£sJLniet, A1 aska__. _Dorothy M, B ell,Editor
Published ever Friday at palmer, Alaska, for the Matanuska Valley
Farmers' Cooperating Association for the purpose of giving news of the
Associations <<ork, Problems, and Accomplishments,
SUBSCRIPTION BY MAIL $1,75_BOX $1 ,_00_SINGLE COPY 10 f£
GROWTH OF THE COOPERATIVES
Perhaps one of the most common mistakes a Cooperative Organization
akes Is that it assumes everyone understands the Cooperative Set-up
.nd its underlying principles. For that reason we have neglected to
keep members educated along these lines, forgetting that new 'members are
constantly coming into the membership and some of the older members are
moving away, fortunately, something happens now and then tc wake us
up to the realization that a little more attention should be given tJ
this mo.st important phase of our activities as a Co-op,
Th-'re are two types of Co-ops according to their functions--the
Consumer and the Market!nr, We have both here under one head, which is
an unusual situation. In fact, this is perhaps the only Cooperative of
its type now in existence.
The Consumer’s Cooperative movement began in 1844 when 28 weavers of
Rochdale, England started .a Cooperative Sto're with a capital of $140,00
This association was successful from the first. In ten years it had n
memh rship of 900 and a capital of $34,000,’ The idea spread in England
and thence .to other countries. Today there are around 65,000 consumers
Cooperatives .in the World with a membership of around 25,000,000.
Most of the Cooperative stores that have succeeded have followed the
principles of the Rochdale plan. The three basic principles of this
plan rr u
1. Democratic Control
?, Cash °r,’les
3. Sales at prevailing market prices'
In the ' ii'jcbdale plan--the Capital is, contributed by the members with each
member having one vote regardless of the amount of Capital he might
have Invested, A legal rate df interest ‘is paid on the Capital invested.
The surplus is used to establish reserves or is distributed to the
members in the f orirt of 'dividends on their purchases.
The Consumer's Cooperative started in the United States in 1844 in
■>ston, when a tai lor organized a buying Club for the New England'--.*
sociatlon of Mechanic* and WdrfcAngmen. Organizntions such as the
range started many stores. The first World War with its high cost of
living resulted in the establishment of many new stores throughout the
Ste/tes. Kansas and Wisconsin lead in the growth of Cooperative Stores,
It has .been generally admitted that Scandinavians and northern
auropuana maite uentir eoop raemoers tnnn .some ox tne oiaer settlers oi tne
United States. That is because the Cooperative stores in these countries
have been more important 'to the people. The -United Kingdom has 6,000,000
Coop members. 20# (before the war) of the German families, 10 to 12 per
cdnt of the French people, a nd qne-half of the people of Denmark be
longed to Cooperative societies.
The object of the Cooperative' Store is to eliminate the middlemen^
pro'fit and to secure economy in operation. Generally, fewer clerks arc
needed as people' wait on themselves, sales are not pushed as members
will patronize their own store thus leas' advertising-is needed. By sell
ing on a cash basis —a saving in bookkeeping, interest, and losses from
bad debts is saved.
One.' of the biggest problems which a Cooperative faces in its opera
tion is the attainment Of efficiency without the opportunity of person
al gain or profit. The idea that because something belongs to the Coop
fhat it doesn ’*t' make any difference how it ‘is handled, is the surest way
to destro'y the' profits of a business. Who is the Cttop? — It so happens
that the Coop is. you and your neighbor. It isn't the Board of Directors,
or the Manager—The Coop is the MEMBERS, Therefore,- anything- that an;/
member does that in any way hurts the Association hurts the person him
self as well as the other members. ' .
The Cooperative- Societies in Alaska that have been started are in
“■■bout the same postion as the Coops in the States were about 20 years
• o. The<j .could be. destroyed ns easily as those of 20 'years ago. For that
son it takes unity within 'the organization to keep' it going-that is •
.. rhaps a little stronger than found elsawho™. . ‘ -