98 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



rights of the poorest laborer in the land. No, the eyes of our brother 

 man are turning to us, to you, from all portions of the globe; and with 

 outstretched hands are inviting you to co-operate with them, to better 

 their condition, and thus advance the cause of humanity. Will you grasp 

 their hands, and respond by actions that speak louder than words ? From 

 Rome we shall take a stride through time to the present century, and to 

 our neighbor, England, and see what we can learn there to our profit. I 

 shall speak of the Rochdale Equitable Pioneer Society, and quote from 

 the "Sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Statistics of Labor of the 

 Commonwealth of Massachusetts." 



" This Society is situated in the town of Rochdale, county of Lanca- 

 shire, England. It is the largest co-operative society in Great Britain, 

 and its development has been of such general prosperity that it is recog 

 nized as a powerful exponent of the co-operative system, particularly in 

 the distributive feature. The initiation of the movement was the result 

 of discussions relative to enlarging the opportunities of the working 

 people; they feeling that they were entitled to better wages, and to 

 receive more of the benefits which their constant labor was realizing for 

 the community. 



" In the early part of the j'ear 1843, manufacturing interests being in a 

 very prosperous condition, some flannel-weavers' in Rochdale applied for 

 an increase of wages, believing the time to be exceedingly propitious for 

 such an effort. They were unsuccessful ; undoubtedly feeling that lack 

 of success at 8McA a time presaged failure in the future, their condition 

 was more distinctly portrayed tban ever, and united, and received, serious 

 consideration. Realizing, that by their own honest efforts must their 

 improvement be wrought out, they repeatedly met together for inter- 

 change of views, and to perfect some plan by which their objects could 

 be accomplished. (The same as you are doing to-da3^) 



" Having, however, failed to gain the solution of the problem to the 

 extent of agreeing upon a particular course of procedure, at the close of 

 one of the small meetings, something like a dozen of them agreed to 

 deposit six cents each per week, to form a common fund ; with the ulti- 

 mate object of carrying on business, both productive and distributive, 

 when a plan should be perfected. 



" Early in the year 1844, at a meeting of workingmen, the contributors 

 presented the cause uppermost in their minds, and after a full and free 

 expression of a great diversity of views, they adopted the suggestions 

 advanced by earnest believers in the principle of co-operation ; and voted 

 to open a store for the sale of provisions and clothing; to be conducted 

 on the co-operative idea of dividing the profits to the purchasers." We 

 quote their declaration of object from Mr. Holyoke's " Self Helps by the 

 People": 'The objects and plans of this Society are to form arrange- 

 ments for the pecuniary benefit and improvement of the social and domes- 

 tic condition of its members, by raising a sufficient amount of capital, in 



