STATE POMOLOGICAI, SOCIETY. 10/ 



The Seventh Congress of the International Co-operative 

 Alliance was held at Cremona in Italy in September, 1907. In 

 his address of welcome the Italian Minister of Foreign Aftairs 

 spoke in the most enthusiastic terms of the Rochdale societies, 

 their progress and prospects in all parts of Europe. "I look 

 upon Denmark," he said, "in the field of agricultural co-opera- 

 tion as a laboratory in which social experiments are made for 

 the benefit of the whole human family, and where it is shown 

 that co-operation is the salvation of the agricultural proletariat." 



The rapidly growing chain of co-operative societies in this 

 country that I have already spoken of, under the guidance of 

 Mr. Nelson and the "Right Relationship League," of Minne- 

 apolis are patterned after the Rochdale system with but slight 

 modifications suggested by local conditions. Here "these stores 

 are incorporated by counties, and when there are several stores 

 in one county, they are departments or branches. For example, 

 the Polk County (Wisconsin) Company has ten stores, the 

 Pepin County Company nine stores and each has a general man- 

 ager and a joint warehouse. Instead of starting a new store 

 with a new manager and no established trade, the newly organ- 

 ized co-operative company buys out the best or next best general 

 store in the town and continues the former owner as manager, 

 retaining his customers and influence and avoiding the creation 

 of a new competitor." 



"The essential features of these corporations are that in dis- 

 tributing the profits a fair interest is allowed to the capital 

 invested — usually six per cent. Then a fund is set apart for 

 missionary or propaganda work, general repairs, etc., the rest 

 of the profit being distributed at stated times to the customers 

 in proportion to their purchases. Non-members who may 

 patronize the store receive half dividend." This latter feature 

 Mr. Nelson considers of the utmost importance. In an address 

 at the general conference in Minneapolis a year ago Mr. Nelson 

 said, "Pay the going rate of interest to capital induced to enter 

 the business ; pay going wages to employees ; buy for cash ; 

 sell for cash ; declare dividends as the profits will permit ; pay 

 regular dividends to stockholders, considering the employees 

 as such to the extent of their earning power or wages. The 

 non-shareholder patron, however, as he assumes no respon- 

 sibility in the business should receive only one-half as much of 



