Life Insurance^ Savings Banks, Etc. 37 



"VYe have reached in practice this demonstration : You cannot 

 found civilization, preserve capital, organize labor, carry on any 

 oE our industrial or commercial functions, simply by the guidance 

 of the self regarding; instinct. 



Note. — The following item from " The Chrisliaa Union," I append to the 

 foregoing essay for reasons that will be apparent on its perusal: 



"Independent Labor. — In spite of-the multiplication of machinery there 

 is still a strong prejudice in favor of hand-made articles of all sorts, and 

 therein lies a suggestion that may relieve much of the distress that now 

 causes such wide-spread dissatisfaction with the existing state of things. 

 The ' Scientific American ' says : 



"The chronic superabundance of the labor supply in the older countries 

 had developed some conditions full of useful suggestions to us. Wherever 

 we travel, there we are surprised to learn that a large proportion of the smaller 

 articles of manufacture, with which, in some instances, the trade of the 

 world is supplied, are made by artisans in their own houses and with the 

 simplest appliances; and we find there also, in almost every large town or 

 city long established, business houses whose sole business it is to receive and 

 distribute these goods, to find markets for the handiwork of the independent 

 workman. We know of prosperous firms in England who do a very exten- 

 sive trade in this way on an investment probably of not more than $10,000. 

 Obta-ning samples of their productions from the various artisans so em- 

 ployed, they intrust them to their 'drummers ' or ' commercial travelers,' 

 who travel in every direction exhibiting them and soliciting orders; on re- 

 ceipt of an order tne special workman is notified, and soon makes his ap- 

 pearance with his basket or bundle of goods, which are inspected and paid 

 for according to previous agreement. The goods are then put up in the con- 

 ventional packages and shipped according to order.' 



"The individual workman may tbus compete with the corporations, but he 

 can only do so by producing an article which will possess some superiority- 

 over the product of machine work. If in addition to this he can avail him- 

 self of associated means of disposing of his work, he may create an inde- 

 pendent market for his goods."' C. C. 



