New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-25
COOPERATION IN LABOR.

THE UorId thus strikes at the efforts of the
WOrkingmen tn elevate themselves from the
condition of hirelings to that of cOOperators
=" A morning paper stin harps upon cOOperation-tha
is cO0peratiOn for prOductiOn-and urges WOfknginen
who are eager get immediate relief nom The evils that
now press upon them, and who cannot wait I'LL time
solves Of the vexng problems to organize as pro
duCers Now, would not say one WOrd against any
plan which promises benefit TO the working classes
but this scheme of cooperative production has
be an utter failure. 1t will not do to cite the
success of the ROchdale and similar associations,
these mere corporations Tor buying not LOT pro
ducon. They propose merely 10 supply members with
food ana other articles Of consumption at cost price
saving 10 consumers the sums expended IN hahulhg lhe
goods In TINS these associations IN England have been
successful though for various reasons they have not done
well in tins country cooperation Iookhe 10 ls end
which s only reform in trade, Is worth encouraging.
For instance the fishermen of Nantucket sell blue fish at
u cents the pound and The same hsh cost ~ TO "a
cents in this city. Any plan which would cnt
and commissions OF the 'cobetweens' in this
and all other business would be a great gam
But II is utterly absurd 10 suppose That
because cooperation for purchasing Would De- ana 10
some extent IS, successful cooperation Tor production
would be also With every desire to aid the advance
schemes which promise TO make sOkeI railway directors
The established process Of the division Of labor Each
man takes the place for which he fitted Armies 90
labor will not be fitted for the direction Of labor TIL 1t is
trained; and men who qualify themselves to so direct
labor VIII direct other mems labor. not their own
Comments By The Tribune.
iHt " Oftt - hlioNdlAth III ITO loNto' 4 Nv
Equitable Pioneers of Rochdale began, indeed,
to cooperate for wholesale purchase and eco
nOmical distribution only, for their means were
slender indeed but they never meant to stop
there, and did not. And others have gone
ahead even of them. The Iron Molders Of
Troy established Cooperative Foundcrics two
or three years ago, and were still maintaining
them with profit and satisfaction when we
were last advised of their dOings. And they
are but a few among many. The letter i'm
another column, reviewing the action of the
recent Labor Congress, mentions several more
1t is well-very well-to seek to secure by Co
operation to those who catch blue-fsh rather
more than tenth of what the consumer pays
for them; but why are not economy and
justice as desirable in production as in distribu-
ton Why should not Labor hope to benefit by
elf-direction in one department as well as in
the other? Why is it "utterly absurd to
presume that working tailOrs (for instance)
should make clothes directly for working
matters and shOemakers, and rice rerSQ without
being taxed for the rent of costly premises
wherefrOm to buy their respective products
from "bOsses" who never hanked a hat nor
sewcd a seamg
If worllngmen cannot direct their own labor,
they must pay Others for doing it-nO doubt Of
that. Where Labor is free to form such COM
binations as it deems best, it were absurd to
talk of capital depressing it by proffering it
employment at specified wages. But we be-
lieve there is a fairer, juster, more benefcent
system than that of Hiring, and that it is to be
sought through Cooperation.