The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-07-07
distrust that reigned in the jun

hand Is a revolution, and nobody
can guess how far 1t may go, nor
how much good 1t may do.
Among the developments of the
movement Is a cooperative whole
sale plant at Dublin for the pur-
chase at wholesale prices of goods
and supplies for co-operators. 1t
Is just an American mail order
house, except that it is run for
the benefit of communities in
stead OF the private profits OF a
few rich partners.
Cooperation grows and widens
in all of its activities.
Solving Problem Of
Rural Credits
Take rural credits. 1t Is a big
problem, as we in the United
States are beginning to find out.
In the old days in Ireland, when
benevolent government had en-
abled tenant farmer to buy his
farm the result often showed that
the government might as we'll
have left him alone. II he had
no money to buy seed or to feed
his cow the farm wasn't much
good to him.
You would hardly believe the
desperate tricks a farmer was
sometimes driven to. Most often
he put himself into the hands of
a local tradesman (gombeen) and
became for the rest of his life
that BRIDESMAIDS bound chattel.,
The tradesman let him have
money nominally at 10 per cent
and really at worse than that.
Part of the bargain was that the
borrower should buy everything
at the traders store, and of
course in such conditions the
trader hardly did thing to him.
Cooperation began to knock
out this pleasing device. 1t lent
money to the farmer at 4 hand
5 per cent.
This brings me to another eood
lesson for us, in this story. Every
inch of the way cooperation has
been fought in Ireland by the
powerful reactionary influences
represented by the traders.
The real trouble about ending
competition, the real trouble
about ending war and bringing
about peace and q good UNDER
standing among the children of
earth, is always the powerful In
fIuences that make money out Of
the other thing. In other words,
THE INTERESTS.
Swats Mr.. Trader
Right in the Neck
In Ireland the trader IL a big
ger man in politics than saloon
keeper in the Twelfth ward Of
Chicago. The government stands
in awe of him and politicians lick
his boots.
| Under these conditions to
emancipate the people OF Ireland
has been a hard job. Every phase
of the new movement has been
covered with lies and fought with
political tricks.
Horace Plunkett was for years
the efficient head of the Irish
agricultural department. The
trading interests made war on
him because of his work for CO.
operation and finally they got
him.
Then they put into his place a
man opposed to cooperation. He
is still there.
Yet, in spite of official opposi-
ton, II goes its way, turning pow
erty into comfort and giving op-
portunity to people who never had
opportunity before.
But 1t is not merely its better
material conditions nor even I'M
proved and increased production
that the hackers OF the movement
make the most OF.
Ramifications are
Widening Constantly
! Cooperation is changing the
life of the farm household from
isolation to a rational state OF hui
man association with chance for
knowledge, relaxation and amuse-
ment.
! The Irish Agricultural 0rgani
cation society is the name of the
central body that inspires these
momentous changes, pushes them
along by sending out organizers
and publishing tracts and pamphr
l nal ~