Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-05-30
THE VROOMAN
COOPERATIVE
MOVEMENT,
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go. We must not be confused with any OF the
home cooperative companies; we shall do bus
mess along different lines"
ssBut, Mr.. Vrooman, aside from wondering
where the money is coming from, the public
has its own ideas about the probable success or
failure Of your plans. The people seem to feel
that the success of your cooperative scheme
rests almost entirely upon efficient manage
ment."
"That is right; it does" replied Mr.. Vro-
man, "and we are making every possible effort
to place our interests under the direct manage.
ment of capable men. We have adopted trust
methods, and are trying to secure an expert for
each of our enterprises. We shall leave
nothing to chance. Where we find man in
capable of doing what is expected OF him, he
will be removed"
FORMER OWNERS ON SALARY.
ssBut it is understood that in many instances
you place the former owner in charge of stock
purchased. Do you not fear that his being
placed upon salary will lessen his zest?"
{ "No. If it does, he will not remain with us
long. We must have the right men in the
right places. And along this line, let me say
that the big department stores and the other
great institutions of this country are being run
by men who are bankrupts and failures.
~ went through ten big stores the other day,
looking for men, and do you know that found
practically every department in charge of
person who had proved failure? But all fail
ures must not be attributed to incapacity. Force
of circumstances often brings about a mans
financial downfall. Then, all men cannot be
in business for themselves.
'Without citing names, know one man in
St. Louis, millionaire, who made his fortune
upon the board of trade. He has brother
equally as shrewd and intelligent, and appar-
emily Just as good manager, who is working
to-day for salary of $75 month. tell you,
the managers of the big enterprises to-day are
bankrupts and failures and men of salaries"
The association has purchased 400 acres, and
is negotiating for 600 more adjoining Swope
Park, magnificent tract of 1900 acres, given
to Kansas City TO. park purposes On this
tract, new factories and model village are to
be erected.
The extreme southern end of the tract, EN-.
bracing about seventy-6ve acres of wooded and
picturesque hills rising from the stream, will
be devoted to children's paradise, which is to
the paramount feature of the village.
For children are to be the chief end and AIM
of the settlement. Mr.. Vrooman believes that
the minds of the babies are too often fed upon
intellectual rarebits; that they are pushed be-
yond their years and held too strictly to school
discipline; that their bodies are too much neg
lected
He spent part of last summer with Professor
Dewey in Chicago, and was greatly impressed
with that mans good work in behalf of nature
study physical culture and manual training.
WORK FOR CHILDREN.
The children will do shop work. They will
learn to cook and sew. Nothing that is not
useful will be permitted. They will 60 back
to the time of primitive man and follow him to
the modern ages, reproducing inventions by
their own handwork. They will weave fab
RIGS and they will study the arts aud trades.
But carpentry, cooking and sewing and
weaving will be the principalIlines of work for
the children, because they represent some of