A step beyond retail store-keeping was taken in 1864 by the establishment of the North of England Co-operative Wholesale Society (limited), the central office of which is at Manchester. Its object is to supply goods wholesale to co-operative stores. Besides importing foreign articles, the society purchases vast quantities of butter, pro visions, and dry goods in all parts of the United Kingdom; latterly, the manufacture of biscuits and the business of banking have been added to this comprehensive concern, which has numerous branches and agents. C., however, has gone even beyond this. At Rochdale, Leeds, and elsewhere, co-operative societies composed of working-men have set on foot large cotton-factories, flour-mills, or other industrial establishments, which compete in the general field of manufacturing enterprise. In these concerns, the oper atives receive weekly wages, and also dividends on profits after paying for management.
Co-operative societies arc registered, pursuant to 18 and 19 Viet, e. 63, 20 and 21 Vict. c. 101, and 80 and 31 Viet. c. 117. The rules of the society are binding, and may be legally enforced—protection is given to members, their wives, children, and heirs in enforcing their just claims, and against any fraudulent dissolution of the society; the property of the society is declared to be vested in the trustee or treasurer, who may, with respect to the property of the society, sue and be sued in his own name; fraud committed with respect to the prdperty of the society is punished by justices. With a
view to afford means for mutual advice and consultation, there has been established a Central Co-operation Board at Manchester; the members connected with which hold congresses and conferences at different places.
For further information, we refer to the statutes; also to the Co-operative the reports of the above-mentioned bodies; the annual sheet Almanack of the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers; the published Transactions of the _National Association for Promoting Social Science; and Chambers' Information for the People, No. 85, " Social Economics." See likewise the article BENEFIT SOCIETIES. w. C.