the morning for the delivery of baked goods and in the afternoon for the
delivery of groceries. It keeps three boys busy all day covering the
territory between the cooperators' homes. The delivery system is
essential because the membership is scattered throughout the entire
city.

There are fourteen employees in the grocery and bakery. Hitherto they
have received wages higher than those generally prevailing throughout
the city for the same kind of work, but recently on their own initiative
they voted themselves a ten per cent decrease. In a cooperative all
members may know the financial status of the business and the employees
found that, due to the diminishing margin of profit, the business could
not support such a high scale of wages. Their wage cut followed because
as members of the cooperative they were interested not only in their own
wages but in the good of the society as a whole.

The Utica Cooperative Society was organized in 1915 by a group of
Germans. Half a dozen nationalities are now represented, although
Americans predominate. Although they had only ninety-two members and
$1,250 to start, they bought out a private store and began cooperative
business. Their bakery was originally in the cellar under the store. The
former owner was employed as manager. For three or four years they
experienced many difficulties. Within two years two managers proved
inefficient and had to be replaced. Only the tenacious loyalty of a few
kept the society alive. But they had the foresight and determination to
fight through those lean years.

Now for five years they have had the same manager. He insists upon
scrupulous bookkeeping methods, careful buying, close supervision of his
work by the board of fifteen directors, strict regard for the needs and