Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-26
AS ONE WOMAN SEES IT
Competition Was an Excellent Good
Word Until II Was ill.Sorted;
Now There Are Those Who
Think Cooperation 10
Better
Isy SARAH ID. LOWRIE

| ~ men talked business around 1890.
Every kind of change was rung on the word.
and every kind Of boasting or rueful or
complaisant or cynical story gave it point
and spirit 1t was supposed that II EN-.
bodied an idea that was henccforth to rule
| the country. not alone in trade but In every
line of endeavor or spcrt. or art.
There are many men in high finance who
swear by it still and who cannot conceive
Of II world. let alone Of a business. In
which competition is not the ruling factor.
Yet curiously enough. it was during the
great crn Of competition that nll the great
monopolies sprang into existence.
A, and e would compete in the open
market for the trade Of d. Z and + until
| they had about ruined themselves by under.
| selling one another Then ID. and + would
| be beguied by yet another man. G. to deal
only with him II he would undersell all other
competitors. And after bad year or two
a. IL and G would have to sell out their
protitless businesses to q or 90 into partner
ship with him on his own terms, and every
one would buy from q. who would then
raise his prices to a sum that would reim-
burse him for all past cut prices and give
him large profit on his capital. He had
killed competition by monopolizing the
market. And he had done it by being able
10 hold out longer than his competitors in
the game of cutting the prices.
Tn OTHER words the game OF competi-
ton ended up in the successful coup OF
monopoly; a cutthroat market ended in the
survival of the strongest. The players nt
that game were never the general public
and the manufacturers. never the buyers ard
the sellers. but always the sellers.
During tho process Of cutting the prices
hn IA liza. ,,tUht L., mail vnkt hn
goods at something near cost price. but that
was never long period for any one staple;
eventually when the competitors had been
ruined of. or bought off. or taken in. and
the monopoly had been accomplished. the
buyer would not only pay the present profit
of the manufactures but his past losses
Now 1t took capital 10 be able to stick
IL out until il had the monopoly. hence
tn" railing up of great fortunes that far
outweigh"d any personal or family need of
the owner Men had to have money by
them in order to lose enormously so that
they might "&ti"k it OUT until all com.
petitors were corncred and they could then
gain enormously. Men playing the game OF
competition for monopoly. therefore. played
with counters representing huge sums.
much more than they could spend in life
time. even on what might be called-after
the 81, James NcrSon--'' 'rotOus livipg.'
WHEN l was growing up and listened to
w men talking of their affairs. when they
wcr" preparing for deal. heard continue
ons'y these three words. competition.
capital. monopoly" But in my twcnties I
began TO hear still another word. upon
which great variety of changes of tone
were rung. That word was--labor! Among
the crowd that played the game Of COMPETE
tion with capital for monopoly the thrusting
up of that word labor was very dsconccrting
And it any one implied that the chances of
success in the game of competition could he
jcopar,.ized by labor he was promptly
sqIelched. 1t was though the counters
representing millions had suddenly put on
overallS and carried dinner pals and got of
III" playing table and refused to 90 into
any one s pocket
1t was at that point. and just when
was beginning 10 do more than Just listen
to ia" business conversation of INV elders.
ana JOIN in 10 their impatrnt aInazement.
that two other words began to have n sig.
nihran"c in the general talk. They repre-
>en'"d Nv" diverse ideas or rather they
pointed the way to two ways ont of the
then game Of competition for munouolv with
capital. the gam" that labor was beginning
10 break up. One pointed to n radical
change in tie rules Of the game of compc-
titi"n. Thc competitors We're To be no longer
two capitalists. but capital and labor. The
counters would be on the one hand mower
70 spend. and on the other hand power 10
strike. lhe ON" who could "stick il ont
longer !, O.. h"!d the most power would
win the monopoly.
That was ON the whole very under
Stahdao!" chang" IN the game for men
brought up in the school Of competition. II
made the nnn who We're used TO con .idcriup
only capital mad. but they understood il,
because II used exactly their methods. Rut
instead OF holding up their opponents with
capital the labor men held them IN with
the strike. II was the power to lose enor.
m"nSly in both cases in order to gain cnor.
m"nsiN. IN" accumulation of vast rapital
III order I" gain 4 monopoly works great
havoc with the general public. and the crssa.
tion Of work in order to force capi,al inn,
Il hol" works great havoc; but TO the one
VIII" "an ''Stick it orlr long"St' there comes
an enormous monopoly.
7NllE other idea suggested aS a way out was
L TO give up the game of competition as
being on III" whole not Il logical game to
play, because no matter how much il brne-
hrel the winners il very seriously Injured
not only the losers but the general public
|, was suggested that instead OF competing
men should co-operat". Not only 90 oprr-
ate as manufacturers. but as buyers and
sellers. But hateful rs were the words
labor and strike I" capitalists Of the old
school Of "Onp'tition aud madd"nIng a.
were III" words ""upitul and monopoly to
union labor and strikers the idea Of scrap
ping the game and I'll" counters and going
in for new enlhuS ia>In Of 90 -OpUratiou moi
with blnnk looks from he Gonpersrs ns we'll
as the G0Uds of iHHn"" and power. Il
requires quite different typ" Of genus TO
cooperate IN order 10 accomplish from tho
Kind uf mind thar romurtrS in order to
monorol!zc. and the murhiur thui Will
further competition and monopoly. whether
il Is the machln" Of ih" strike or thar of
cnpitul. - prrtc"rly USELESS for co-opcrariou
all the pnrts ar" insists down to the lubri-
cauts fv, The oln"s.
Both the mn' hine Of the strike under n
man Ii *" G"npers and ll" machine of
monopoly Of the Could or n Hartman TYNE
have taken 10" long I" build. and required
such care and genius and Schemi,tr and
patience +" manipulate and train men 70
handle and Nwustom the pnpuace to u.c
that 10 scrap them i too nuch pertains
TO ask Of their founders aud mrrl!n uirlnns
especially 10 scrap them for an ideal thsi
has never really been worked ont or d.nnn.
strat"i on a Large enough >cale to pr,v. il,
practI"abiIity 10 amy bur ldealists and rnird.
like persons who believe tlc Sermon ON ILa
IT,,