ORGANISATION. 20T 



the United States are in a different stage of development 

 from any old country like our own, and, for the purpose 

 of the creation of genuinely heart-linked country communi- 

 ties, are in a less favourable position even than our colonies 

 of the latest planting, in which after all people of one race, 

 one language, one set of habits, and one way of seeing things 

 predominate. Our own position is more favourable still. 

 We are, after all, one people, virtually one race, one com- 

 munity of like-habited and like-thinking persons, at any 

 rate in each of the several countries composing the United 

 Kingdom. And we have had prosperous, comparatively 

 well-peopled, contented and happy country communities 

 once. " Sweet Auburn " is there — although for a time it 

 has lost its " sweetness " and a good part of its population, 

 and much of its former prosperity and contentedness. It 

 wants to be repeopled, to be made prosperous, contented 

 and happy and " merrie " once more. Purely economic 

 means do not suffice for that. A patronised village hall 

 and village club will not do it. Nor yet a village library 

 or a temperance public -house. Co-operation has ever 

 aimed high, more particularly that intended for agricultural 

 and rural life. Owen aimed high. So did Vansittart 

 Neale and his friends. So did Raiffeisen ; so did Holyoake. 

 Our industrial co-operators make a boast of it that they 

 aim, as in truth they do, not only at making men wealthier, 

 but also at making them better. There is a good deal of 

 combination for business purposes in the world which 

 styles itself " co-operative " without at all being so. Holy- 

 oake used to complain that, numerous as are each year the 

 recruits for co-operative societies, the number of genuine 

 co-operators among them is only small. And Mr. James 

 Wilson (a native of Ayrshire), at the time United States 

 Secretary of Agriculture, unrolling before my wondering 

 eyes in 191 2 an account of the numerical strength of 

 Agricultural Co-operation in his country, added the sugges- 

 tive qualification : " It is possible that the form of organisa- 

 tion and of operation is not co-operative in all cases " ; and 

 he added : " There is considerable confusion in this country, 

 not merely in the mind of the general public, but in the 



