256 THE FARMER AS A L'OOFERATOR. 



Tlie influence of sentiment can never be relied upon ; 

 wliatever tlie race may sometime become, it can not now be 

 governed, in business ati'airs, by anytliing but selfishness — 

 not, of course, using the term in its offensive sense, but mean- 

 ing the general desire of personal advantage. Many very 

 estimable persons expect successful cooperation based on the 

 idea of brotherhood. This, when analyzed, is found to mean 

 that a few persons should do the necessary work of a 

 community for nothing, or for less personal advantage than 

 competitive business would afford. This analysis may not 

 be at first apparent to some, but it is exactly what "brother- 

 hood " in business affairs means. The influence is dangerous, 

 for the business will not long be done except for full payment 

 in money, as far as the necessity of the individual requires, 

 and the remainder in honor, which has, as already stated, a 

 market value in a good sense, as well as a bad one. Coopera- 

 tion based largely on sentiment will fail.* 



There will invariably be more or less intriguing for place 

 and power in important cooperative enterprises, just as there 

 is in political affairs, and precisely of the same character. In 

 one cooperative society of large membership to which I belong, 

 I note at each annual meeting the effort of tradesmen com- 

 peting for its business to influence the choice of directors who 

 may be favorable to one or the other party, and to dis])lace 

 those in the management whom the interfering parties deem 

 undesirable, and I sometimes see those efforts in a measure 

 successful. It must be expected and guarded against. 



In general all influences must be considered which can be 

 supposed to have effect upon men in charge of large interests 

 in which, as individuals, their share is small, and who receive 

 little or no compensation for their service. Adequate com- 

 pensation either to directors or management is the most 

 certain insurance of faithful service. Directors usually 

 should not be paid in money, but they may be well paid in 

 the esteem and loyalty of their associates. 



* Incidentally it may be said that a cdminunity whicli will on the pretense 

 of "brotherhood" accept continuous fj;ratuitous or insufficiently-paid service 

 ill business proHtable to the couiiaunity, is as despicable as any other mendi- 

 cant. 



