, VALLEY 5E I i LER
Published once a week in Palmer,
Alaska for the Matanuska Valley
Farmers' Cooperating Association,
for the purpose of giving news of
the Association's work, problems
and accomplishments.
By- Lucille Le Due
$1.75-~ per year
10^-per copy
THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE
CO-OPERATIVE ENTERPRISE
How does Co-operation affeot the
individual? The famous Rochdale
principles serve .as the "Bill of
Rights" for the world^wide Co-oper
ative Movement, so we. can find no
better criterion for comparison.
The Primary Principles usually
given are: 1. Democratic Con'trol;
2. Open Membership; 3. Capital to
oarn no more than current interest;
and Ij.* Profits to bq rebated to the
consumer in proportion to his pur
chases .
1. Democratic control is secured
by giving only.one vote to eafch
member irrespective of the number
of shares owned. In a capitalistic)
system this principle is nothing
short of revolutionary. Here per
sors control instead of money. This
ii.troducos democracy into business
arid industry. By tfye method of
granting shares through purchase
rebates, every purchaser or custom
er can become a voting member. An
educational process in itself is
provided in learning how to con
duct a business. .From the stand
point of basic interests this prin
ciple has far reaching effects.Mem
bership leads to group approval, to
security, to the possibility of rec
ognition and‘certainly to an ex
perience quite new to most people.
The Co-operative Movement has re
turned self-respect and confidence
to millions of common people who \
had lost it under th-e old regime.
2. Open Mdmbership--No restric
tion because of ra»e, creed, sex,
social' or financial condition.This
recognition of the universal con
sumer bond lays the foundation of
the most universal brotherhood’ of
man that the world has ever known.
It Is all inclusive, a uniting
rather than a divisive force. In-,
deed the strongest foundation for
world peace. Dr. Warbasse has fre
quently said that the real League
of Nations sits in the Congress of
the International Cooperative All
iance, whore representatives of
practically all nations meet in
harmony to share with each other
their common problems,
3. Capital is nocossary for any
business. It should be a servant,
however, and not the master. It
should therefore receive only a
servant's wages and no more. Int
erest is the v/ago of capital, so
capital should receive no more than
the current interest. The econom
ics of this principle will bo dis
cussed in another chapter. The
significant fact hero, however, is
tho consistency with which th^so
early Rochdale pioneers carried
their emphasis on tho primacy of
persons into every phase of their
organization. Persons wore always
first and capital second. Somo so
cieties have gone so far as to do
away with interest entirely as be
ing unnecessary in the co-operative
scheme.
Another important factor in the
ownership of capital by tho'members
is tho sense of pride and respect
which comes to them v/hen they are
part owners in a business. Govern
ment ownership has never given this
result. This sproad of ownership
is most'significant in a country
like ours -where monoply and cent
ralization of wealth has fast taken
ownership out of tho hands of the
many and put it in tho hands of the
few. Voblon's prophecies of "ab
sentee ownership" have become a ro
a±lty. uwnersnip on the part oi
the part of tho consumer of the
means of production and distribu
tion of all commodities and servic
es needed by them, brings with it a
security which has almost disappear
ed from tho .uncrican scene.
Ip. The distribution of rebates
(what would be profits to the pri
vate owners in ordinary business)
to the consumers in proportion to
purchases is tho most oquitablo
means of distribution of wealth
that has ever boon devised. It au
tomatically adjusts tho price level
and raises the standard of living
for all members. This principle
applies to all co-operative enter
prises such as groceries, meats,
clothing, furniture and all other
stores; to medical caro, to co-op
erative housing projects, insurance
and what net. Vi/hat finer way of
satisfying the biological wishos or
interests such as food, shelter,
sox and health? Our problem now i3
under-consumption and not over-pro
duction. We liavo resources suffic
ient for all but a distributive
system that has failed. The Co-op
erative points tho way.
(Taken, from Co-operation--A
Philosophical Interpretation,
by David E. Sonquist, Ph.D.)