Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1918-03-23
THE THEORY OF COOPERATION
(By James Peter Warhasse)


profit. The man who owns a cow and pro-
duces milk for his family consumption rep
resents the first purpose. The men who
produce milk to sell to somebody else to
sell to the consumer represent the second
purpose The great mass of business is
based on this latter method. Things are
produced and distributed, men go into
business, factories and mines are oper-
ated, and people are given employment,
not for the useful purpose Of serving hui
man needs, but for the purpose Of making
profits
There is one group of people who have
deliberately set themselves to the task of
taking for themselves all Of this profit of
trade and, thereby, ultimately eliminating
it. This they are proceeding to do, not
in the competitive sense Of business, but
through a movement so wide and demo-
cratic that it invites all the people Of
the world to join it, irrespective Of race,
religion, occupation, or social standing.
Profit making business desires monopoly.
1t does not want everybody going into bus
mess. 1t requires, on one hand, the eX-
plotted worker who is paid less than the
wealth he produces and, on the other
hand the exploited consumer who gets less
than he pays for. These are the funda-
mental reuirements of competitive business.
The cooperative movement does not de-
mand an exploited class. 1t desires that
all should join it. The more who join, the
greater is the success This is because it's
purpose is to substitute cooperation and
mutual aid for competition and antag-
onism
If we cast our eyes over the field of
human interests we find one thing which
is common to all human beings--a neccs-
sity upon which their lives depend. They
differ in religion, occupation productivity
and habits of life, but all are consumers.
All things of use should have for their ul-
innate destiny to be cOnsumed--tO 90 into
the elements of society to nourish, sus-
tain, develop, beautify. Food, housing,
clothing, music, art creations, and learning
are the great fundamental needs. The
farmer, the carpenter, the shoemaker, the
musician, the artist the dramatist, the
teacher, are all necessary proucers of
things which the consumer needs. The mer-
chant, the advertiser, the real estate agent,
the broker, the jaier, the banker, most
lawyers and courts, the idle rich, and all
the horde of clerks and parasites which
these employ are not needed in co-opera-
ton. If those who are occupied in I'M
necessary functions were employed in use
full service, the hours of labor Of those who
toll could be reduced one-half; and if the
labor saving devices which are possible
were put into use, the hours of labor could
be reduced to one-fourth Of what they now
are. The profit system imposes this I'M
necessary burden upon mankind.
Cooperation is simple. 1t requires only
loyalty and friendship toward ones fell
lowmen. A group of people who are ca.
pable of fidelity organize as consumers
society to supply for themselves their sim
plest wants. They buy at wholesale in
common such things as eggs butter, fruit,
vegetables, coal, meat and coffee. They
take for themselves the profit which had
previously gone to the privtae merchant.
Their society grows larger and presently
they run their own store, and distribute
to themselves all of their foodstuffs, cloth
ing and household goods.
The basis of such an organization must
be democratic. The necessary share-capi-
tai must be raised, preferably by the one
member-one-shar principle. One member,
one vote; interest not above the current or
local rate. and returnS to members hased