New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-07-18
cO.OPLRA1I0N DIscUSsED.

A BANKE r AMONG THE REFORMERS-EXTRENE
MEET IN THE COSMOPOLITAN CONFERENCE.
The discussion Of cooperation was continued
in the Cosmopolitan Conference, Sunday afternoon
Mr.. Hodgkins, banker, read lecture Labor, Capt
tai and Cooperation" lie said that the original home
Of man was i'm the Tropics SO long he restricted
to that locality he had little need Of exertion that he
got lttle7 idea tof, work But surplus population
after while forced the race overflow into the semi
tropics where they must at least lay aside small store
for the rainy season. and where they began to under
stand what work Rude races hate work only lit
tie less than starvation The first labor problem began
when the provident OF the semi-tr0pcs began to
say to his starving neighbours DO this hated work for
me. and will feed you" Then the i'm
proyident Eslus began TO sell their
birth-rghts OF freedom for the mess of pottage. The
great labor movements of the poor were ignored by his
tory, which written by princes and their sycophants
There were fearful and bloody struggles in Greece,
which resulted in certain amount OF liberty for the
Hcots Five hundred years later the same struggle was
occurring I'm italy Work meant slavery IN all those
days For 1900 years wOrkngmen we're slaves ana only
fought for tightening OF tlelr yoke. ABOUT $40 ySS s
agricultural abOrer At that time men, Wise IN tnrIf
the suppression Of the WOrkngmen INTO the cOhdtOh Vi
Labor has never obtained anything except by force in
the past. At last the time las come when such means
not needed. Norkiugnen rule this country. ii ihe
laws bad ii is their fault For my years the wages
OF labor have been slowly improving.
Labor unions the most beneficial universal, and
powerful organizations known 10 civilization II is
great deusOn 10 suppose that capital Is the employ OF
labor. knowledge IL the employer OF ignorance ne
laborcr has capital all around him. beside tlat ~ me
savings banks, which he could use Ss6OlCOOWO Is TIE
capital produced every year by labor IN TINS COM
try. II all the capital Of the country were destroyed M
Dor would reproduce II in 10 months Nlnety-ulue per
cent Of business il carried on by borrowed capital me
great difference between capitalists of9lGd ana a9ol
is that knows how To borrow and the Othel does
not In the first place. the employers borrow usually
from six weeks to three months wages rom ther has
aYa tl-i
facturcrs borrow the peoples mGncy iro the saw
gs banks in ordcr to hold out against them IL time OF
Schultz Dcche said cooperation makes the working
responsibility Of wOrkngmeu is due in the first place, to
the fact that bank presidents know nothing about such
men, whom they consider dangerous designing set Oh
The avorte project of the speaker TO form savings
banks such a. those OF Germany where te people esc
saiYns banRs of NewEpcland and New-York should be
loaned to cooperative instead of TO the great
manufacturers Each Trade Union should have Its own
industrial savings bank, to loan money Judcousy TO It's
MI Wolf said that he had two purposes in lfe-to get
at truth aud to oppose error lie expected to be
Analysed and expected to anayze others He had never
heard more error uttered in the length of time than
the essayst propounded He had said that there was no
charity AMONG savage-. He knew % the contrary. We
must not gather capital III order to Speculate on ohr
peoples labor The purpose Of cooperation is 10
make every employer instead Of SPECTATOR III
other mems labor All the evils Of the ldboIing classes
from mans selfish effort To appropriate more OF the
products OF labor than he oayn Nv honest effort.
Mr. ingalls, said that Mr.. HodGhius was wrong in his
statement to the origin oil tne labor question Tie
first transfer of products Of labor usually matter or
robbery. Again. 1t is wrong to say that man hates work
lie loves it, IL j. his nature TO work He objected 10 the
statement that America has for sympathy with
Russia We have great cause I'm the fact that Russia
freed her land when she freed her slaves Nothing but
swindng will result from any efforts at cooperation that
Will CountcIancc interest capital.
Mr.. Banks Of the Painters Association said that every
OF hi, Society would gladly enter upon cooperation
ii the way made clear. He uttered some earnest
ideas about the needs aud hopes Of workingmen in
simple way that was very effective.
Ira b. Davis said THAT the object OF the Cooperative
Society that vas proposed not 10 declare money
dividend. but daily dividend Of cheapuess 70 tie
OF the Society. He had no quarrel with cap-
talists such what men want ~ new conditions.
Mr. HOdghins said that being banker, he would give
his exp rcuce such. very lively mixed discussion
then ensued between him, Mr. Davis and others which
tie banker maintained that the services OF his class were
necessary those OF any other Davis and the others
asserted that mOncydcalers were robbers In the I'M
ceIemOuOus discussion 81 the adjournment Mr.. HOdg
ku- found the Communists present very willing 10 bOr
row from his bank but they scOrned paying interest.