The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-01-05
COMMUNITY COOPERATION.
fRv Rurka

truth. The number of young people
in \ position to truthfully express
any other opinion is pitiably small.
Facts are too overwhelming.
Social Features Lacking.
The lamentable dearth Of those
agencies and institutions concerned
primarily in making the small town
an attractive place in which TO live
and do business 10 an astounding
proof of the utter hsedlsssness of
the average business man to any
thing but the question of immediate
dividends.
The town which is performing its
proper function and measuring up
to its possibilities furnishes to the
rural life of the community those
social satisfactions and opportunities
for self-expression which can in no
other manner be 90 easily realized.
Unfortunately comparatively few
small towns have given this matter
any serious consideration and 40
consequence they suffer an immense
handicap.
AntaxoHisns Grow.
In many tewns there 10 an utter
lack of cooperation, q complete alb
scnce of community spirit. A mar
row spirit of selfshness, character
lied by q stout insistance on pri-
vate rights regardless of public duty
is the outstanding weakness.
More unfortunate still there fire.
quently exists a very apparent and
steadily growing antagonism be-
tween the town and country, due
primarily to the fact that the towns
people have utterly failed to assume
that essential leadership in commun-
ity life which naturally they ought
to exercise and to which country
people respond willingly.
Any worthwhile attempt to solve
the rural community problem re-
quires first, q recognition of the
fact that the country town occupies
today the NEST strategic position
in our civilization. If our agricul-
turs 10 to be saved and our eiviliza-
ton made secure, rural community
life must be preserved and i'm
proved. To accomplish this result
it is imperative that the country
town should assume the initiative.
There il no good reason for its not
doing 80.
Interests Identical.
The town business man has no
real interest prejudical to or apart
from the farmers welfare; the
farmer can be benefited by no pro-
gram that will be detrimental to the
business man. They are joined to-
gether for better or for worse, like
husband and wife.
The town without the country is
impossibls-the country without the
town 10 unthinkable. useless each
without the other"
Like the Siamese twins the farm
er and the townsman are 30 united
by a bond of common interest that
they cannot be separated without
fatal results.
Problems Await Home People.
All great movements which have
affected mankind and determine I'd
the conduct and history Of nations
have worked from the bottom up;
never from the top down. Only
local people can solve the commun-
ity problem.
Unless the public spirited and
forward looking citizens of the local
towns OF the United States take the
initiative and assume the response
bility OF constructive leadership,
wholly destructive Of every sound
social, political and economic policy,
Will take charge of the situation
and exercise control. In some in
stances this has occurred; in others
it has been attempted; in still
others it il now being planned.
Problems Not Undsrstood.
Because people who suffer-as
the rural population undoubtedly
has from causes it has not under
stood-are naturally suspicious and
easily provoked to attack, this lead
ership, often perfectly conscien-
tious, has usually adopted the ma
tural and easy method of gaining
the ascendency. A campaign of de-
nunciation and abuse, directed fire.
quently against the wrong cause o.
the innocent party has been launch
ed. Glass consciousness has been
deliberately cultivated; diseord in
stead of harmony has been preach
ed; strife instead of peace has been
advocated; enmity instead of friend
ship has been fostered.
Any diagnosis of maIady rs
worthless unless it suggests q pal
llative or method of treatment
designed to effect a cure.
The writer, after many years Of
observation, investigation and ex-
pertinent in the, work of community
betterment, entertains the positive
conviction that there exists not only
palliative but an effective and GER
tain remedy. This remedy is COM
munity cooperation, founded on
common sense and organized on
the basis of friendship with a view
to the creation Of good will among
all classes of citizens, in order to
cultivate n wholesome community
spirit-mutual understanding, re-
spect and forbearance for the COM
mon good.
Co-operatisn Is Solution.
The striking success of the Com
munity Club movement which has
recently been inaugurated in a gen
eral realization of the :ruth-on
the part of both town and country
people-that without united action
disintegration and degeneration of
community life il inevitable.
Cooperation among town people
IL usually much more difficult to
promote than cooperation between
town and country folk.
/ Factionai Differences Costiv.
The factional fights and the
petty personal and business Jealous.
{ les, among business men is, in 3
vast majority Of cases, the chief
hindrance to substantial community
development-many towns are stand
ing still, and others are going back
ward because of this unfortunate
condition.
Consider briefly the cases of two
towns-twenty miles apart--recent
ly visited by the writer.
In the first the business men are
united. They have erected q com.
rnodious and comfortable cormun.
ity building which serves primarily
as social and recreationai center