Show IT T FIGHT I r DATES BACK TO I i 1831 I Rochedale Movement With 50 Su Supporters porter May Germinate Here DETROIT Mich Oct 31 If If the I Protestant Episcopal church Introduces Introduces' Into America the Rochdale Cooperative societies s of ot England it will have started a movement which has a following of more moro than over there I The church has taken talen up the problem of ot the high cost of ot living and Investigation tion of the Rochdale movement by the house of ot deputies Is a result There are about cooperative stores in the United States The customers receive receive re re- re I an equal share of ot the profits That originally was the plan of Robert Owen the English woolen merchant of the early nineteenth century which later developed into the famous Rochdale movement WEAVER STARTED IT This movement began with the organization organ organ- of flannel weavers of Rochdale England In 1844 for cooperative buying for their own consumption From ty-eight ty members with a a. capitalization of the society ty grew In twenty-five twenty years to a membership of 5 and a astock astock f l stock of The l small al store ex- ex expanded ex expanded I into numerous shops and factories fac 1 I I tories lories a hospital a reading n rooms o a li- li library li library t hc i a and d classes i in arts t and n sciences I nc Now there are more than 1600 1500 of these I societies In E England Eland land with a membership of The value of cooperation cooperation I came home to them especially during during- the war when prices were kept down to their I lowest possible limit and the profits of profiteers were practically eliminated I At first members served In the stores without salaries but later officials were employed After paying all expenses part of the balance was WIlS allotted to the educational fund and the rest equally equall apportioned apportioned apportioned ap ap- ap- ap portioned among the members EARLIEST MOVEMENT IN 1831 1631 The Tile New England Association of 01 Farmers and Mechanics in 1831 is the earliest known cooperative movement In America But this and many others were short lived The first large cooperative society was I Ithe ithe the Workingmen's Protective Union of I America which disappeared with the coming of or the Civil war Farmers' Farmers al alliances alliances alliances al- al sprang up after the war but It I was not until late In iii the OOs that the system of cooperative stores spread among oth other r than farm farmers rs With the organization of cooperative unions all over the count country in 1899 I be bean began began be- be gan an the organization of more retail stores until In In 1905 1900 an investigation showed there wf were 3 3 such stores r In fl the syn United I States s with h a membership b of Besides Besides Be Be- sides these there were eleven led college cooperative societies for university university university sity students Many more have been es established established es- es I since |