair tffttas right through. •, Mr. Atkinson said the proper goal of jp-operation 'was the supply of a good article' at the smallest possible advance ;ioii cost. Profits should not be sought, ijfivery trades unionist who believed that Jin, was being exploited by private businesses ought to support tho io-operativo JMovomont.

A delegate pointed to the success of tho farmere'- co-operativo societies, and jaid that if each wker in Wellington put ifil into tho "Workers' Co-operative jbuciety, a very big institution could ho -Built up quickly. ' "Is it not a fact that most of your (prices are fixed for you by the merchants?" asked a delegate. > The chairman replied that some prices srere fixed by merchants. Tho society was in the fame position as private traders jjn this respect. I After lengthy discussion, relating farge'Jy. to the British co-operativo movement, the motion was carried unanimously.