The Idea Of Co-operative Efforts To Get Homes For The People

England has always beeu the great ïome of co-operatlon in every form, and o long ago na 1820 there were associaions tor building purposes very much on i He same idea slnce developed In this country. In the beglnnlng the socleties , were clubs, the existence of which ceased when the aliares of a stiited number of '¦ nembers raatured. The thought of a , lermanent assoelation took simpe in tlie nethod3 of sharea by series. In 1886 the co-operative building assoclations ot the United Klngdom had a capital of more than $250,000,000. There are in Qermany what are called leople's bankg, which are operated very nuch on the saving and loan system and isve been running more than a quirter of a century. The bauks have a meuijership of over l.OOO.IKX) persons and do a business of $40,000,000. So far as any record show, the plan was first introducid In this country at or near Phlladelphia In 1831. lts growth has been remarkable. The method H not so simple that It does not requlro study, tnit when once comprehended, the operation is slmpllcity itself. It is estimated that one-tlfth ot the dwelling houses Ih Ptiiladelphia have been built by tlie cooperatlve gency, and there is a belief that much of tbe prosperlty and perinanency of the Quaker city's population are due to the early ititroductlon of the plan. Williln the Corporation limita there are now over 600 assoeiations. The growth has extended to and developed in altnost cvery state In the Union, and snine cities ar specially favored. It is estimated that there are 5,000 associations in tbe United States, wilii a merabership of 800,000, and an agg regate capital of $750,000,000. There is a state league In Pennsylvania and one is beinc braad in this state. The city of Ciuclnnati boasts of 397 assoclatiofis, Pittsburgli ot 250, Buffülo of 150, Chicago of 1S0, Rochester of 65 and St. Paul of 40. New York real estáte has been too h?l to Kive the assoclation a chance, butthey have existed here for a decade, and special eff'orts are now belng made to boom them. The territory selected is across the North and Eiist rivers, above the Harlem and on Staten island. Chicago has one society, the asset nf which have reached more than $1,000,000 and the surplus derlved is something more than $268,000. An association in Dayton, O., oiysnized llfteen years ago, has nearly 5,000 meinbers, who have invested considerably over $1,000,000. The dlvideuds have aggregated $50,000. The growth in this city was greatly stlmulatcd last year by the passage of an act in the legislature exempting co-operative association capital stock from taxalion.