Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-09-03
Cooperation Is
Advantageous to
All Concerned
1t Insures Happiness and OPP
portunity in Industrial
Relations
(By George L. Berry,

The writer ventures the observation
that the word cooperation" has been
about as thoroughly misused in the
industrial life of America as has the
word "progressiveism" in the politi-
cal life of the United States and Can
ada. 1t is not the intention of the
writer to attempt to analyze the var
ious- misuses of the word progress
siveism," and for that matter time
would not permit of very serious con-
sideration of the many misuses of the
word cooperation" The records, it
would seem to me, justify the state
ment that both words have been very
much abused.
What we are most interested in is
to recount the true value of the word
and the effect of cooperation in indus
try as between the units responsible
for it's existence, its prosperity, its
stability and responsiveness to those
who are dependent upon it as well as
to the best interest of public good.
Cooperation implies the thought
that those who are engaged in
given task, upon which there devolves
certain community of interests and
dependence, shall work in harmonious
understanding to make for betterment
of those directly and indirectly con-
cerned. Cooperation proposes that
there shall be eliminated any thought
of engaging in belligerencies and self
ishness upon the part of anybody that
will have for its effect the abridg-
ment of progress of the concern,
which involves all who are parties to
a business project. Moreover, it con-
templates that each shall, in quite a
frank but firm fashion, seek to cor
rect such evils as may exist to the
end that there may be friendly and
scientific motion, mentally and me-
chanically coordinated.
One of the very important elements
in the construction of the machinery
of cooperation is to disassociate our
selves from suspicious, disinterested-
ness and jealousies of somebody else's
success. Cooperation for the common
good means that we should review our
problems with desire to find the
truth, whether the truth may be tenn
porarily disadvantageous to us or not.
/ A conduct that is immoral may have
it's temporary advantages. but facts
are eternal in their advantages.
There comes to the writer a very
great number of examples of the
value of cooperation, and liberty is
taken to make some brief references
thereto.
Up in Franklin, Pennsylvania, there
is most remarkable printing estab-
lishment-a great manifold concern
Now Franklin has a population OF
about 1910 persons. 1t has one daily
newspaper, The News-Herald, an af-
ternoon publication. The Internation-
] al Printing Pressmen and Assistants
Union of North America has two local.
unions in this city and, of course
their existence is due to the fact that
there is this large printing concern
] known as the General Manifold anC
! Printing Com any. The Manifold
Company has been faced with very
unusual problems-geographical, fl
nancial and other problems. Some
simpler and others quite different
from the problems that involve the
employing printers everywhere, but
the outstanding fact is that due tt
the community spirit as between the
management and the organization
they have been able, in no small de.
gree, to overcome such problems
There has been very clear under
standing as between the units in.
volved in this concern as to the char
acter of problems confronting them
They have jointly met the adversities
they have jointly eliminated the most
serious of them, and this great plant
has grown to the point where it is re-
spending in most delightful manner
to the economic requirements of al
of the units engaged therein. L
could have only been done by apply
ing in a genuine sense cooperation il
the conduct of this business. Their,
! are years ahead of those who ar,
now in charge of this institution tina
will be filled with interesting worl
and real friendship, to say nothing O
the economic happiness that will com
as result of the existence of this in
stitution. With cooperation maintain
ed there will come to generations we
unborn the same broad opportunitie
that are today responding to thos
who are accepting the responsibilit,
of advancing this business concern
Repetition is resorted to here by say
ing it is exceedingly doubtful if thi
concern would today be in existenc
except for the apple alton of coopera
tion. The benefits are immediatel,
apparent.
Up in Niagara Falls and over il
Elmira there are two outstandin,
salesbook manufacturing concerns o
this country. AS a matter of fac
they have standing equal to, If no
in excess of, that enjoyed by an,
other similar concern upon the fac
of the earth. Twenty or twenty-five
years is comparatively small perio,
/ in the life of the human family. /
plays a very important part in tn
Z life of a generation, but during thi
I period we have observed the growtl
and the tremendous expansion Of tn
American Salesbook Company as on
of the leading institutions of its kin,
in the world. From meager and in
4 significant position, giving employ
! ment to but few persons at rat
] Of compensation that was totally in
4 adequate, it today is giving employ
ment to thousands of people ard re