Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 246, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1918 — CO-OPERATION IN PALESTINE [ARTICLE]

CO-OPERATION IN PALESTINE

Three Thousand Jews Have Success fully Combined to Fight the High Cost of Living. It is, therefore, with the keenest pleasure that I hear of the success of an experiment on a small scale under war conditions In Palestine, Norman Hapgood writes in Leslie’s. Since 1914 scarcity, depreciated currency, have combined to reduce the Jewish workers almost to starvation. During the war a small group decided to take the most immediate affd effective step. About three years ago 450 ‘ Workers formed a co-operative society in order to fight against the rise in prides. Each worker contributed 10 francs and with this capital of 4,500 francs tue society began to make its purchases. As a result the members of the society were able to purchase four times cheaper than the ordinary public. This co-operation soclety, “Mashbir,” embraces at present about 3,000 persons and, has a budget of 18,000 francs. Their first year of business showed a profit. During the second year robbery and plunder by the Turks changed this profit into a loss. The third year has now shown them. again paying their way. This society not only workmen, but also teachers and clerks. It has applied to the commission for a credit of 120,000 francs and for authorization for one' of their group tc travel to Egypt to make purchases. It is, indeed, on a small scale compared with the business I cited or July 6, but the lesson is the same: The strongest single answer to the cost of living lies in co-operation.