6o2 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY
has been variously shown that higher types of society are made possible only by higher types of nature; and the implication is that the best industrial institutions are possible only with the best men. Judging from the temporary success which has been reached under the ordinary form of cooperative production, it is inferable that permanent success might be reached, were one set of the difficulties removed ; leaving only the difficulty of obtain- ing honest and skillful management. Not in many cases, how- ever, at present." *
Such difficulties are found in the nature of both classes engaged in industry : in the case of employers, difficulties grow- ing out of inherent selfishness, intensified by the schooling given by the present industrial system ; and on the part of the employes, difficulties founded in the same inherent selfishness, intensified by ignorance. With both classes there exists a pre- judice and narrowness of view into which both ignorance and selfishness enter. These difficulties can be removed only by education and the development of character. In the case of cooperation such difficulties seem no greater than with profit- sharing. In fact, they seem more pronounced in the less highly developed system ; for selfishness united with intelligence may be more difficult to overcome than the selfishness and prejudice that are the outgrowth of ignorance.
Postponing a further discussion of this phase of the subject, there is a second relation between cooperation and profit-sharing
that is deserving of attention.
Paul Monroe. Teachers College,
Columbia University.
'Spencer, Principles of Sociology, Vol. Ill, pp. 573, 574. (To be continued.)
