Other Projects

A co-operative project that could be worth investigating is the establishment of a laundry. It would not have to be very complex, a second hand washing machine and drier, with an iron and ironing table. The cost of running such a service need not be expensive. It is an attack on the present wasteful nature of our society, which demands that each family or flat group consume a washing machine and an iron at least and normally a drier as well, each of which is used for only a small part of each week.

The co-operative mode of living is a people thing, but for it to work to the best advantage all participants must contribute something, time or effort, because if they don't they tend to exploit the few who do work. Hopefully a smaller Co-op will be more personal, and people will enter into the spirit of it and not exploit and rip off their fellow men. Talking of rip offs, the University Co-op lost about $250 last year, and it wasn't all bad management.

By Peter Rendall (pictured)