ROADTOWN MAKES CO-OPERATION PRACTICAL
In the modern world there is no such thing as an absolute
individualist, or an absolute coöperationist. The most rabid enemy
of socialistic and coöperative movements sends his children to a
coöperative school, puts his mail in a coöperative post office, and
pays the coöperative preachers; he drinks coöperative water and
uses the coöperative sewage system and drives his automobile on a
coöperative road. On the other hand, the most enthusiastic socialist
wants to write his own books and paint his own pictures and sign his
name to them and get the glory. Why, then, should the poultry breeder,
or the skilled bookbinder cast the individuality of his labor into the
melting pot of coöperative production?
In Roadtown the lamb of socialism shall lie down with the leopard of
individuality and a child of the common good shall lead them.
_A Mecca for the Individualist._
The Roadtown corporation will stand ready to sell the product of the
individuals or that of the coöperative producers, but it will not
prohibit them from selling individually if they so desire. If, for
illustration, a man should wish to complete the making of a glove,
though he accomplished but one-fifth of the combined work of four
men, yet if this man prefers to take less pay or work longer hours in
order to have the satisfaction of working for himself and seeing one
piece of work completely through to the finish, the community would
have no complaint--he would pay his own way and would get his pleasure
from the independence in his work. In so doing he may develop in
himself or in his child the latent qualities of art that machine-like
application would blot out forever. In like manner, men with strong
social temperaments, to carry out their ideal would sometimes attempt
to conduct agriculture, or artistic work together that could be run
at greater total productiveness individually. If the difference were
greater than the lessening of consumption, the venture would fail.
But if the difference were slight both types of workmen would produce
better when doing the thing they wish to do and the community would get
better work, and what is more important, better men.
The Roadtown by opening up the highways of exchange to all, and
preventing the development of huge privately owned corporations, gives
opportunity for the free play in both individual and coöperative
production. The trust system of industry we have to-day allows only
such forms of privately owned industries to exist as cater to its
own need. Coöperative retail stores are commonly boycotted by the
wholesalers, a notable example of which was the coöperative store
organized by the federal employés at Washington. On the other hand,
wholesalers commonly dictate the retail prices at which their goods
may be sold by so-called competitive retailers. The retailer who cuts
his price is boycotted. There is no individualism, all are tools and
puppets of the trusts.
_The Roadtown Department Store._
The Roadtown will supply the wants of the people through coöperative
stores. This does not mean that Roadtowners will be prohibited from
buying outside of Roadtown or from selling his own product inside or
outside of Roadtown, but it does mean that the general game of private
merchandising will in Roadtown be a coöperative function and that
the wasteful multiplication of the small shops will be eliminated.
The various departments of the Roadtown department stores will not
all be in one place, but will be strung along the line at intervals
of great enough length to give the greatest economy in delivery. At
every food serving station will be a store supplying the common daily
needs, especially those that are almost always ordered by telephone.
These will likely be located about every half mile. Other classes of
merchandise less frequently called for will be located at greater
distances; thus men’s haberdasher shops might be every three miles
and millinery stores every two miles, while one artist’s material shop
would suffice for an entire hundred miles of Roadtown.
The same system of varying lengths of units will apply to all Roadtown
utilities. The units will be made of such length as is found to be most
economical. The population which patronizes three serving stations may
all get their heat from a single heating plant, while the length of two
heating systems might be found a profitable unit to be put under the
charge of one landscape gardener.
This feature of Roadtown offers great economies over the single large
building. For instance, in an apartment house accommodating one hundred
families, light, heat, telephone, sweeping systems, etc., must all be
one hundred family systems, regardless of whether that is the most
economical unit for the system or not. Roadtown utilizes every utility
in length which gives the maximum efficiency for that particular
device. The foregoing sentence consists of fifteen words, but the truth
expressed therein is of tremendous economic significance. Think it
over.
Coöperative features of Roadtown which require special centers will
be located where special towers or façades can be built to break the
monotony of the house line.
The advantage of the universal transmission of intelligence will be
seen in all the industries of the Roadtown. The entire industrial and
living system will be equipped with telephones just as are the various
departments of a large factory. For illustration: The Roadtown will
employ an agricultural expert. At his office will be kept soil maps
of the entire Roadtown area, and he will be in a position to advise
freely with the farmers along the line what to plant, where to plant,
and when to plant. Or if a farmer finds a new kind of bug eating up the
cabbage leaves, he will simply pick a few bugs, put them in a bottle
and send the bottle by mechanical carriers to the agricultural office.
The agriculturist will then advise him by ’phone as to what course to
pursue.
The same close touch with the producers on the line will apply in the
case of the supply of food growing in the gardens along the line.
The gardeners from day to day can ’phone the chef what they will have
to offer, and he can arrange the bill of fare accordingly, while the
manager of the store can keep the Roadtowner posted on the probable
demand for various goods made in his work room.