THE CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT IN BRITAIN.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12768, 14 April 1910, Page 2

THE CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT IN BRITAIN.

Some interesting particulars of the growth of the co-operative movement in the United Kingdom are contained in a report recently .issued by the chief registrar of . friendly "societies. At the end of 1908 the figures showed a surprising expanei*Mi> ibe membership of the registered societies then being no less than 2,679,805, while the total assets of the societies amounted; to £58,315,484, this being an inciease over the previous year of nearly two millions sterling. The objects of the societies are many, "but the most : numerous are those classed as "ordinary," that i&, those, engaged principal r ly in the purchase and sale of- food,clothing, and the necessaries of life generally. Of these there were at the^ time the statistics embodied in the report were collected, 2243. The operations of these again are classifiedr as "wholly productive,'' ■' 'wholly "distributive," and both ' productive" "and "distributive." The ''productive" societies numbered 243 ; there were 887 "distributive," and the operations of 1080 embraced :bothcfla&ses of business. . The remaining societies were principally- newly-established and not in active- operation at the end of the 12 months. Sales of goods aggregated £110,619,570, an amount exceeding that of any previous year. It is, however, pointed out that the business of « the English Co-operative Wholesale Society, the Scottish Co-operative Society, the" Irish Agricultural Society, and certain productive •societies is almost entirely transacted with the distributive societies in the movement. Duplication, therefore, •exists in the amount mentioned to the extent of the sales of,:the societies in question, amounting approximately t6 thirty-three milliona sterling per annum. The importance of these institutions as direct employers of labour is shown by the fact that the aggregate expenditure on salaries, wages, and establishment charges exceeds £9,(300,000, tEe sum expended under these heads in productive departments, amounting to £3,459,910, and in * distributive, departments d £5,632,084. The balance on the trade df ; the year in 1918 societies resulted in a profit of £10,852,664, and in 211 societies in a loss" amounting to £27,184. Of the profit the sum of £88,230 was applied to educational purposes. Stock-in-trade was valued at £11^6*47,017, buildings,. fixtures and I^nd also used in trade amounted to | j£15,751,668, ;and" investmeiits and .oj;h&r assejis; to- £28^026,776. A total balance , deficit ;of. £62,631 ( was shown by,'26O., societies. ; The. capital due to shareholders amounted to £33,914059 ; and the sum due to depositors and to othericreditbrs (prinoipally-loan capital and trade debts) was £16,146,042. The depositors are mainly, members of. the societies. The balance of profit and reserve carried forward by 1888 societies totalled £5,427,981.