The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1954-04-02

chosen to remain aloof from this salu-
tory organized effort. So We find him
in the unenviable position of stealing a
ride to progress and often through ig-
nOrance dragging his feet. This is the
reason for some of the apparently anti
social and restrictive rules that apply
as between organizations and unco-
operative individuals. 1t is an effort
to at least keep them from dra gging
their feeti
PRIVATE UTILITIES USE 81 PER
CENT OF PUBLIC POWER
The story of co-operatives, which
includes the REA, is too long and much
to involved for the short space of this
letter. Risking the accusation of over
simplifying which is often dangerous,
let me just make a point about the
electric power REA uses. 1t is my
understanding that only about IS per
cent of the public power is used by
co-operatiyes and municipalities under
the preference right to which Mr.. Par
kinson objects. That leaves 80 per
cent, for the corporations to use. There
are two distinct motives behind the
cooperative and the corporation. The
former desires service and willingly
pays the just cost of such service. The
latter desires only profit on invest
nrent without any consideration or re-
gard to service except as it concerns
this profit.
Behind the corporation stands the
organization of money and the money
rules the organization. There is no
obligation on the part of the corpora
ton to return all the earnings to pa
irons or stockholders. The stock votes,
and it is not uncommon for great
blocks of stock to control the corpor
alton and leave only the crumbs to the
small stockholders whose chief lot it is
to be window dressing for the public
scrutiny.
The cooperative is in business for
the service of it's members. The peO-
pie who constitute the membership
do the voting. Earnings are return
ed according to patronage and GER
tainIy the organization, such, has
no income to tax.
There is a further lesson we need |
to learn about co-operatives. This is |
the reason why they are organized in |
a society where everything is suppos- |
eddy devoted to the pursuit of profit |
History teaches us that people are |
prone to suffer deprivation and hard !
ship before uniting their efforts to Sc |
cure change.
GREED BROUGHT ABOUT GRAIN
The grain co-opera tives of farmers |
have been brought about by selfish, |
anti-Social efforts on the part of the |
corporate grain trade. The REA CO. |
operative was born to fill the great |
need for electrification of the homes |
and farms of civilized people living in
a supposedly advanced electrical age, |
yet who were deprived of such just adj
Vantages by the very motive of profit
that dictates the policy of private pow
er companies. -. |
final word about inequality. 1t |
seems to be mostly a question of pow
err Some people think that the aggre-
cation of wealth has something to do
with this. Never having aggregated
any of the stuff, [ am not in posi-
ton to say how it provides power. I
would like to testify that its lack does
indeed insure weakness.
Abraham Lincoln once wrote: Il see
in the near future a crisis approach
ng that unnerveS me and causes me
% tremble for the safety of my coun-
.ry AS a result of war, corporations
nave been enthroned and an era of
in high places will follow.
The money power of the country will
4ndeavor to prolong it's reign, by work.
ng upon the prejudices of the people,
until all the wealth is aggregated in
1 few hands and the Republic is de-
stroyed. | feel at this moment, more
anxiety for the safety of my country
han ever before, even in the midst of
war God grant that my forebodings
nav be groundleSS. Monarchy itself is
sometimes limited at as a refuge from
he power of the people. In my pres
mt position [ could scarcely be justi-
led were | to omit to raise a warning
loice against returning despotism"
END OF QUOTE,
If the Civil War enthroned corpora
ions, the late wars must have crown
ID a few 1t is sacrilege and treason
% suggest the existence of money
power" or to dispute their hymns of
late designed to prey upon the preJu-
Ices of the people but regardless of
he self-appointed saviors who seek to
determine what 1 shall think, say or
write, it is my well considered opin-
on that our entire social organization
S so outgrown by the chronological
changes of the last century or so, we
need to begin thinking, not of re-
,tricting and destroying our co-opera-
ives, but of understanding and ex-
banding them to that happy point
where none is left out of the benefits
md services that is entirely possible
md most desirable by the co-opera-
i've. ORGANIZED effort and planning on
nation wide basis.
The American people have choice.
They can continue in division, confu
ion, hatred and fear, which must in
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