The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-02-28
Catholic Council Points ont De
I. fects IN Present System and
Advocates Cooperative
Reforms.

1SSuCO lLc 1OllOWluS as pdAI VI uA Va.
fetal pronouncement on economic and
social reconstruction.
Reduction In Cost o. l.ivlns.
"During the war the cost Of living
has risen at least seventy-flve per cent.
above the level OF 1913. Some check
has been placed upon the upward trend
by government fixing Of prices in the
cage Of bread and coal and.a few other
commodities. Even IL we believe 1t de-
sirable we cannot ask that the govern.
ment continue this action after the ar.
ticles of peace have been signed, for
neither public opinion nor Congress L.
ready for such revolutionary policy,
If the extortionate practices Of monop-
oily were prevented by adequate laws
and adequate law enforcement prices:
would automatically be kept at as low
a level as that to which they might be
brought by direct government determi-
nation. Just what laws in addition to
those already on the statute books are
necessary to abolish monOp0listic en-.
tortiOn is O question of detail that
need not be considered here. In pass.
ing, It may be noted that government
competition with monopolies that can
not be effectively restrained by the or.
binary antitrust laws deserves more
serious consideration than it has yet
received. ...u
Cooperative Stores. N
"More important and more effective
than any government regulation of
prices would be the establishment OF
cooperative stores. The enormous toll
taken. from industry by the various
classes Of middlemen is now fully real.
ICED. The astonishing difference be-
tween the price received by the pro.
Queer and that paid by the consumer
has become scandal to our industrial
system. The obvious and direct means
of reducing this discrepancy and abol.
fishing unnecessary middlemen is the
operation of retail and wholesale mer.
camille. concerns under the ownership
and management Of the consumers
This is no Utopian scheme. 1t has
been successfully carried out in Eng
land and Scotland through the Roch
dale system. Very few serious efforts
Of this kind have been made in this
country because our people have not
felt the need Of these cooperative en-.
tcrprises as keenly as the European
working classes and because we have
been too impatient. and, too Individual
istic to make the necessary sacrifices
and to be content with moderate bene.
fits and gradual progress. Nevcrthe:
less our superior energy, initiative. and
commercial capacity will enable us
once we set about the task earnestly
even to surpass what has been done in
England and Scotland.
Train to Habits of Saving.
In addition to reducing the cost OF
living, the cooperative stores would
train our working people and con-
sumers generally in habits Of saving, in
careful expenditure, in business meth.
DDS and in the capacity for co.opera
: ton. When the working classes have
learned to make the sacrifices and to
exercise the patience required by the
ownership and operation Of co-opera-
tive stores they will be equipped to un.
dertake great variety of tasks and
projects which benefit the community
Immediately and all. its constituent
members ultimately. They will then
realize the folly Of excessive selfish
ness and senseless indiviiualism. Until
they have acquired this knowledge,
training and capacity, desirable exten.
sions Of governmental action In indus
try will not be attendedrby normal
amount OF SUCCESS. No machinery Of
government can operate automatically,
and no Official and bureaucratic admin.
istration of such machinery can ever
be a substitute for intelligent interest
and cooperation by the individuals Of
the community.
= Ultimate RsSormA
Despite the practical and imme.
date character of the present state.
ment, We cannot entirely neglect the
question Of ultimate aims and >sys.
tematic program, for other groups are
busy issuing such systematic pro.
nouncements. and we all need some
thing Of the kind as a philosophical
foundation and as satisfaction to our
natural desire for, comprehensive state
ments.
1T seems clear that thespresent: in.
dustrial system is destined y last for Z
long time in its main; outlines that Is
to say, private ownership d. capital IS
not likely to be supplanted by 4. collec-
twist Organization OF industry at 1
date sufficiently near to justly any
present action based on the hypothesis
Of it's arrival. This forecast We retog-
nize as not only extremely probable,
but as highly desirable, for. stAtr OBJ
jections apart, Socialism ssoufd mean
bureaucracy, political tyranny, the
helnlessness of the individual as fac
tor In the ordering of his own life and
In general social inefficiency and de.
cadence.
Defects Of PFesswt 491aem.
aNevertheless the present system
stands in grievous need OF consider
able notifications snd impfovenent.
It's main defects are three enormous
RI s2s1x,