Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-10-25
FEW WAYS ON COOPERATION
Principle Has Found Larger Develop
ment IN City Than In Country
Some Advantages Noted.

(By G. r. BARNS. Extension Division.
Minnesota College of Agriculture.)
Whatever advantages the city may
claim over the country. either as q
place OF residence or as an arena for
business enterprise. are mainly due to
the fact that in the city the principle
OF cooperation has found larger de-
velopment. The cooperation may be
often involuntary, and In many cases
the principle has been perverted to
the enrichment Of corporate and other
monopolies; but II nevertheless so
permeates all municipal life as to con-
stitute the largest factor. in the max
ing OF the city. The improved road
ways and sidewalks, the water supply
and sewer systems. gas and electric
lighting and heating facilities. the
trolley lines. telephone service. parks.
Libraries. picture galleries. hospitals.
express deliveries. cheap amusements
and superior school advantages-all
are the fruits OF varied application
OF the cooperative plan" For CO.
operation is simply an agreement by
number Of men to unite In doing
or maintaining something which none
OF them. Individually. would be able to
do OF maintain. The mere fact Of a
mans taking up his residence In
city makes him. however involun-
tarily. co-operator in all its works
'of public service. Their maintenance
is a part of the cost Of living" there.
The extension of corporations has
been more rapid In the cities because
Of the multiplied contracts among the
number of people there brought to-
gether. which have practically forced
them to join hands for the general
advancement, along some lines; and
along others, has made II easy for the
corporate and monopolistic beneficial
,ries OF cooperation to levy the tribute
charged for the use of their several
conveniences = conveniences which
the multitude was not yet ready to
install from its own resources. But
today similar contracts-stimulated
by the presence Of the telephone. the
trolley. the daily mails. and all that
they imply-are as numerous In many
country district as they were In the
city Of 'ye olden time" before the ad-
vent there of the agencies named.
And the multiplication OF contracts
stire the progressive spirit In the
country as 1t has done in the city.
And that spirit can find no outlet like
that Afforded by the development OF
cooperation.
How many are the avenues Of bene-
ficent endeavor which center at Co
operations door! Yet how few OF
those avenues have we. until recently.
tried to penetrate! We have made
some beginnings with cooperative ele-
vators and grain-selling; with cream
cries and egg-seliing associations;
with live stock shipping and stock
breeding associations: with fruit
growers and market gardeners
unions. But nine-tenths of the busi-
ness in the several lines named. ex-
cept in the case of creameries. is still
handled on a non-co-operative basis;
and this In the face Of repeated DEM
monstrations OF the effectiveness OF
cooperation in securing larger re-
turns to the farmer
The extension of cooperation along
these lines may well engage a large
share of the new spirit now kindling.
So. also. may the Good Roads"
movement. than which few co-opera-
tive undertakings promise more Such
extension. will make easier the appli-
cation of the cooperative idea to the
purchase and use Of costly farm ma
chinery; to the creation-where neigh
bors are sufficiently near-of perma-
nent supply of running water; to the
common raising. for shipment by the
carload. of a single kind of vegetable.
a single breed OF cattle or hogs. sim
gle type of horses; 20 the establish
ment of social and civic centers at
schooIhouses or churches; to the beau
tifying of country roads with shade
trees and side-lawns: to the establish
ment of free government news sew
ice, which shall enable the country
daily to compete with the city sheet.
and thus restore the independence
and dignity OF journalism; to the light
ening Of the burdens of the farmers
wife by the establishment Of the CO
operative laundry. These are but
few of the many avenues through
which. by cooperation. our people may
attain to higher and better living.