The people's voice., 1940-11-27
BOOK REVIEW
THE STORY OF TOMPkINSviLLE
BY Mary Ellicott Arnold, 1910, The
Cooperative League, 1877 West 18th
Street, New York, 120 pages, paper
cover CSC. cloth. 81.

Street, New York, 120 pages, paper
cover CSC; cloth, 81.
This reviewer must confess a sens
of guilt in being so belated in tn,
payment OF justly due tribute. Fo
a review of Miss Arnold's book. "Tht
Story of Tompkinsville" must. under
the circumstances be tribute to one
of the finest demonstrations in the
cooperative field.
1t is singularly fitting that Miss
Arnold should have given us this book
1t is seldom that we find the writer
and the leader in the same individual
And in her work at Tompkinsville
Mary Arnold was very definitely the
leader in a piece of work that con-
stitutes a milestone in cooperative
development.
Tompkinsville, to this reviewer, is
something in the nature of an inspira-
tional phenomenon. Those ten houses
built by the miners Of Reserve Mines,
stand out like shining monuments
against a deplorable background of
muddling, waste and inefficiency of
the multitude of so-called housing
schemes that clutter our landscape.
1t is disheartening fact that most
of our housing plans in the United
States are predicated on the hope
that the planning group may be able
to get handout from this or that
agency, governmental or otherwise.
The usual attitude of any section of
our ill-housed multitude, when look
ing at new project is, 1--WE, too,
could do that if we only had mil
lion dollar handout."
The men who built Tompkinsville
were among the first to break with
the tradition of demoralizing depen-
dency on handout. At the same
time they were breaking with a too
prevalent tendency to look upon CO.
operation as a mere method of doing
business. Leaders like Miss Arnold
did something more than show few
men how to form community of
homes out of their own strength, in
telligence and self-reliance. She and
hose other leaders were leading a
section of the people out of the desert |
If dependence, limitation and inepti-
.ude. Tompkinsville is something |
more than collection of houses. 1t |
s one of the pioneer communities in |
/ trend toward pure cooperation as |
/ philosophy of direction and action. |
n Tompkinsville group of miners |
lave begun to do something that too |
ew American co-operators have tried |
o do-to live their philosophy. Every
in the United States
hould do some thing more than mere
y read the face of the story that |
Miss Arnold has given us. They |
hould ponder the significance that
les behind the story. They should
.ttempt to comprehend just what
means as commun-
ty.
The houses at Tompkinsville arose
,ut of program of education and en-
ightenment. Here we see very clear
y the expansion of minds, starting
With a true comprehension of the
meaning Of credit union organization
nd cooperative store keeping. Be
ause these men built their stores and
ONES at Tompkinsville naturally fol-
owed. Just as naturally and logically
ye may confidently expect still
Irther lessons to come from such
ommunity. Our whole future as a
lovement depends on the willingness
nd ability of American co-operators
} absorb and understand the deep
piritual meaning behind the houses
Tompkinsville.
If we grasp that meaning we can
emake this land in which we live. If ,
Q fail, we can look forward to a
nal addition to the cooperative de-
acles of the past.
We desperately need more of the
,generative spirit that made Tomp- I
lnsville possible. In fact, to repeat, |
Mess we can experience such re- !
sneration within the circle of the S
ovement, our whole growth and i
svelopment will become restricted I
Id formalized.
1t is in the spirit that this reviewer
lys tribute to Miss Arnold's little
,lume; not merely as a book, but I
an expression of spirit and under
anding that we so need at this point q
our cooperative development-Ber
am B. Fowler.