Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-08-20
LIVE QUESTIONS.
A Series of Articles Contributed by
Advanced Thinkers.
COMPETITION VERSUS COOPERATION

COMPETITION VERSUS COOPERATION
Industrial competition is an element
Of social life which is born of our lower
nature, and though it has legitimate
use i'll the earlier stages of human evo-
luton, it must vanish by degrees and
give place to industrial cooperation as
the deeper possibilities of human nature
evolve. This is evident for several rea-
sons.
First Competition springs from and
encourages selfishness. 1t is man against
man. Mr.. AS success depends on Mr..
BIS failure. l have occasion to rejoice
when my neighbor across the street
fails, because his failure will increase
my patronage. Cooperation would
make this impossible by combining the
interests of ALL
Second. - Competition multiplies
temptations for deception. This is ap-
parent in the adulteration of goods of
various kinds. Competition causes some
business men to adulterate their goods.
The art Of adulterating and initiating
at this day is developed to great perfec-
tion. Under a cooperative system much
of this would cease.
Third. d.-Competition is a waste of en-
ergy, time and money. Why should so
dairymen travel over large city to dis
tribute milk when under u co-opera-
tive dairy industry the city could be di-
vided into so milk sections and Sec
tion allotted to each distributor? What
if the postal service were in the hands
Of private, competing corporations in
stead of being, as it now is, i'll the
hands of the people? Imagine the car
riers-probably messenger boys who
ought to be at school-crossing each
others tracks, with many times the
number employed to accomplish the re-
suits we now have and occasionally
strike to demoralize the service!
Fourth. h.-Competition adds new re-
cruits to the army of the unemployed.
To illustrate, a new labor saving ma
chine is invented. To %yry machine
ten men are thrown out of employment,
while one is employed to manufacture
and operate it, leaving a balance of
nine unemployed. We know that this
state of things is increasing Under a
cooperative system all ten would con-
tinue in employment but the hours
would be reduced from ten to one to
produce the same results, or from ten
to five to produce five times the results.
Thus forced idleness and overwork
would alike disappear
Fifth. Incorporation would also do
away with individual losses resulting
from cyclones, floods, fire, grasshoppers,
accidents, etc, as all would share the
unlimited burdens
In word, competition is the law of
failure, while cooperation is the order
of success Competition should there
fore cease.
But this can take place only gradual
ly and in some degree spontaneously.
1t cannot be forced. If suddenly thrust
upon us, we would be i'll prepared to
use it without abusing it, And sudden
changes are rarely thorough and last
ing. 1t becomes us to feel our way grad
ually and by well measured steps.
Gradually let us enact laws for the alb.
clifton of special privileges and the dis
couragement of monopolies that keep
from the people their just wages. Grad
ually let US suppress gambling in the
bounteous gifts of nature and give the
people free access to their God given
heritage, the land. Gradually let us re-
move the burdens from the shoulders of
industry. Gradually but thoroughly let
us introduce economic education and
elevate moral sentiment and the sense
of justice. Let us cultivate the principle
of brotherhood and evolve the spirit of
tho golden rule ]. S. DAVID.