Productive Co-Operation in France (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos or missing text. Not indexed. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1899. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... PRODUCTIVE CO-OPERATION IN FRANCE I. Origin of Productive Co-operation in France. In all accounts of co-operation it is repeatedly asserted that England is primarily the land of consumer's co-operation, Germany of credit co-operation, and France of productive co-operation. This observation has become almost a commonplace, a truism; and, at least so far as it relates to the first two forms of co-operation, it has never been gainsaid. Yet some question has been raised concerning the third form of co-operation; and, in truth, if statistics are trustworthy, it does not appear that associations of co-operative producers are either more numerous or more influential in France than they are in the other two countries. On the contrary, by a singular coincidence, the number of societies statistically reported appears to be nearly the same--from 170 to 180--in each of the three countries. And, in amount of sales and of capital, English productive associations exceed somewhat the French. Moreover, even within France itself, associations of producers do not constitute the most important form of cooperation. Co-operative stores are far more numerous, --numbering more than 1,500, --while they represent a trade movement infinitely more considerable and a membership one hundred times greater.f These figures to the contrary notwithstanding, I believe the common saying that France is the birthplace of productive co-operation is well founded. First, because that form of co-operation is the only form which has developed Translated by Dr. John Cummings. t Membership of the productive associations does not exceed eight or ten thousand, while that of the stores is at least six hundred thousand. spontaneously within France. Other forms have been introduced from foreign countries. I...