New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
Henry George On
Cooperation

N THE course Of a discussion Of
q price fixing for wheat Mr.. Thomas
n said:
Let me refer for moment to Henry
George At the time of his death Mr..
George was engaged in a work upon politi-
cal economy which he had nearly COM
pleted 1t is, one of the most interesting,
if not the ms sst interesting, books that he
ever wrote. 1t is departure in many re-
spects from the established theories and
systems of political economy, and is based
not upon the old idea of the greatest good
to the greatest number, but upon the law
of least resistance. In his chapters upon
cooperation, both conscious and uncon
scious, he has disclosed why artificial in
references with the general laws Of pro-
duction miscarry, and also why socialism
can never be anything more than theory.
With the permission Of the Senate ! Will
in this connection read two or three eX-
tracts from Chapter X of Mr. Georges
work upon the subject Of "Co0peration and
It's Two Kinds read from page 383:
"There is kind of cooperation, pro-
ceeding as it from without, which
suits from the conscious direction of q con-
trolling viii to q definite end. This we
may call directed or conscious cooperation"
And, l presume, Mr.. President, that leg
islation such as is here proposed would fall
under that desi ignaton.
"There is another kind of cooperation,
proceeding it were from within. which
results from a correlation in the actions Of
independent wills, each seeking but its own
immediate purpose. and careless, if not in
deed ignorant, Of the general result. This
we may call spontaneous or unconscious
cooperation.
"The movement OF great army is good
type of cooperation of one kind. Here the
actions OF many individuals arc subordi-
mated to ard directed by one conscious will,
they becoming, as it were its body and
executing its thought. The providing Of
great city with all the manifold things
which ere constantly needed by it's inhobit-
ants is a good type of cooperation OF the
other kind This kind Of cooperation is
far wider, far finer, far more strongly and
delicately organized than the kind of CO.
operation involved in the movements of an
army, yet ii is brought about not by sub
ordination to the direction Of one con-
scious will, which knows the general result
at which it aims, but by the correlation of
actions originating in many Independent
Wills, each aiming at its own small purpose
without care for or thought Of the general
result. 8
"The one kind of cooperation seems to
have its analogue in those related move
ments of our body which we are able con-
scousy to direct. The other kind of CO.
operation seems to have its analogue in the
correlation Of the innumcrablc movements
of which we are unconscious, that main
tain the bodily frame motions, which in
their complextv, dclicacy and precision
lar transcend our powers of conscious di-
rcction, yet by whose perfect adjustment
to each other and to the purpose of the
whole that cooperation Of part and func-
tion that makes up tho human body and
keeps it in life and vigor is brought about
and supported.
ga beautiful instance of cooperation Of
the first kind is furnished by the tackng of
squarc-rigged ship under full sail The
noble vessel, bending gracefully to the
T breeze under her cloud of canvas, comes
driving along cleaving white burrows at
her bow and leaving yeasty wake at her
stern Suddenly her jbs fly free and her
spanker f1attens as she curves toward the
w1nd, her foreyards round in, and their
sans negin to shake, and at length, as what
! were their weather braces arc hauled taut
to fill on the other side. The after sails
that at first held the wind as before begin
IN their turn to spill, then their yards are
shlitcd, and they, too, take the wind on n
dinerent side; and with every sheet and
tack IN its new place the vessel gathering
again her deadcned Roadway begins to drive
the foam from her bow as she bends on
'he o'her side to cut her way in new di-
rection. so harmonious are her move
ments, 80 seemingly instinct with life, that
the savage WHO sees for the first time such
q vessel beating alonA the coast might take
her Tor a great bird, changing it's direction
with the movements Of It's wings as do sea
gull and abatross.
And between ship and bird there arc
certain rcsembiances. Both are structures
IN which various parts are combined into n
related whole and distinct motions arc CORE
lated in harmonious action, and in both
movement is produced by the VARYING
angles at which fiat surfaces are by a
mechanism Of joints and ligaments exposed
To the impact Of air. In bird however
the parts in their motions obey instructive.
ly and unconsciously the promptings Of the
conscious will, but in the ship the motions
Of the parts arc produced by the distinct
| action OF number Of conscious wills, rang.