244 THE FARMER AS A C'OOPERATOR. 



exhausting labor of detail, and can save their strength. There 

 is danger that cooperative business may not develop this class, 

 and at any rate in their beginning, the manager, from con- 

 siderations of economy, will usually be compelled to do the 

 double duty of direction and execution, and the sound mind 

 in the sound body is essential. 



Experience. — Something has already been said as to this. 

 I suppose no one ever entered upon a new business without 

 making errors, which by experience he gradually learns to 

 avoid. The more experience, therefore, that is available, when 

 accompanied by brains and vigor, the more fortunate the 

 society will be. If, however, the experience is lacking, the 

 society will do very well with honesty, vigor, and brains, pro- 

 vided it fully understands that errors will be inevitable, and is 

 prepared to endure them patiently, and pay for them cheer- 

 fully; for all errors in business cost money. Errors occur and 

 are paid for in competitive business, but they are reduced to a 

 minimum by natural selection and regular promotion of the 

 most competent, and when they occur they are not heard oi 

 outside.- It is the misfortune of cooperative business that all 

 errors are subject to public discussion, often leading to change 

 of management just as the manager has learned to be useful. 

 Nothing is more wasteful than continually paying for the 

 experience of new men, and it is a danger to wliich coopera- 

 tive business is peculiarly exposed. In cooperative business 

 experience is desirable not only in all branches of the business 

 to be conducted, including personal acquaintance with those 

 from whom or through whom trade may be expected, but also 

 in dealing with such masses of disorganized men as coopera- 

 tive societies, at the beginning, will usually consist of. A 

 hopeful, earnest man, without this experience, will be likely 

 to expect and to rely upon many things which will never 

 happen. 



Tact. — A manager is presumably a salesman; at least he must 

 direct salesmen, and few men can profitably attempt to direct 

 others in matters in which they ai-e not themselves expert; 

 the salesman's tact is reasonably plenty, and it is not to this 

 that I refer, but to that far rarer accomplishment which will 



