Published onco a week at Palmer, Alaska, for the Mat' nuska Galley
Farmers* Cooperating Association for the purpose of giving nows of tho
Associations work, problems and accomplishments.
SUBSCRIPTION PATE £>1.75 per year ' &1..00 for six months 10# copy
//
says Filipino loader.
"co-ops oniy orny out
Last week we published so no information concerning Cooperatives in the
Philipnines. 'The CoO£orativo lir./s1’ which is published in Manila, and
which is xhe official organ of the National Coc'poraf.ivcs & Snail Business
Corporation, carries nary interosl ng articles concerning the f^/olop
iucnt of Cooperatives in tli'.se is^c '.ds. Hiuarion 3j.layan, Lnccuti/o oc
rotary of r,ho Prosidonf's Commits oo
.1 Amelioration (PAC.3A) in
a recent speech before the student body and faculty oi tno National
University" claims that tno consumers1 Co-op is a national necessity.
Reprinted below are excerpts from his sppoch which convoy the interest
ana enthusiasm in the cooperative movement in these islands.
Sil^yen says—"The present economic system which is based on the profit
motive is fast proving inadequate to solve tho growing problems of so
ciety. It has produced a situation in which extrema individualism as
against common welfare, is encouraged. Bocauso profit is the primary
consideration, goods arc produced not to meet social needs but to bring
in tho maximum gain to tho owner of tho moans of production. Selfishness
acquisitiveness and greed for none ■' havo boon engendered, l-ondy has
become tho measure and limit of all values cold it is the source of power.
And because money is the source of power, the rich become richer and thoj,
enjoy all the privileges while the poor become pooror and in tho very
nature of our competitive economy, they grow bigger in number every day.
The result of this vicious system is what v;c all suffer frcm today:social
unrest, the Huks, political corruption and a general breakdown in moral
ity. —
"The contradictions of the present order have been summarized by tho
late President ^uezon in his famous statement: "While a few are swimming
in abundance the masses of our people are sinking in poverty." Obviously
such a situation cannot long continue* Already tho masses of our pcoplo
——and this is true a.ll over tho world——realizing their helplessness under
the present set-up and unable to compote for position where wealth is
the vardstick of moritand the means to achievement, are organizing and,
by force of nunbor, seeking a change; That is why we have today tho
spectacle of a class war that is daily gaining in vigor and violence all
over’tho world;
"Tho choice before us is revolution•by force or revolution by consent.
Wo have to change or the change will be forced upon us."
Mr Silayan asks-"What is tho way out?" and answers —
It is the imperativeness of the present situation that the cooperative
system acquires special attractiveness. It offers a happy compromise^
workable middle way between extremes of radicalism.
The cooperative principle has its merit in the fact that it is essentia
lly based on service to the common welfare as against individual solf
intdrest and profit.
”T therefore propose the establishment of cooperatives throughout the
Philippines. This would correct many of the serious handicaps under
which our chaotic economy and our own business men arc laboring todayr
''Thorc is nothing in the cooperative movement that is inimical to the
best interest of the Filipino people, in our religious and economical
life. It is the best guarantee for social security and the best means
of obtaining results from our economic enterprise beneficial to all.
"Cooper?tives started with the working class and have made good among
the working class. It is to be regretted that our organized labor unions
have not gone into cooperative enterprises. But when they do,organized
labor organizations should have made a long stop toward the social and
^cgnomic upl^f£m^nj Qf the working class whic is the avowed purpose of