A NATIONAL C O-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT

Grey River Argus, 18 August 1944, Page 7

A NATIONAL C O-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT

With the end. of the war almost in sight the time has arrived, to give some serious thought to post-war planning. Owners of private enterprise have,. in their own individual interests, been doing this for some time. The working people must likewise plan ahead if they are to safeguard -heir own future. . , x -n- 4. As consumers, the working people put millions pounds annually into the pockets of the owners of trading concerns; yet it is possible for the largest portion of this money to be retained by these same working people by means of the establishment in New Zealand of a network of con-sumer-co-operatives, owned and controlled by the workois and farmers themselves. The workers and farmers of other countries have prov- ■ ed beyond doubt that it is possible to develop the co-operative movement to an extent which may appear incredible to some people. Using pre-war figures, Norway possesses nearly 4,0 J.U consumer co-operatives; over 800,000 people out of a tota p > pulation of 2,900.000 buy the greater part of their needs - uni co-operative concerns. Denmark is even more co-opeiati\ e. With a population of 3,500,000, about 2,20.0,000 persons, (or over 60 per cent, of the total population), buy most of the necessities of life from their own co-operatives. Copenhagen alone boasts of 150 co-operative stores. Of Denmark it inai indeed be said that co-operation is the people’s way of lite And so we could go on—through Holland, Sweden, Belgium, France—giving figures to show the tremendous development which has taken place in recent years of tu co operative movement. Million of worker and farmer <o orators in these countries have proven that the co-operative wav of life on a vast scale is entirely practicable. There is no reason whatever why the workers and farmers of New Zealand should not far more widely enjoy viie great benefits which co-operative buying, producing, and marketing brings to Ithose who participate. We in this country have a thin scattering of co-opeia-tives catering for some of the needs of a very small proportion of our population; but we lack what all the countlies mentioned above possess, and without which the co-opeia i\e movement can never safely develop to any extent.. We mus have one or more wholesale co-operatives. Without a wholesale co-operative our retail eo-opera-Itives remain at the mercy of local wholesale merchants an importers. Any serious attempt to spread co-operative store-; throughout this country would engender fierce opposition from private enterprise—from retailers, wholesale mexchants, ant importers. Many supplies could, and would, be restricted to, or cut off altogether from the co-operative stores. Let us realise this fact. . . Therefore, if the co-operative movement is to be built in New Zealand on a national scale the establishment of a wholesale co-operative, with its own connections with local and overseas manufacturers and producers, must be the first ami. The setting up of numerous retail co-operatives which no pnvate interests could harm would then be a very simple matter. Co-operative stores already in existence would immediately feel the benefit of a wholesale co-operative by being able to secure all necessary supplies of guaranteed quality goods at rock-bottom prices.' Members of these co-operatives would also be able to buy many' additional.lines of goods which is beyond the present (or even future) ability of their stores to stock, but which could be stocked or obtained by a nationa wholesale organisation. But, it might be claimed, to establish a wholesale cooperative of sufficient size with the necessary connections with local and overseas sources of supply, would need a great deal of capital. This is true. It would. But we believe sufficient capital could be obtained without difficulty from the tens of thousands of workers and small farmers who would welcome the opportunity of becoming partners in a co-opera-tive store. With £200,000, it is estimated that a first-class wholesale organisation, as well as fifty to sixty up-to-date retail stores, could be firmly established. And in 1946 some £11,000,000 will be paid out to workers who have invested in National War Savings I The trade union movement, we feel sure, would undertake to launch the drive for a nation-wide co-operative movement. , Perhaps the Government would be prepared to smooth the path for the movement in its early days. But there must be no outside control of the movement either by the trade unions or the Government. Full and absolute control must always be vested in the members themselves if the co-operative movement is to succeed. The matter of founding the co-operative movement on a sound national basis could well be discussed by unionists at future conferences of the Federation of Labour. Remits to conferences by local trade unions to this effect would he in order, since the Federation has often expressed its unqualified support of .the co-operative movement.