Our Industrial Problems. 
15 
its leaders should be more ems 
phatic. Of 4 theory that hopes 
to create an ideal = State by a 
2 process of moral deterioration and de- 
baueh. of character in its future citizens, 
it need only be said that it is a counsel 
of despair and utter run, 
Co-operation. 
Reference has already been made to 
the. fact that the trade union movement 
as we know it in Australia, is not con- 
spicuous for its application of historical 
knowledge in the modification of its 
practice. With some notable exceptions, 
the wonderful history of Industrial Co- 
operation is a closed book to the trades 
unionists of this Continent, if we may 
Judge by the scant support they have ae. 
corded to the principle. Yet in these 
days where co-opertaion is as a ‘watch- 
word on the lips of the most eminent men 
of the civilised world in their plea for a 
better understanding between peoples 
communally and internationally, one would 
naturally expect the workers of Aus- 
tralia to point with pride to its triom- 
phant application by . Co-operators in 
Great Britain over a period of 80 years. 
A movement, that out of a few Rochdale 
weavers impoverished by an unsuccessful 
strike contributing their pennies per week 
to raise the initial capital of £28, could 
develop until to-day it numbers its 5) 
million adherents with a total share and 
loan capital of £108,000.000, total sales 
of £295.000,000, and a wage sheat of 
£27.000,000, must hold the fruitful seeds 
of hope for workers in other lands. 
These figures, recording the operations 
of distributive and productive enterprises, 
have shown a progressive development 
year by year, without retrogression, im 
years of industrial depression. The Banlk- 
ing Department of the Co-operative 
Wholesale Society controls assets amount- 
ing to £50.000.000, and tle total of de- 
posits and withdrawals for the year 1927 
ageregated £632.000.000. 
It could have accomplished greater sue- 
cesses were it not for the fact that on 
more than one occasion trades unionists 
have drawn on their thrift funds accuniu- 
lated through the co-operative movement, 
to finance disastrous strikes, Trade 
union workshop policy also hampers the 
greater development of the productive 
side cf the movement, 
The principles on which the co-opera- 
tive movement has founded its success are 
simple, but vital. Self-help by mutual 
effort; the accumulation of capital 
through direct encouragement of thrift; 
service ‘rather than profit as the motive 
force of the movement: the open door to 
new - reeruits; education, technical and 
cthical; these are the peace promoting 
means which bave been used. When 
trades unionists develop a fuller apprecia- 
tion of the possibilities. of the co-opera~ 
tive movement and cease to pursue 
chimeras, that movement will have no 
difficulty in nroviding finance and trained 
talent for amazing deveropment, 
_ There is instructive waterial nearer 
nome for the study of trade unionists in 
the substantial measure of success in co- 
operative enterprise won by West 
Australian farmers. Ag a proof of the 
advantage of this constructive policy, the 
co-operative business of this State fur« 
nishes ample secarity for a loan of up- 
wards of £3,000,000, from the Banking 
Department of the Co-operative Whole. 
sale Society of England. A further inter- 
esting example is in their co-operation in 
the industry of superphosphate manufac. 
ture on a partial co-operative basis. 
It may be urged by trades unionists that 
lack of finance is the stumbling block to 
the adoption of the co-operative principle 
in industry. The reply to this objection 
is that some of the most notable sue- 
cesses have grown from insignificant be- 
ginnings., Emphasis should rather be 
placed on the nced for recognition of the 
vital part avhich trained bustuess manage- 
ment plays in industry. Given brains to 
control, a spirit of self-help to stimulate, 
and informed loyalty to support through 
the early states of an enterprise, finance 
no longer becomes the most diffienlt faec- 
tor of production. The rapid accumula- 
tion of funds by a small deduction per 
member of the Canadian Co-operative 
Wheat Pools is an illustration, In four 
years these amounted to £3.000,000, ena- 
bling the wheat farmers to own the 
finest grain handling equipment in North 
America. 
It is not only in what night be termed 
the orthodox channels of co-operative en- 
cerprise that the principle may be ap- 
plied with advantage. In such callings 
as the loading and unloading of ships, road 
and railway construction, shearing, fire- 
wood and timber getting, and other oeeu- 
vations that might be named, there are 
splendid opportunities {or the application 
of the co-operative principle. Explora- 
tion of these possibilities would demand 
a new type of union exccutive, encourag- 
ing constructive rather than destructive 
qualities, and evolving the “brains” es. 
sential in business management. 
Summarising * conclusions, it may be 
said that what is most needed in the pre- 
sent situation is a change in the mental 
attitude of the parties engaged in produe- 
tion. = We know that admirable initia- 
tive and resource is daily evinced in the 
solution of problems in the technique of 
industry, It is all the more tragic to 
find that in the relationship of the hu- 
man factors engaged. therein, there is a 
kind of anarchic disregard of each 
other’s point of view. Given that we 
could replace this with unfettered minds 
ready for mutual exploration in this as in 
other aspects of industry, it is certain 
that the working relationship in industry 
conld be much improved and more united 
effort put forth to soive those other 
problems of edueation, finance, taxation, 
md the effective nse of our resources ins 
volved in wealth production. 
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