^rAN.\(;i;.\iKNT oi-' cooi'KRATivk societies. 2.JO 



same principle ai)[)lies to the smaller affairs of life. If fidelity 

 and ability in im|)ortant })Ositi()ns in cooperative business are 

 assured of the reward of public approbation, and the tenure of 

 position made as secure as that customary iu private business, 

 a high gi'ade of ability can be retained at a cost far less than 

 competitive business will pay for it; but if such positions are 

 permitted to become the reward of intrigue, and the incum- 

 bents subjected to suspicion and distrust, and no permanence 

 of position opening the way to a career is assured, bright men 

 will be driven from the service, the costly experience of paying 

 for the mistakes of new men will follow, and cooperation will 

 not be so well served as competition. 



Infiuences to be Guarded Against. — Economists fear that coop- 

 eration on any extensive scale will be wrecked on the rocks 

 of selfishness and jealousy. They expect their first manifesta- 

 tion to appear in insufficient provision for the salaried staff, 

 coupled with such grumbling and fault-finding, if no worse, 

 us will tend to drive capable men out of cooperation and into 

 competition. They fear that while, at the beginning, able 

 men, under the influence of a generous enthusiasm, may give 

 bountiful service either freely or for less than its market 

 value, they will soon tire of it, or will die and leave no suc- 

 cessors, and that the management will drift into incompetence. 

 This is predicted by those opjDosed to cooperation. 



As good management is essential to success, and as there 

 is at present greater personal advantage to men of ability in 

 competitive than in cooperative service, it is necessary that 

 important positions in cooperative service be made to approach 

 the comfort of similar positions in competitive service, in 

 security of tenure, and in general respect. As it stands now, 

 uo man can engage in cooperative service without falling in 

 ihe esteem of many having important favors to bestow; they 

 vvill distrust either his ability or his honesty, because com- 

 petitive service being obviously the most desirable, men will 

 be slow to believe that one having the ability to succeed in 

 competitive life should for any good purpose engage in cooper- 

 ation. The influences of stinginess and suspicion should 

 therefore be avoided. 



