Rule, 103132 PAAGO, AGO 70

• Case Date: October 31, 1932
• Court: Pennsylvania

Honorable James N. Rule AGO 70 Opinion No. 70 Pennsylvania Attorney General Opinions Opinions Of The Attorney General October 31, 1932          State institutions—Cooperative stores for benefit of pupils, patients and inmates.          Cooperative stores for the sale of small articles to pupils, patients and inmates may be operated in state institutions. Such stores must be operated under proper supervision and no public money may be used therein.          Department of Justice,          Honorable James N. Rule,          Superintendent of Public Instruction,          Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.          Sir: You have asked us to advise you whether trustees of State Teachers Colleges may lawfully permit the operation of cooperative stores on the premises of the respective colleges. The purpose of these stores would be to provide the students with books and supplies needed in their college courses and other school and athletic activities, and also with small articles of personal use of various kinds, including class jewelry and emblems. The proposed store would be operated by representatives of the student body, and the profits would be devoted to the benefit of the students generally in such manner as the students or their representatives might determine.          For this purpose your plan would make use of existing student-body organizations, or would provide for the formation of such organizations where none already exist. They would be voluntary associations, financed by small membership dues. Funds of these associations would be used to furnish the original capital necessary to set up the stores, although you say that very little initial capital would be needed, because book publishers and other merchants would give liberal credit to such stores.          In an opinion dated September 3, 1929, addressed to the Department of Property and Supplies, and a supplemental opinion dated October 11, 1929, addressed to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Honorable Wm. A. Schnader, then Special Deputy Attorney General, stated the general nature of the articles which might be purchased by the Commonwealth for sale to students in State teachers colleges.          "We understand that your present inquiry is not concerned with any of the questions involved in those opinions, and that the proposed cooperative stores are intended to eliminate the conduct of stores or supply rooms by the Commonwealth itself, acting through the college officers...