The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-26
About Cooperative Societies

interest rate, etc. Cooperation must be lent
state funds to an amount that exceeds, even only
by little, the funds lent to private enterprise
even heavy industry, etc.
Each system of society arises thru the inan-
cal support of a certain class. 1t is superhuous
to call to mind the hundreds upon hundreds of
millions of rOubes which the birth of "free" cap
italism cost. We must now realize that and in
practice keep in mind that the system of society
which we must support above the average is a
cooperative system. But we must support it in
the real of the word, e. it does not suffice
to understand by this the support of all cooperat
i've intercourse. AS this support we must under
stand the support of cooperative intercourse in
,ohich real masses participate. Granting prem
ium to the peasant who takes part in cooperative
intercourse is doubtless correct. But this partici-
patton must be tested for its consciousness and
its quality-and that is the heart of the question
When the cOoperatOr comes to village and there
opens a cooperative store, the inhabitants, rig
idly speaking, take no part therein. But impelled
by their own profit, they will however hasten to
participate in the venture.
The mater has thus another aspect as we'll
From the standpoint of the "civilized" (above all
the literate) European, need but very little to
move everyone to participation in the cooperat
ives, and not only passive but also active parti
population so civilized" that it realizes all the
advantages of personal participation in the CO.
operatives and cOnsummates this participation
Only so much. We need no other sophistry now
in order to make the transition to socialism. But
in order to realize this "only" a complete change
an entire stage in the cultural development of the
whole mass of the people is necessary. Our rule
must therefore be- little philosophizing as pos
sible, as little foolery as possible. The new eco
SC
forwtrd as it is adapted to the level of the aver
age peasant and does not demand from him any
thing higher. An entire historical epoch is nee
essary to move the entire population each and
everyone, thru the new economical policy to par
ticipatiOn in the coOperatives. We can cover this
epoch in one or two decades But nonetheless
it will be special historical epoch, and without
this historical epoch, without having everyone
able to read and write, without a certain circum-
spectiOn, without educating the population to a
certain degree to the of books, and without
having created the necessary material fundamen-
tails, without certain security against, let us
say, crop failure and famine-withOut all this we
cannot attain our goal. Everything now depends
upon our ability to supplement the revolutionary
elan and enthusiasm we have often enuf DISPLAYED
with would like to say-the ability of iudic-
lous and experienced dealers, which is fully sufi-
Gent for good cOoperator This should be talk
who think that when they once do some trading,
they have proven their ability as merchants.
That is entirely wrong They are doing business
but that is very far indeed from being able to
say that they are cultured merchants. They are
now trading in an Asiatic manner; they must
know how to trade as Europeans. They are still
an entire epoch from the latter goal
conclude number of economic, financial
and banking privileges for the cooperatiyes, that
must represent the support of the new principle
OF organization by our socialist state But the
problem is thus only roughly sketched out, for the
whole content of this problem has not been
described here in DETAIL i. e., we must find the
form Of premium" land the conditions of grant
ing it, with which we can satisfactorily assist the
co-operatiyes, the form Of premium offer which
will aid us to educate civilized cooperative mem
bers. And the order of civilized cooperators in
connection with the common ownership Of the
means of production In Sod unon tba cIo &c