The Washington herald., 1915-05-23
CO OPERATION IN
AMERICAN BUSINESS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE EIGHT.

4
Giles and that the tone and temper of
LEGISLATION have shown almost accentu-
ated acrimony in respect Of tendencies
whose necessity has been becoming ap-
parent to far-sighted business men. there
| u abundant evidence among the latter
class that their minds are turning more
and more to the ideal of industry and
commerce conducted along cooperative
rather than wastefully competitive lines.
The desire for organized efficiency has al
ways been particularly strong In Ameri-
cans. and possibly no other people has
ever carried organization and efficiency
| In an individualistic sense farther than
have We. Now It II rapidly dawning
upon the clearest thinking Of our citizens
that there Is still q higher kind of en-
cheney than that Of competitive indi-
vidualisn. namely. the efficiency Of prop
ery devised and safeguarded oo-opera-
ton.
This raises the question why there has
not been q more rapid acceptance by the
American public generally Of the prin-
| cfple OF the higher efficiency made pos
sible BY such cooperation and co-ordins-
ton In industry and commerce as have
been producing the rema rkable results
referred to in Germany. Why Is 1t that
In people like ours. In which efficiency
| has always been a passion and organj-
II
trfumphs in certain limited fields, there
has not been q fuller application Of the
principle that general organization on
cooperative. instead Of brutality competi.
tive. lines. yields the highest results in
efficiency, both for the several branches
Of industry and commerce and for the
people - q nation?
Awake to Danger Of Waste.
| 4 think there are two reasons which
| may be given. One has to do with the
\ difference in the conditions which have
characterized the economic growth of the
United States and of Germany. In the
latter country the natural resources Al
| hand have been strictly limited. The
population Of nearly 100000 souls is
crowded into an area of 2os.74 square
I miles, on a basis Of nearly 81 persona
to the square mile. In the United States
tho wealth Of national resources has been
| as pr9verbial as has been the lavish ex-
| travakance with which We have con-
| sumed them. Our vast area of over 1000
900 square miles literally supports our
population. on basis Of less than TWEEN
| ty-eight persons to the square mile. Or
gan:zation and cooperation In the Ger
| man sente have not been forced upon US
/ by our environment; and we are only
gradually awakening to the fact that our
1
| waste Of natural and human material is
| radically wrong. no matter how vast our
resources. = ..r
The other obstacle to the growth Of CO.
| operation in the United States has been
perhaps, an inherent repugnance on the
part Of most Of US toward any relin-
quishment of individual liberty. Few
Americans would combat this tendency
II is fundamental to the safety Of the
Rreaf AYporirnAnf In fraA
which we are trying in this country.
Just here. however. comes in the lack
of clear thinking which Is the chief OBJ
stacle that remains to be overcome be-
fore We have the fuller application Of
principles Of cooperation in the United
States. The proper application Of those
principles does not restrict. but rather
increases the liberty Of the individual.
The security to the industrial worker.
through cooperation. in respect to great-
er safety, shorter hours, more continu-
Gus employment. and q share in the In
creased profits which these conditions
bring about, should certainly not be con-
sidered other than an increase Of per-
sonal liberty. In industry, as with the
individual. liberty il not 80 much a mat
ter Of freedom from restraint as 1t IL
| the requirement In increasing measure Of
the rewards Of labor. both Of mind and
Of the hands, through intelligent and
mutually helpful meeting and overcom-
ing OF the obstacles which must be met
each day.
Things We Must Get Rid or.
But a sharp distinction must be drawn.
The application Of efficiency by organized
and cooperating units Of the people who
are doing the work is totally different
from the imposition Of organization by
/ A. IL
seems possible that the temper Of the
American people differs from the temper
Of the German people And 1t may be
proper to ask the question as to whether
the proper development Of the co-opera-
tive principle in the United States has
not been hampered by the fear which
various experiments In paternalism have
instilied into large body Of our citizens.
that q national government by commis-
sion was being unreasonably imposed
upon. We need publicity and we need
wise government supervision for the pre-
vention Of abuses; but subject to these
checks. the cooperation of individual
initiative Is alone consistent with the
political and social ideas Of this country.
In the era Of clearer thinking In the
United States. into which we are about
greatly fastened by the war In Eu-
rope, 1t seems probable that care
full, analysts of these obstacles will
be made, and that, with full under
standing Of the facts. there will come
correct fragments on the part Of the
public. Then there should follow not
only cooperation within the various
industries, but among all industries
in fact. among all the great construc-
tive forces which form our national
strength. The object Of this paper.
however. II not to furnish that analysis.
but to state the problem.
The guiding principle of the day
should not be: Let US be prosperous'.
but rather the broader one. Let
there be light" The rule-of-thumb
days are passing. It 10 pre-eminentiy
necessary for the people to be rid Of
panaceas and propagandists. of polit-
zeal theorists and demagogues. and to
return once more to the simple facts
~ they are developed by experience
Lst us emphasize these basic truths.
and the judgment of the average
thinking man may be relied upon to
evolve the principles Of action which
are ESSENTIAL to the prosperity and
happiness. II not to the very existence.
Of the nation.
(rhe above article by Judge Ebert
H. Gary IL reprinted. by permission.
from the Market World and Chron.
icie, 80 wall Street. New York;
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