UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
jn-S^^-rt. 
BULLETIN No. 381 
Contribution from Office of Markets and Rural Organization 
CHARLES J. BRAND, Chief 
*%& m< &su 
Washington, D. C. 
September 29, 1916 
BUSINESS PRACTICE AND ACCOUNTS FOR 
COOPERATIVE STORES. 
By J. A. Bexell, Dean, School of Commerce, Oregon Agricultural College, Collaborator, 
Office of Markets and Rural Organization; and W. H. Kerr, Investigator in Market 
Business Practice, Office of Markets and Rural Organization, U. 8. Department of 
Agriculture. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
Introduction 1 
Corporate records 3 
Minutes 3 
Subscription agreement 5 
Certificate book 7 
Stock certificate register 7 
Dividend register 7 
Membership ledger 7 
Interest and dividend account 10 
Statements and reports 14 
Manager's report 15 
Inventory 15 
Auditor's report 16 
President's report 16 
Operating records " 26 
Strictly cash business 26 
Cash receipts 26 
Use of the cash register 26 
Cash register ticket 26 
Bank deposits 27 
Cashbook 27 
Explanation of column captions. 27 
Cash payments 28 
Orders and remittances 29 
Cash payment book 29 
Explanation of column captions. 29 
Operating records — Continued. 
Strictly cash business— Continued. 
Cash payment book— Continued. 
Balancing the cash book 30 
Reconciling the bank account ... 31 
Cash summary 31 
Coupon and scrip system 31 
Journal 33 
General ledger 36 
Explanation of general accounts . 36 
Trial balance 40 
Closing the ledger 40 
Both cash and credit business 41 
Accounts receivable 47 
Bills receivable 47 
Goods returned 47 
Produce 48 
Accounts payable 48 
Account file system 49 
Departmental cost accounts 50 
Auditing 50 
Audit of resources and liabilities 51 
Office equipment 53 
Summary 55 
Bibliography 56 
Index of records and accounting forms 56 
INTRODUCTION. 
The purpose of this bulletin is to outline a simple and adequate 
system of records for cooperative retail stores, and to point out such 
fundamental business methods as must be observed to insure suc- 
cess. It is not a treatise on the principles of bookkeeping, but merely 
an outline of a special system adapted to a cooperative business. It 
Note.— This bulletin should be of interest to all cooperative stores and members of such stores. It should 
be of interest to retail grocery and general merchandise stores throughout the country. 
44371°— Bull. 381—16—1 
