456 RURAL MICHIGAN 



siila. A survey of twenty-six of these elicited the 

 fact that the average membership of the associations 

 reporting was 245, which would indicate a total 

 membership of 9,310 for the entire number of stores. 

 The total capitalization is given as $559,500, for 

 twenty-five stores reporting. The total paid-in 

 capital was put at $212,418 for these stores. The 

 aggregate of sales was $3,821,158, for twenty-four 

 stores. This gives an average annual business of 

 $125,881. The turn-over of sales amounted to 14.2 

 times the paid-in capital. The overhead expense 

 averaged 10.1 per cent, and ranged from 5 to 15 

 per cent. In all but four stores, only one vote was 

 allowed to each member regardless of the number of 

 shares owned. There was a nominal or small rate 

 of interest on stock (5 to 6 per cent). Profits were 

 divided on the basis of purchases by members. In 

 addition to stores, there are cooperative creameries, 

 insurance societies and grist mills, while the Finnish 

 and other sections of the population were very 

 willing to become members of the farm bureaus. 

 The spirit of cooperation expresses itself socially as 

 well as economically, mutual relief and help being 

 freely ofi'ered and received. 



In the southern peninsula, cooperative stores are 

 infrequently encountered, while there is a strong 

 tendency to establish cooperative shipping associa- 

 tions, elevators, and threshing outfits. Definite 

 statistics are lacking. 



A distinctive tendency in Michigan agriculture 



