Evening star., 1923-02-03

II is fake, so long as the country is
freezing for want OF fuel. Transpor-
tation? Ask the Interstate Commerce
Commission how to condense years
haulage In four months Don't tanta-
iize and mock freezing but patient
public with such taunts as "oversup-
ply. There is too much sickness and
death directly due to fuel shortage
for any humor to be recognized in
talking about "oversupplies" There
Is no measure of supply which is not
based on available supply.
X 4
The new code of true advertising
formulated by the Better Business
Bureau of Washington uses a lot of
words which might all be expressed
with two short syllables: Don't lie
The trade tricks, as illustrated il
the terminology, are nothing but
camoufiage. They are essentially in
tended to deceive the unsophisticated.
They are, therefore, disapproved. Pos
sibly merchant will sell fewer dyed
muskrat cloaks than he will Hudson
seals fewer dyed rabbit wraps than
French seal: Sheffield silver ma!
sound like sterling silver, but Ii IS
said to be only plated.
Why not be frank with the Gus
toner? Because it won't sell goods"
Is that true? What becomes Of the
adage. Honesty is the best policy.
That is not a moral text, but a cold
oloooed business axiom If IL were
considered from the standpoint of It's
morality it is most lacking, for thai
honesty which is only based on policy
IS hypocrisy; but even so, il is far
petter as money-getter than decep-
tion.
n-nT "a inn -
solution of many a problem for the
farmers and for city consumers like.
wise. The greatest success in CO.
operation is the famous Rochdale
Co-operators Of England But the
fact that voluntary cooperation is
found to be beneficial leads Senator
Brookhart to advocate compulsory CO
operation, enforced by federal law which
would bar from interstate traffic all en-
terprlses except such as are organized
upon cooperative plan, like the
Rochdale, and licensed under a fed
eral charter.
All corporations based on capital
invested. all individual enterprises,
would be forbidden to enter inter
state commerce. The only form OF
Interstate commerce would be that
controlled by the officials of Rochdale
cooperative associations. The in
dividual votes, in all such societies,
regardless of the amount of capital
same influence and power to shape
its policies as has the experienced
member with a fortune at stake.
That principle works all right In
farmers cooperative associations,
for the units are usually about. on an
equality. But how would it work in
managing monopoly of all com
! merce extending over state lines?
Do@ tool Lob u hn q
tude that non-union man is less
an American than q member OF some
union, and. IL uncontrolled, would
bar such a man from the right TO
labor and earn a living, SO long as
he remained out of the union. The
Brookhart proposition would be far
more drastic than extreme uniontsm,
for it would not only bar individuals
from doing any business across state
lines, but would bar corporations
also, and thereby destroy the en-
ployers of most union labor. 1t out
soviets Russia, by undertaking 10
give absolute monopoly to one class
Of associations. Lenin tried that; at
first, but has gotten broader view
of business in later times. Senator
Brookhart has not been In PUBIC
life as long as Lenin-"he's young
yet.
How long-how long will the ef-
fort be kept up to split Americans
into sects and classes and blocs? To
array class in jealousy against other
classes? To seek advantages for
some peculiar interest. not accorded
to all Americans? To ostracise Amer
leans who prefer personal liberty OF
action and enterprise TO lording OF
offfcialdom over them?
voluntary Rochdale cooperation
Has done great things in England.
Very we'll, then, let voluntary coop
Grafton follow suit in America. Amer
ica wants liberty of choice for every
American, so long as his choice does
not hamper or injure any other mans
right to the same kind of liberty.