THE CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT IN WISCONSIN 13 



has held conferences with the Governor, the President of the University 

 and the Dean of the College of Agriculture. The Governor in his message 

 to the Legislature of 191 3. strongly urged the introduction of co-operative 

 rural credit and the creation of a central organization to assist and in- 

 struct legitimate co-operative associations. 



(A)' Organizations for Propaganda and Instruction. 



T^^•o voluntary associations — the American Society of Equity and the 

 Right Relationship League — are responsible for the initiation of many 

 of the existing co-operative enterprises. The Right Relationship League 

 which now has its headquarters in MinneapoHs confines its efforts to organiz- 

 ing and supervising co-operative distributive stores. In return for its services 

 in organizing local societies the League receives a commission of one dollar 

 per shareholder, and in some cases, for ser\nces rendered in connection with 

 the actual business of the store, it receives a small commission on the sales. It 

 undertakes the periodical audit of the books at a moderate fee and, in the 

 interests of the movement publishes a monthly journal entitled Co-oper- 

 ation. The League, however, accepts no financial responsibility in con- 

 nection with any local society: it is an independent association, not a fede- 

 ration or union. 



The co-operative store movement has developed almost esclusively in 

 the coimtrj' districts. There are at present some 40 co-operative distrib- 

 utive stores in Wisconsin, all established within recent years, and very few 

 of them are in towns of any size. 



Between 1870 and 1880 the Grange established distributive stores at 

 various points in Wisconsin, notably at Brandon, Brodhead and Milwaukee. 

 These were nearly all short-lived, and without doubt the chief reason for 

 their failure was the lack of expert supervision and the absence of a satis- 

 factory central organization. The Right Relationship League furnishes 

 just such an organization, and the movement seems to have entered on a 

 new and more successful phase. 



The American Society of Equity confines its activities to instruction 

 and propaganda, more particularly in connection with co-operative methods 

 of marketing farm produce. Directly or indirectly it is responsible for 

 much of the co-operative spirit and activity in Wisconsin, and has been 

 instrumental in promoting the establishment of co-operative elevators, 

 creameries, and associations for purchase and sale. Branches of the Society 

 were founded in Wisconsin in 1903. and the Wisconsin State Union was 

 formed in January, 1906. In t()09 the Union founded a State paper under 

 the title of the Wisconsin Enquity News. In 1912 the Society had over 

 10,000 members in Wisconsin. 



The passage of the Wisconsin Co-operative Act (Chap. 368, Laws 

 of 1911) was secured by the combined efforts of the Society of Equity and 

 the Right Relationship League, and a working agreement between the two 

 associations was signed in May, 1912. 



