New-York tribune., 1867-03-22
THE LABOR QUESTION.
Mr.. RrsKrN on COOPERATION.


The following letter from Mr.. Ruskin to gentle
man in the north Of England published in The Scots
wrote for Frusers Maga.ine bound together and you
now have everything have yet published or ponucat
would Interest you it was about strikes and cooperation
But too III at present do any serious work rgn1y
and the thing has come to sandstll when am % Soii3 -
fol and beside there several points in these BOOKS
mine which intended to add notes to- ana ~ seg % hest M
thing can do is to write you fcw simple letters WSH TsH
will not fret 1t does to write carefully IN Sy Sa sad S
or another shall thus get what most want 10 say s ~
TO yOu Then you read 1t to other peoPe OF 9as
TO baSs SS RsptfSG RDn tSnt SSS be HS S any
for thing TO understand the sense IN % % 9 am
a%%ys peSdas qSTf fST It anS yet the
cooperation of partnership as opposed 10 a 10 ~ ~ oa
our great firms glad to see it doing So yet not
altogether glad for none of you who are engaged IN ne
Immediate strugge between the system OF cooperation
and the system of mastershp know how much the ais
pute involves, and none Of us know the results 70 winch
only between modes OF conducting busness.t is be-
on whether the amount Of wages no greater IN the end
than that at present received by the men, may not DC
RsS az and interest IN the PROSPERITY Of the business The
question is, really, whethcr the profits which are
capital energy ingenuity has made him head Of tho
firm not in some proportion to be divided among tne
into any inquiry to the Just claims OF capital or as to
the proportions in which profits ought to pc or are ~ c
sured and essential condition that somewhat larger in
will be in cooperative firms secured 20 the suOOrd
the general tendency of such system increase the
facilities Of advancement among the suDordnateE 10
are provden moro ample and early provsion and
TO form in the end vast class of persons wholly
ciety possessing each a moderate competence, able
to procure, not indeed many Of the Injuries t but
leisure to the attachments Of liberal education and to
the other objects Of free life On the other hand Dy
the exact sum which is divided among them more than
their present wages the fortune OF the man who under
the present SYSTEM takes all the profits OF the business
WILDE diminished and tho requirement OF large prvate
fortune by the regular means and all the conditions OF
life belonging to such fortune will be rendered
the social change hereby involved and the consequent
differences in tho moral relations between h
any of your writers commercial subjects ana IS pc
have eftuntcuched in the books send YOU the question
Of cooperative labor. When use the word cOopeauoh
firms at all use tho word in far wider sense as
opposed, not to masterhoed, but TO competition; !
ali ali the the master bakers in town are to give share
of their profits to the men who go out Win the rea t
nor get the others business but are all 70
form one society selling to the public unier conTh ,
law Of penalty for unjust dealing anu at an estan
shed price lido not mean that all bankers clerks should
be partners nc In the D. SanS Sat dS body
society for all deposits and that the prVae Duses
Of nSS nn Sn a Ger Of
instance, by cooperation. not only fel0wsis
that il shall be thought (as 1t Is now, with
udicrOus and vain selfishness an advantage Tor one
nation undersell another and take its occupation
away from it. but that the primal and eternal law Of vital
commerce shall be OF al men understood, namely thas
every nation is fitted by the character and the nature OF
its territories for particular empoyments or manu-
facures and that Is the true interest oi every Other
nation TO encourage II in such specially and by no means
interfere WITH but in all ways to forward and protect
its efforts ceasing all ryashp with 30 soon as ~ Is
strong enough occupy its proper place You sec there
fore that the idea of cooperation In the sense III when
employ IT. has hardly yet entered into the minds OF poH
ieal inquirers and win not pursue It at present but
return to that form OF il which beginning TO obtain cre-
dence and practice among u.s. Tms however must De III
q following letter am, dc, j. kUeKs'