The Glory of Cooperation

Civilization began when men began grouping together for mutual protection and safety.

The civilization of business lies in co-operation through business organizations.

This magazine is a firm believer in the necessity for men in the same line of business banding together to improve their business conditions, and better to serve the public.

It believes that every lumberman should belong to his rightful organization or organizations.

It believes in the glory of being A PART.

In the beginning we note a property peculiar to the English language.

"A PART." Separate those words and we make an expression which means to join-"A PART."

Bring them together and $'e separate the item of which we speak-"A PART."

Perhaps it has been this peculiarity of our language that has caused us to be, individually, "a part apart" in the industry-every man for himself.

\JI/e have, too many of us, kept tob much within the four walls of our offices. We may have had our names on the rosters of our local or state or national trade association. but that was all.

We have failed sufficiently to realize that there was a great world outside-a world in which we had a part-if we wished to take it; and which we were eventually punished for not taking.

Our ruminations have been introspective-we have been prone to magnify the PART at the expense of the WHOLE; a false mental attitude which has wrought great harm.

Strange to say, we have failed to take a lesson from the fundamentals of our business FOR THE SAKE of our business.

We know perfectly well that a building must be built according to a well determined plan; we know that in its design so many pieces of structural timber must be placed to give strength and rigidity to the building.

And there is no need to say that we would not think of attempting to guarantee strength to any building in which the general plan was followed but some of the structural timbers had been omitted.

Such a procedure would really be unthinkable IN our business-but FOR our business, that is just what we have been doing for years-and are still doing.

A single 2x4 in your yard does not appear to have much importance-but IN THE BUILDING it is of supreme value.

That value appears only when it LEAVES YOUR YARD and goes out into the world and DOES ITS REAL DUTY.

The PUBLIC recognizes the importance of that piece of 2x4, and, of WHAT IT DOES, and however unimportant it may seem to one who sees it ON THE PILE, it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY IN THE BUILDING.

Take it away and the building might collapse; it has received a VALUE; it is of IMPORTANCE: it has become a PART OF THE WHOLE.

And you-you who occupy IN THIS INDUSTRY the same position as does the 2x4 in the CONSTRUCTION-what of you?

You may think you are but a small man-you may think that you have but a small part to plhy-but-IN THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR INDUSTRY-in the BUILDING OF YOUR COMMUNITY-you are that very essential "2x4."

You have a most vital part-a most important roleand if you take your proper place in the STRUCTURE OF THINGS as planned by the Great Architect; if you manfully hold up against the strains and stresses to which you will be subjected-then you will have the glory of BEING A PART.

Your trade association is a very vital element of your industry; it is the sole means by which the thought of the industry can be expressed; it is the sole means by which the best ideas may be developed and the wrong practices eliminated; it is the sole means by which the Government -in time of need-can call upon your industry for help.

The trade association represents even more than ,,public opinion," for it can be made a governing power with thc right, delegated, to be sure, to reward and to punish.

The excuse some merchants give for not joining their trade association-that they can't see where they get their money's worth-is a most humiliating confession of igno_ rance and of mental narrowness that they should be ashamed to make.

The trade association represents the power of mass_a power inherently impossible to individual units_and in_ deed the only power that can avail an entire industry.