Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-07-28
THE MODEL COMMUNITY.
By ST. John Bver.


In view of the unsettled condition
and unrest in our economic, social and
religious life, and the tendency 10 its
breeding anarchic socialism as a rem.
edy, the letter of DR.. John o. Knott il
an important document II gives a
clear, instructive account of commun-
ity cooperation, not as theory but as
an accomplished fact, showing its ad-
vantages not only in industry but even
In religion, which latter he commends
with rare liberality. That gentleman
could not do a greater service TO his
country and humanity at large than
BY using his undoubted talents in
preaching and showing forth how this
community cooperation has been and
can be put in practise. We need such
social retormer no bring about a re-
formation of our large industries on
the cooperative plan instead of the
competitive, for if the latter continues,
and the diSparities of wealth BY I'M
Just distribution still increase, we NAV
expect a volcanic eruption and upheavai
OF the oppressed labor classes. No
popular government can stand the strain
OF having three million idle, hungry
IaoorerS, while in New York alone there
are forty men having, by the returns,
each yearly income Of over one million
dollars.
pr. Knott has shown how small
community can exist in the Cooper
alive plan, and without destroying prop
erty or individualism, but we can be well
assured that state or national socialism
would end in a centralized despotism
and soon resolve into a Chinese imper-
laliSm of the dark ages.
Now, although freetradcr in prin-
ciple, and believing in the economy of
the division of labor, yet II appears TO
me that every farm community should
produce the foodstuffs for its more in
divldual wants. For a single instance
the cereal breakfast foods, now used
on nearly every table, the wheat NAV
De grown hereabout, and sold BY our
farmers from one to two cents a pound
1t Is carried to a distant State, mashed,
slightly steamcooked, and put in paper
packages, to be returned TO us az IS
cents per pound. All this preparation
could be done here at our -four mills
and the stuff sold at one-fourth of its
present cost.
Hereby hangs a tale. Some wears
ago an enterprising man procured ma
chine and in that city was making
washington Crisps" at five cents per
pound, thereby taking trade from tho
Battle Greek folks. brought a case OF
Creek folks. brought a case OF il
it home and had conference with
(then) Mayor Martin, trying to induce
him to put such a machine in the
Touring mill he was running. He
agreed to the plan and told me when
| returned to the city to find out all
about the machine, its cost and the
work necessary. But found the
Washington Crisps had closed down,
and | was informed that the big man.
ufacturers had come over, offered a big
wad to stop, with Of course the usual
Standard Oil threat OF placing the
same stuff on his market at half cost
until they run him to earth So he &C.
cepted their proposal and quit, and we
now are still paying the exorbitant
transportation rates both ways, the one
thousand per cent profit for the man.
ufacture, and for the high-cost paper
containers with their Illuminating di-
rections for health-which all are ed
flying but not edible.
A half century ago DR.. Graham at
tempted to teach the people that in
grinding UP wheat and taking only the
starch and giving the cattle the bran
they were thus depriving themselves
Of the proteins, the nerve and muscle
making parts, which were rather bad
ly supplied by the overuse OF meat
Now we are still paying an immense
profit to the cereal food men for sup
plying this whole wheat food. II
should be known that our own whea,
can be steam cooked seasoned and
sweetened into dish quite as appe-
thing as the cereal breakfast foods
Again, the waste Of pur farms: Even
the weeds could be used in making
denatured alcohol, which the Germans
made at cost Of six to eight cents a
gallon, it having one and one-fourth the
moving power Of our high-priced gas.