284 THE GOSPEL, AND THE SOCIAL CREED OF SCIENCE. 



a slight but continued advantage decides the battle in 

 favour of its possessor, determines the fittest to survive. 

 A single head must, therefore, either be evolved from the 

 body of the workers in the association, or it must be 

 imported from without and paid for. The former case 

 Mr. Frederick Harrison, a competent judge and a friend 

 of the workmen, thinks, on the ground of their previous 

 habits and training, would be the more unlikely; but 

 supposing such a one to be found one likely to make 

 the adventure a success, with the necessary knowledge, 

 intelligence, and executive ability, amongst the members 

 of the association ; he will, with human nature as gener- 

 ally constituted^ and assuming only the normal ratio of 

 benevolence or class-regard to selfishness, become dis- 

 satisfied to remain unless he can get the market price 

 within the association which his energy and adminis- 

 trative talent would command in the general field of 

 competition. He will be dissatisfied, in short, to remain 

 merely the manager, and if he be paid in proportion to 

 his share in the success of the undertaking, and if, as 

 we must assume, his savings be invested in it while he 

 continues in the association, he becomes in the end 

 virtually the capitalist, with the other members as 

 inferior partners, which would be in effect an abandon- 

 ment of the principle of associated labour a result 

 which would not, indeed, be a return to the old system 

 of labour and capital in constant conflict, but a com- 

 promise between that system and co-operation. 



On the other hand, if the association import a com- 

 petent salaried manager from the outside, which, with 

 the best authorities, as Mill and Thornton, we assume 

 would be the rule (the case last considered being very 

 exceptional), then the interest of the head of the concern 

 in its success would probably not be as keen and absorb- 



