The Washington times., 1922-03-05

country.
Why did the league 60 under7 At
this distance nobody could venture
10 say II the president OF the com.
pany had not told his troubles at
Tor" which came to hand on the
same day with the news of the re-
ceivership.
The members could not stand
the hard timss- There was a steady
stream Of dividends In previous
years: last year there was none.
EFT doesn't seem ~ II the peoples
confidence has waned accordingly"
says the president Then too many
"book-learned theorists" were at
work with plausible propaganda"
and too many members with q
total ignorance Of business swal-
lowed the propaganda
There was also too much de
mocraoy- and too little discipline"
In the local management of the
stores. too great extension OF
credit 10 friends" too much self
ishness and willful opposition" too
little "self-denial" and ''love Of CO.
operation" although many faith
full, devoted and self-denying work.
o4u Bt1u remained.
Novel Theories.
Unfortunately" says the presi-
asnt IN one pithy sentence. most
oo-operators, lacking business in
sttnct, are readily influenced by
novel theories a. TO business opera
ttons."
True enough. and therefore
among ths Thousands Of cooperative
associations In the United States.
the most successful are usually
those that are business-like first
and cooperative afterward: that use
cooperation as q business method
and not - an ideal-an object all
BY itself; that do not depend on
.-psif -dsniar' or devotion" or great
isvs'' or fraternity and equality"
but On intelligent self-interest as
the moving power among members.
Tsrmsrs cooperate because they
yrofit-sell for moro. buy for less.
Do do hruit growers: so do tobacco
saisera These men-from Cali
tornia 10 Kentucky-are men Of
business first and co-operators
second. When cooperation ceases
- serve their business ends they
osese b serve cooperation.
u
set Of zeal and worship-has never
rot far In this country. We doubt
that Il ever will. And yet the ideal.
istio books and pamphlets are con.
SANITY issued to rally people around
cooperation as II II were q great
cause. like abolition or socialism or
democracy. II IL too bad for the
field for sane and practical co-opera-
ton u very Wide. For example:
A S1o.0os. 000. 900 Difference.
Ten billions Of dollars worth of
products-clothes, foods, house ma
terials. etc.-have been traced by an
economist from the producers to the
consumers. This great mass OF
goods was handled first by the rail-
roads, truckmen, commission mer.
chants. etc. and $4,000. 100000 was
added to the cost. Next 1t was han.
died by the wholesale jobbers, and
81 900 900 900 more added to the cost.
Finally It was handled by the retail
added to the cost.
these goods and the prices paid by
shoppers. by consumers, there was a
difference Of 10000. 900 900. or the
final price paid-$20. oo0, 900 .000-the
middleman got half and the original
producer got half.
This L. not saying that the mid
dieman did nothing for his money.
He did much: but surely with
spread" Of $1,000. 900. 900 between
farmers and manufacturers on one
side, and the buying public on the
other side, there Is room for the
thousands of business.like co-opera.
tives already In operation and for
thousands more like them.
A college professor, who now Is
q United States Senator, says that
the middleman gets on the average
half Of what the public pays for It's
chickens, moro than half of what
n pays for its peas, parsnips, and
turnips, two-thiTls Of what II pays
Cor its eggs, turkeys. apples. etc.
Some "Don'ts" Offered.
This II q homelier way of making
the same point over again. In the
books OF the practical sort, the re-
peated warnings to co-operators are:
That they should give little or no
credit IN retail business; that they
should avoid all payments either
way By promissory notes: that they
should keep clear Of fanatics, zealots
and propagandists, and show no in.
Aulgsnce to friends, philosophers, or
cranks. That il a rough summary;
h means simply that the millennium
n still far away: that the world Is
stfll unregenerate, and mankind sin
full, and that therefore business
must be conducted on business
principles even among co-operators.
In . word. cooperation has an
enormous field in which to succeed
az long as 1t 10 businesslike. When
II ceases to be businesslike. on the
other hand. II simply goes the way
Of other failures In trade.