CO-OPERATIVE SETTLEMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 6060, 20 September 1894, Page 4

CO-OPERATIVE SETTLEMENT.

Two interesting developments of the cooperative movement m Alsaoe and Italy ure described m the Fortnightly lieview by Mr Charles Hancack. In Mulhouee a city of 70,000 inhabitants m North Ahce, the In dastnal Society, whioh it the natron or organiser of ev.ry institution m the town, started m 1858 a company f r housing the workers. This provides that, bo^iuaing with a payment of £12 down for a house valued at £120, and of £12 per annum payable m monthly instalment*, interest being calculated at 6 per cent on both sides of the acoount, the whole sum duo, with interest, becomes liquidated at the end of thirteen yeare, and the purobasedeed is then handed over. There are now two settlements. In the old settlement were built an estthlisbm'snt comprising baths and washhoiiier, the prices charged being most moderate; also a bakery and restaurant, the tenant of the premises being under express agreement to supply bread at a prioa per loaf less than its ordinary cost m the town. Tbe restaurant further supplies soup, a plate of beef, roast meat, vegetables, potatoes, arid wine at moderate sums, whioh vary m aooorcisnee with a tariff fixed from lime to time. There are m the new settlement upwards of B*o houses occupying an are* of about 50 acres. The maitonettes are described as models of oleanliness and tidiness. Tho shareholders are tot allowed to reoeive a dividond on their sharei higher than 4 per oebt.i and whenever Ibe winding up of the comoany takes place, all assets remaining after payment of liabilities and reimbursement : '-of shares at par will, voder the sooiety's statute, be devoid to works of public uhlity. Tbe oapital is not largo (£14,200), but it is amply sLffio'ertl; to meet all requirements. In addition to the (hare capital, there is a reserve fund amounting to 10 per oent. of the capital, alto a further dmdend equalisation fund, available to aeoure regular payments to the workmen shareholders. In Milan the "workmen's quarters" supply houses, wbioh become the tenant's property by payment of about the same rent as would get him oolv an insanitary lodging elsewhere. Ike prinoiple of the plsn adopted by the society is shortly this : Ihe hou'eu, so soon as they are finished, are given possession to a shareholder, who beooroea the aotual tenant. io, within such a period as he ohoones, the cost being defrayed by annual instalments. The period covered may be from one to twenry.five years, and according to the number of years it is spread over, he will pay a higher or a lower instalment as the case may be. In these instalments are included tbe cost of tbe ground on which it is built, the cost of tbe actual building, and the interest on these two sums, calculated at 41 per oent,a!so the rate* payable thereon. . • The society-has no speculative idea m view, . . The workmen shareholders ere p«id their dividend at a rate not exceeding 6 p» oent; but any other profit is devoted to paying off original debts and constituting a ' reserve' to help those who through no fault of their own are out of work and unable to keep up the reguUr payment of their rent or instalments.

Lord FraDois Bope, described as of no ocoup'i n. appears to hate been unfortunate m his diversions He camp into a Jiff interest j m cert-in crates io 1887 on attaining hia majority, since which time be has got through £2(2,00). Bdoing and gambjiog losses are set down at £70 000 and theatrioal speculation ao £2,000 whilst tbe ooet of raising money, interest, etc, reaobes the modest total of £16000. The gross liabilities of this young gentleman are stated at £667.942. Could not the Labour Department tell off some of its experts to explore the statistics of that class of unemployed represented by Lord Franoi* HopeP It would be interesting io these times o£ agricultural depression to know how many millions a year the estates of the oountry are paying the bookmakers and money lenders. An idle observer of " trifles light as air," m a walk down Chestnut street, lays the Philadelphia Record, made a study of the various methods that women make use of m fastening the baob of their skirts, and with these results t From Broad street to Eighth 64 oases were encountered, and of this number 6 had regular hooks and eyes, 89 deolared m favour of the common pin, and m 32 instances the pin held while m the remaining 7it dangled'uselessly \ 8 made no attempt to solve the problem, but just trusted to luck j 3 used bl«ck batpini, wovsn m and out with great skill j 14 im pressed tbe safety pin into service, blaok ones and small i 2 utilised the ever convenient hairpin; 1 pinched tue edgeß together with a clasp, and another vied the gold pin of what was apparently a brooch on tbe ioside of the dress A curious faot was hat not one vied a button.