124 EMPLOYERS AND WORKMEN 



simple what to ordinary minds is so difficult. 

 He may arise, though Great Britain, high as is 

 the average of her intellectual power, rarely 

 produces a mind of tremendous force, such as 

 a Shakespeare, a Newton, or a Chatham. 



In this place a suggestion only can be made, 

 a suggestion of a course that might be examined 

 by experienced, thoroughly informed men, wil- 

 ling to undertake the task : men representing 

 not only employers and workmen, but also the 

 Government of the country, and those great 

 bodies which so largely influence the thought of 

 the country. 



The suggestion is this : that for the present 

 methods of carrying on the industrial work of 

 the nation should be gradually substituted general 

 co-operation, to be then by law established, with 

 modifications for cases where co-operation is un- 

 suitable or impossible. 



There are in different countries at present 

 practised instances of co-operation, sometimes 

 successful, sometimes not very successful. But 

 rare and piecemeal co-operation is quite useless 

 for the purpose in view. Suppose a business to 

 be run on a true co-operative basis, the workmen 

 receiving a certain portion of the profits, and 

 acquiring by this means a suitable proprietary 

 share of the business. What guarantee would 

 there be that such a business must always con- 

 tinue successful ? And in case of bankruptcy 

 what would become of the workmen's profits in- 

 volved in the loss ? To be effective, co-operation 

 must be general, and not merely voluntary ; it 



