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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



is between parties who, in the last 

 resort, are dependent upon one an- 

 other's good will, the less likely they 

 are to recognize their substantial 

 identity of interest." What Mr. 

 Dreiser clearly shows is how great 

 the community of interest is be- 

 tween the railroads on the one side 

 and the farming community on the 

 other, and how fully that commu- 

 nity of interest is recognized by the 

 railways at least. The freight agent 

 of a given line is charged with the 

 duty of developing to the utmost — 

 in the interest, primarily, of his 

 road, it may readily be granted — 

 the agricultural resources of the 

 countiy through which it runs. 

 He has his assistants, who look 

 after different branches of the work, 

 such as crop-raising, cattle-graz- 

 ing, dairying, poultry-raising, etc. 

 " Through this department," the 

 writer says, " the railroads are do- 

 ing a remarkably broad educational 

 work, not only of inspecting the 

 land, but of educating the farmers 

 and merchants, and helping them to 

 become wiser and more successful. 

 They give lectures on soil nutrition 

 and vegetable growing, explain con- 

 ditions and trade shipments, teach 

 poultry-raising and cattle-feeding, 

 organize creameries for the manu- 

 facture of cheese and butter, and 

 explain new business methods to 

 merchants who are slow and igno- 

 rant in the matter of conducting 

 their affairs." An agent of the rail- 

 way will visit every town along the 

 line a certain number of times every 

 year to see what he can do to 

 quicken trade. Finally, in the great 

 centers there are special agents who 

 " look after incoming shipments, 

 and work for the interests of the 

 merchants and farmers by finding a 

 market for their products." Exam- 

 ples are given showing how the rail- 

 ways are able to impart, and do im- 

 part, information of the highest 

 value to the farmers, such as puts 



them in the way of getting greatly 

 improved returns from their land. 



Of course, the railways want 

 business, but it is eminently satis- 

 factory when one party who wants 

 business uses his best efforts on be- 

 half of another in order that by 

 making him prosperous he himself 

 may prosper. When things get into 

 this shape they are all right, as the 

 phrase is. The accepted definition 

 of a perfect action is one which 

 benefits all who are parties to it. 

 Things are on a much better foun- 

 dation when people are mutually 

 benefiting one another, each pri- 

 marily in his own interest, than 

 when it is all philanthropy on one 

 side and passive acceptance of bene- 

 fits on the other. Philanthropy is 

 an uncertain thing, and its effects 

 are uncertain. Its quality will take, 

 in general, a good deal of training; 

 but business, on an honest and re- 

 ciprocally helpful basis, is good all 

 through. . 



It is a happy circumstance that 

 there are natural laws and forces 

 at work which tend to produce a 

 healthful social equilibrium. The 

 true statesman is he who is on the 

 watch to discern these forces and 

 these laws, resolved that if he can 

 not aid their operation he shall at 

 least throw no obstacle in the way 

 of their activity. The amount of 

 harm that is done by coming be- 

 tween people who would be certain 

 to arrange their business relations 

 satisfactorily, if they were only left 

 to do it without interference, can 

 hardly be estimated. Man is funda- 

 mentally a social animal, and he 

 wants, if he can possibly get it, the 

 good opinion of his fellows. This 

 is a principle which legislation too 

 much overlooks, but it is one on 

 which, as we believe, the future 

 progress of society depends, and 

 which, in spite of the blunders of 

 legislators, will more and more as- 

 sert itself as the years go on. 



