The Great Lessons of Cooperation.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 265, 14 November 1885, Page 3

The Great Lessons of Cooperation.

The representative working-men from all parta of England met at Oldhum for the 17th Annual Cooperative 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 cooperative societies throughout the colonies did not exceed £7,353,363. It is now nearly four times that amount, while the two wholesale societies alone sold no less than £5,975,702. during 1884. By a happy coincidence the President of this Congreesis Mr Lloyd Jones, ajman now in hislOOthyear.who has devoted half a century of his life to the physical, social, and moral advancement of the working classes, and who is an original disciple of Robert Owen. The most important and difficult consideration likely to present itself before the Congress ia the question of what to do with the surplus capital in the hands of the great 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 the individual. The £28 capital with which the Rochdale Equitable Pioneera started in 1844 had grown to £326,875 in 1883, and during the intervening 40 years . each member has almost unconsciously laid up money in proportion to tho amount spent by him at the Toad Lane stores, The so called co-operation familiar to Londoners is conducted on principles essentially different from those which prevail in the North. There the current prices of the locality ore charged ; 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 results of this system are patent. At tho end of the year there is a nice little nest-egg unwittingly accumulated. In this way capital hasbeeninvostingandallowed to growin these societies, until they are almost unable to find profitable 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 be cooperative societies and who represent 433,151 members. 3ome idoa of the acceleration of its growth may be gathered from the statement that in 1882, when a separate tea and coffee department was created, the sales were £190,022, whereas last year 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 ; whilo ita own steamers con-i-oy the goods to English ports. Five great shoo 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 indus try. And the moment this comes to be carried out on a large scale fresh difficulties arise. In proof of this we j need only point to a Jew 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 lias lost no less than £60.000 by investments in shares or loans with cooperative productive societies, or with working-class jointjtock companies. For this reason, on finansial grounds, it is doubtful whether the Congress will recommend tiny 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 now nil most important ieparture may date from this Congress.