The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-29
COOPERATIVE ENTERPRISES.

COOPERATIVE ENTERPRISES.
The local cooperative store seems
to have fallen into difficulties as sim
liar enterprises usually have done.
The result is no discredit to its pro-
jectors. Those who believe that the
profits of business belong to its pa
irons and that the profits of an in
dustry belong to it's workers rarely
can be convinced that they are wrong
until they have tried putting their
theory into practice.
Application of vague theories 20
concrete cases soon test their sound =
ness. For example, one of the largest
shoe manufacturers in the United
States began his career pegging shoes
for wages in a small shop. He saved
his earnings and started a one-man
shop of his own. He worked early
and lates made good shoes, paid his
bills, treated his customers courte-
ously, and saved his profits and built
up a trade which enabled him to en-
large his shop, hire assistants. and
gradually increase his output until he
now has an immense establishment
giving employment to thousands of
workmen and supplying shoes to all
sections of the United States.
There were undoubtedly ten thou
sand other shoemakers' apprentices
who had exactly the same opportun-
ity as this man. Some of them had
equal integrity but lacked the skill.
Some had both integrity and crafts
manship but lacked the business sa-
gacity necessary to build and manage
large and complicated enterprise.
Some Of them may have had the skill
and organizing ability but lacked
thrift, and never could save enough
to enlarge their business. Others had
ability and thrift but yielded to the
temptation to make immediate prof
its at the sacrifice of honesty, and
they never built up a reputation that
would sell their goods. For one rea-
son or another, the vast majority con-
tinued as wage earners or small oper-
ators, while the few became proprie-
tors Of large factories. giving profit
able employment to large numbers of
men.
The development of such a manu-
featuring establishment, with cost of
production reduced to a minimum be-
cause of quantity of production,
would have been impossible under
any scheme of ownership by the
workers. No organization of work
ers would have accumulated the saw
ings needed to build the plant and
buy machinery-profits would have
been distributed in monthly dividends
No organization of workers would
have built a rep -tation for quality of
goods and financial dependability
No organization of workers would
have been able to borrow huge sums
necessary to tide the concern over
bad year or bad five years. Neither
could any organization of workers
have been able to buy raw ma
terials at just the right time and
in the best markets or to discover
the best markets for sale of goods
No organization of workers would
hire a manager who would do for
them what manager did for himself
under the inspiration CT desire for re-
ward and pride of Accomplishment
Such an establishment turned over
to an organization of workers in per-
feet operating condition would be
ruined within one-tenth of the time
it took to build It up.
The founder of the Wolff packing
plant in this city began his business
career as a retail butcher, killing his
own meat. Probably the employees of |
the establishment believe that they
could operate the entire business and !
divide present profits among them !
selves II given an opportunity. But |
every experienced business man /
knows better.