COOPERATION. 565 



viding profits in the ordinary way, are not subject to the 

 whole of this criticism, yet they are subject to part of it. 

 When those who formed the first of them ceased to be work 

 ers in the process of distribution, they ceased to be coopera- 

 tors in that limited sense of the word with which we are 

 here concerned. When they appointed paid servants, the 

 members became wholly, as they were from the beginning 

 mainly, associated consumers, adopting an economical 

 method of supplying themselves. To provide that profits 

 shall be divided among customers in proportion to their pur 

 chases, is simply to provide that they shall have what they 

 purchase at cost price plus the actual cost of distribution 

 the cost of shop-rent, wages, and interest on capital. 



It should be added that the prosperity of these institu 

 tions, working-class or middle-class, has been in large meas 

 ure due to other causes than their so-called cooperative char 

 acter. By making it a rule to sell for cash only, they, in the 

 first place, diminish the amount of capital required, and, 

 in the second place, exclude bad debts and a large amount 

 of bookkeeping : obviously being so enabled to sell at lower 

 rates. With the large middle-class stores in London a fur 

 ther cause operates. People who deal with a local shop 

 keeper (who must charge high prices to get a living out of a 

 relatively small amount of business), are saved the time, 

 trouble, and cost of a journey. If, by going to the Civil 

 Service Stores or other such agency (where on a large turn 

 over a small profit suffices) they take on themselves this 

 time, trouble, and cost, they may naturally have their 

 commodities at lower rates than they give to the local dis 

 tributor, who rightly asks payment for the work he does 

 for them. 



838. Attempts to carry on cooperation strictly so called, 

 have now to be considered. From the various kinds of 

 acting together which have been grouped under the name, 

 either improperly or with but partial propriety, we come at 



