The San Francisco call., 1913-09-20

guild may appear as absurd as comic opera situa-
ton, but it is only part of that great system OF
guilds which, in China, links competition and CO.
operation. The Chinese recognized the wastetul-
ness incidental to competition when ancestors OF
American monopolists clouting each other over
the head in petty tribal and have for centuries
been working with that idea of cooperation to which
America is giving more and more attention
If there are fifty tea dealers in Chinese city, the
tea guild will consist of fifty members. Ii IS one OF
the traditions of every trade that all shall belong to
the appropriate guild. There is hanging back,
and soliciting of members by the secretary or the
membership committee. in the ease of American
organizations of business men. The guild member
ship is much part of the business as the sign IN
front of the shop and jealous the guild men,
bers of the prestige of their organization that they
do not hesitate at very strong TO uphold IT,
Cantonese restaurant keeper up in business IN
\ Shanghai two years ago. and for some reason de-
cded to keep out of the local guild. For few weeks
his business showed i'll effects then the restaurant
began to attract strange lot of customers. They
came in just before each busy hour and filled all the
tables Many of them brought their food and
bought nothing but occasional pot of tea More
over they fingered so long that no one else able
TO enter the restaurant until after the regular dining
hour. They came regularly. and if went away,
his place Immediately filled by another. who also
can make money selling tea at one cent pot, and
the Cantonese was soon within speaking distance of
failure. Then he did what he should have done at
first. He asked all the members of the restaurant
keepers guild TO dinner and theatrical perform
anee. They elected him to membership, and the next
day his strange customers had disappeared
In America the development of trade Nigh often
be epitomized competition, organization monopoly.
In China thanks to the guild system, it is: organza
tion. cooperation. competition. Business in the
same line compete with each other. but there Is
point beyond which the individual cannot 60 By
hard work. economy. and careful attention to busi-
ness, he may build up large trade and grow wealthy,
as many of them do. but he observe the golden
rule. The unwritten law is that he cannot do anything
which would discredit the guild whole or injure
the business of fellow member. China has anti
trust laws and trusts. The guilds insure fair
petition, and >that way they solved the trust prob
lem centuries before it born in the Western world
A japanese merchant moved into city in Central
China. grew queue. learned to speak Chinese and
became a member of the guild When he felt that
be rather firmly established, be advertised bar
gain sale of old and shop-worn goods. Crowds
and the sale was great success. for no race more
dearly loves bargain than the Chinese. In Amer
lea. the opening gun of such trade warfare would
Immediately be answered by.a volley of bargain sales
conducted BY other merchants, and thus the battle
would wage, to the dininishment of profits and the
enrichment of the purchasers wardrobes.
Not so, however. in ld-governed China The