The Great Lessons of Co-Operation.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 122, 3 October 1885, Page 5

The Great Lessons of CoOperation.

The representative working-men from all parts of England met at Oldh&m for the 17th Annual Co-operative Congress. When the first of these assembles was held in London, under the chairmanship of Mr Thomas Hughes, Q.C., in 18G9, the power and ex. tent of this movement \vere scarcely appreciated, even by its most enthusiastic supporters, In that year the whole trade of co-operative societies throughout the colonies did not exceed £7,353,303. It is now nearly four times that amount, while the two wholesale socioties alone sold no lees than £5,975,702. during 18S4. By a happy coincidence the President of this Congress is Mr Lloyd Jones, a man now in his 10th year, who has devoted half a century of his life ,to the physical, social, and moral advancement of the Avorking classes, and who is an original disciple of Robert Owen. Tho most important and difficult consideration likely to present itself before the Congress is the question of what to do with the surplus capital in the hands of the gveat societies. The real secret of the success and force of this movement is the almost spontaneous way in which wealth has accumulated, both for the society and tho individual. Tho £28 capital with which the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers started in 1544 had grown to £326,875 in ISB3, and during the intervening 40 years each member has almost unconsciously laid up money in proportion to tho amount spent by him at tho Toad Lane stores. The so-called co-oporation familiar to Londoners is conducted on principles essentially different from those which prevail in the North. There the current prices of the locality are charged j but the profits are divided every quarter among the customers in proportion to amount of expenditure. Such customers being of necessity shareholders and joint proprietors of the concern, the economic reeults of this system aro patent. At the end of the year there is a nice little nest-egg unwittingly accumulated. In this way capital hasbeen investing and allowed to grow in these societies, until they are almost unable to find profitablo occupation for it. Some years ago a wholesale business was inaugurated which for some time absorbed the superfluity, but the Wholesale society has proved an additional source of wealth, and only the more rapidly fosters the growth of capital. It has nearly 900 customers, all of whom must bo co operative societies, and who represent 433,151 members. : Some idea of the acceleration of its growth may be gathered from the statement that in 18S2, when a separate tea and coffee department was created, the salos were £190,022, whereaslastyear they had grown to £336,885. It purchases its provisions in foreign markets, having buyersin New York, Copenhagen, Hamburgh Rouen, and no less than five in Ireland ; while its own steamers convey the goods to English ports. Five great shoe factories have been established as well as soap works and biscuit bakeries, but still the cry is, "Find us employment for our capital." No doubt further development of distributive agency will take place, but the only real outlet is in productive industry. And the moment this comes to be carried out on a large scale fresh difficulties arise. In proof of this we need only point to a few figures of the Wholesale society. While upon sales to the extent of £36,000,000 it has made bad debts to the amount of £7,154 only, it has lost no less than £66,000 by investments in shares or loans with cooperative productive societies, or with working-class jointstock companies. For this reason, on financial grounds, it is doubtful whether the Congress will recommend any bold experiments. But the ordinary customs of commerce have more than once been set aside by the innovators who have organised this gigantic and beneficent movement, and it is possible that a new and most important departure may date from this Congress.

The harvest in Southern Russia is a comSlete failuie because of the prolonged rowght,