in the modern world there is no such thing as an absolute individualist, or an absolute co?perationist. the most rabid enemy of socialistic and co?perative movements sends his children to a co?perative school, puts his mail in a co?perative post office, and pays the co?perative preachers; he drinks co?perative water and uses the co?perative sewage system and drives his automobile on a co?perative 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 co?perative production?
in roadtown the lamb of socialism shall lie117 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 co?perative 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 run118 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 co?perative 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. co?perative retail stores are commonly boycotted by the wholesalers, a notable example of which was the co?perative 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,119 all are tools and puppets of the trusts.
the roadtown department store.
the roadtown will supply the wants of the people through co?perative 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 co?perative 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;120 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 expressed121 therein is of tremendous economic significance. think it over.
co?perative features of roadtown which require special centers will be located where special towers or fa?ades 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 of122 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.