CHAPTER X ROADTOWN MAKES CO-OPERATION PRACTICAL

 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 automobile² on a co?perative road. On the other hand, the most enthusiastic socialist¹ 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 poultry³ breeder, or the skilled bookbinder cast the individuality of his labor⁴ into the melting pot of co?perative production?

 

In Roadtown the lamb of socialism shall lie117 down with the leopard⁵ 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 accomplished⁶ 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 blot⁷ out forever. In like manner, men with strong social temperaments⁸, to carry out their ideal would sometimes attempt to conduct agriculture, or artistic⁹ work together that could be run118 at greater total productiveness individually. If the difference were greater than the lessening¹⁰ 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 privately¹¹ 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 cater¹² to its own need. Co?perative retail¹³ stores are commonly boycotted¹⁴ 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 dictate¹⁵ the retail prices at which their goods may be sold by so-called competitive retailers¹⁶. The retailer¹⁷ 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 wasteful¹⁸ multiplication¹⁹ 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 intervals²⁰ 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, sweeping²¹ systems, etc., must all be one hundred family systems, regardless of whether that is the most economical unit for the system or not. Roadtown utilizes²² 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 bug²³ eating up the cabbage leaves, he will simply pick a few bugs²⁴, 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.

1 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

2 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

3 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

4 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

5 leopard   

n.豹

参考例句：

• I saw a man in a leopard skin yesterday.我昨天看见一个穿着豹皮的男人。
• The leopard's skin is marked with black spots.豹皮上有黑色斑点。

6 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

7 blot   

vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍

参考例句：

• That new factory is a blot on the landscape.那新建的工厂破坏了此地的景色。
• The crime he committed is a blot on his record.他犯的罪是他的履历中的一个污点。

8 temperaments   

性格( temperament的名词复数 )； （人或动物的）气质； 易冲动； （性情）暴躁

参考例句：

• The two brothers have exactly opposite temperaments: one likes to be active while the other tends to be quiet and keep to himself. 他们弟兄两个脾气正好相反， 一个爱动，一个好静。
• For some temperaments work is a remedy for all afflictions. 对于某些人来说，工作是医治悲伤的良药。

9 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

10 lessening   

减轻，减少，变小

参考例句：

• So however much he earned, she spent it, her demands growing and lessening with his income. 祥子挣多少，她花多少，她的要求随着他的钱涨落。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• The talks have resulted in a lessening of suspicion. 谈话消减了彼此的怀疑。

11 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

12 cater   

vi.(for/to)满足，迎合；(for)提供饮食及服务

参考例句：

• I expect he will be able to cater for your particular needs.我预计他能满足你的特殊需要。
• Most schools cater for children of different abilities.大多数学校能够满足具有不同天资的儿童的需要。

13 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

14 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

15 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？

16 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

17 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

18 wasteful   

adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的

参考例句：

• It is a shame to be so wasteful.这样浪费太可惜了。
• Duties have been reassigned to avoid wasteful duplication of work.为避免重复劳动浪费资源，任务已经重新分派。

19 multiplication   

n.增加，增多，倍增；增殖，繁殖；乘法

参考例句：

• Our teacher used to drum our multiplication tables into us.我们老师过去老是让我们反覆背诵乘法表。
• The multiplication of numbers has made our club building too small.会员的增加使得我们的俱乐部拥挤不堪。

20 intervals   

n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息

参考例句：

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
• Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

21 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

22 utilizes   

v.利用，使用( utilize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• One highly successful approach utilizes a triplet aspheric lens array. 一种很成功的方法是利用一个三合非球面透镜阵列。 来自辞典例句
• The first utilizes a blend of finely ground ceramic powders. 第一种用的是一种磨细的陶瓷粉末混合物。 来自辞典例句

23 bug   

n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器

参考例句：

• There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。
• The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。

24 bugs   

adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误

参考例句：

• All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞，都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》