382 PRINCIPLES OF RURAL ECONOMICS 



should be philanthropic. On the contrary, it is probably better 

 that they should be strictly self-interested ; but it is essential 

 that self-interest should be followed in economic rather than in- 

 uneconomic ways, as these terms were denned in Chapter I. 

 To attempt to promote one's self-interest in a way which con- 

 tributes to the productivity of the whole country is to deserve 

 success ; to attempt to promote it in any other way is to de- 

 serve failure. That is why cooperative enterprises, when actu- 

 ated by mere jealousy of some storekeeper, or of any one else 

 who is doing useful and honest work, usually fail. But cooper- 

 ative enterprises which attempt something constructive, like the 

 starting of a new industry, the opening of -a new market, or 

 the prevention of real waste, and are therefore actuated by a 

 higher motive than hate or jealousy, are usually successful, and 

 redound to the interest and profit of the participants. 



This part of our discussion may be summed up by saying that 

 until our rural interests become organized our rural life will con- 

 tinue to be dominated by urban interests, urban standards, urban 

 ideals, and that this will leave rural life in a weak and undigni- 

 fied position. Furthermore, it will not be easy to organize rural 

 interests in any single homogeneous organization, because our 

 agricultural interests are too diverse and heterogeneous ; but the 

 organization must proceed through the formation of local asso- 

 ciations having definite, tangible, and constructive aims, and the 

 gradual federation of these local organizations into a general 

 organization combining unity and solidarity with diversity and 

 local autonomy. 



