Spreading the Cooperative Idea.

• Author: Warbasse, James Peter

In the turmoil and tumult of a world in the throes of economic reorganization, one mighty force is playing a part with system and quiet. The cooperative movement advances steadily, bringing about as it grows revolutionary changes in the organization of society. It does not suffer the disadvantages of uncertainty; its policy is well formulated; it is systematized to the point of standardization. It is today the most substantially organized international movement in the world.

People who have cared to get the information are aware that in European countries about one-third of the population is now embraced in cooperative societies, which are carrying on almost every form of social and economic activity, from conducting their own stores and factories to running schools and theaters.

For three-quarters of a century in Europe, [these cooperatives] have been steadily forging...