The times., 1899-02-05
Co-operation in Labor.

Labor Copartnership," by Henry Dem
Arrest Lloyd, author of Wealth Against
Common wealth, is a collection of notss
on cooperative workshops, factories, and
farms in Great Britain and Ireland, in
which employer, emp.oye, and con ume.
share in the ownership. management, and
results. 1t may be said at the beginning
that Mr.. I.loyd's view of the subject is
decidedly rose -colored, and that anyone
in search of arguments in favor of CO.
operation would batter get this book and
read it. Not only does the author fully
believe is the economic advantages Il the
plan-in the possibility Of making it
pay, but he declares that although arch
bishops have given up the application o.
the Golden Rule to business as impracti-
cable these workingmen have adopted as
their principle, We must make men as
well as money" When one comes to think
of it, this is not particularly strange, fo-
the poor always help each other; they
must, or they could not live. But what
ever one may think of the ultimate and
general success OF this plan, il must be ad-
mitted that Mr.. Lloyd has gathered a
goCdly array of facts to support his theory.
II is not all argument with him.
Possibly one reason for the success of
! such an enterprise in England, which
would not take effect in this country, Is
the lack OF opportunity for the working
man. In a country where progress must
! be slow, hindered by class lines, by heredi-
tary tendencies. and by the absence of
! chances TO make great fortunes suddenly.
! cooperation might easily succeed II would
! attract not only the ordinary workingman
| but the man of thrift, industry, and enter
prise, debarred from larger prizes of per-
sonal ambition. In this country "A plan
Of this sort usually attracts only the i'm
| practical, dreamy workingman, or the
| ne'er-do- well; because the man of energy
! and initiation can do better for himself
/ than he can in any cooperative institu-
! tion. Thus the enterprise is all hands
/ and no head. a long history Of failures
| in this line has made the thinking intel
! ltgent wCrkingman shy of such ideas But
/ there is no real reason why corporation
/ should not succeed in labor as in govern
ment. and ultimately ii is bound to do so.
But ultimately" is a long way ahead, and
human nature as well as some important
conditions, must be changed more or less
| before any such result is reached.
| II is stated at the beginning OF this book
that in the whole list of CO. operative farms
and farming is as little likely to succeed
| on this basis as any other business-only
one came out at the end of the year 1896
with any conspicuous deficit, and that was
hioie tHaH LIdut UP during lle 1OIiOWlnE
| year. The profits of these farms have moi
always been very large, but they have beer
profits; and part OF every dollar, before
it is divided, is always set aside for pur.
poses Of education in the form of lectures
| libraries, and schools. II stands TO rea.
son, as any child can see, that If villag,
can be made to support itself and a land
| ed proprietor who takes little or no inter.
est in it except to spend his money (thS
overseeing being done by his factor) tha
| village can do little more than SUPPORT
itself on the cooperative plan, If only
| some man or men with the same amour
of brains as the factor can be found /,
attend to the executive business of tn,
community. In England, Scotland anc
ireland 1t appears that this has been done
The greater part Of the book is given NJ
to solid facts and figures regarding theg,
establishments, and it is sufficient to sa,
that while the faults and failures of tn,
system receive attention, its merits ar,
shown to be far greater. Whether or no
there Is any chance OF such plan succeed
ing in the United States during the mex
hundred years, there seems 10 be no doub
that ii has succeeded in Great Britain
| New York: Harper q Bros SlD