for a meeting of representatives from the various cooperatives to be held in Duluth in August 1914. In all the Finnish newspapers of Minnesota there appeared on 10 September 1914, "An Important Statement to all Finnish Cooperatives and other Similar Undertakings in the Middle Western States," outlining the situation much as Risto had explained it a few months earlier in his article : it was difficult for small cooperatives to operate successfully alone, so it was time to unite; a central organization, which could serve as a supply house, could buy in large quantities at lower prices, and distribute at a savings to local cooperatives according to their needs. The text of this statement, as printed in the Päivälehti, ended with a declaration that "several cooperatives have been sounded out about a meeting, and the following have already agreed to send their representatives to a meeting at Duluth on the 20th of September," and under it appeared the names of William Marttila and the names of three cooperatives, all located in Michigan.

Twelve cooperatives and the Workers' Institute did send representatives to Duluth. From Minnesota there were present Mauritz Lindgren from Biwabik; J. G. Maattala and Reino Salo from Cloquet; Gust Kallio, Otto Lahtinen and Arthur Point from Duluth; Gust Tuura from Embarrass; Adolf Wirkkula from Fairbanks; John H. Mattson from Kettle River; Antti Wallio from Virginia. As `interested individuals' there were also present John Kolu, Axel Ohrn and Nikolai Visti. William Marttila, representing Rock, Michigan, presided at the meeting. The Päivälehti report on the first day's proceedings stated that under discussion was the necessity of "carrying on a strong campaign and thus awakening the majority of workers as supporters" before a cooperative venture was planned in any new community, followed by the necessity of "a continued program of enlightenment so that every. one would comprehend that the cooperative movement was a mass movement." In any such venture, agreed these delegates, the accounts should always be in the hands of professionally trained persons, and that in selecting a business manager "it always be kept in mind that persons be appointed who were supporters of the class struggle, even while they were clearly aware of the requirements of business life and methods." The following day the Päivälehti, the Sosialisti, the Uusi Kotimaa and Pelto ja Koti all reported that the so-called Cooperative League had been established. According to Kendall, its task was to be the procurement of supplies for member stores, to guide business managers and assist them in auditing, to work toward the establishment

339