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Show APRIL. PAGE EIGHT do not become one in temporal things as If the people they are one in spiritual things, they will not redeem and build up the ZLon of God upon the Earth. This cooperative movement is a stepping stone. Brigham Young. OJljr linin' of 1936. If we will work unitedly we can work ourselves into wealth, prosperity and power, and this is required of us. Brigham Young. liarmt m H- -i m SOCIAL PIONEERING ON ITS WAY H"H , Plan Requires Cooperation of Highest Type. Success Depends Not Only on Leaders, But Loyal .Support of Church Members Church-Wid- e - reaching, not to say revolutionary, plans have been by the L. D. S. Church for the relief of its members. The full power of the vast organization of the Church is being marshalled to advance the program of social security for its members who are now on relief, and to help whether on relief rolls or on the verge make all of being there. FAR The plan is to be put into operation at once. Hundreds of thousands of workers in the Church are to be called as a great .army in a huge cooperative effort to remove all Church members from the relief rolls in the very near future, and once removed, to keep them off the rolls. INDIVIDUALS SELF-SUSTAININ- 4 44 - G The underlying seems to be a principle return to the thought that after all, the can contribution be that made towards social security greatest is to place the individual upon an independent, basis. The dole is to go. In its place a great cooperative of individuals retaining their individuality and independence is to take its place. Cooperation in its highest and most unselfish form is an absolute requirement if the program is to succeed. None shall go without the necessities, and none who are able to work, shall be defied the opportunity to labor, is the aim of the leaders. Charity in the usual acceptation of the term, is to be banished, and in its place will come opportunity for a man and his family to earn their way and thus deserve everything that they receive not as a gift, but as a recom- ?? pense for honest, industrious and deserving labor. To some the plan with some of the immediate objectives may seem to be in the class of the ordinary, but when the whole outline is studied and the implications and consequences which may grow out of it are considered, it is anything but ordinary. 44 Consider a few of its challenging and practical features as . announced by the Church Committee under the title, Church Cooperatives : Farm and orchard proThese jects. may include comPROJECTS munity projects in which numerous individuals participate, contributing labor and means for the common good; placing families upon farms which have been abandoned through lack of water supply or insufficient capital to make them successful; building homes on new lands which may be made habitable by new irrigation projects. COMPREHENSIVE Canning factory projects. These, for the preservation of fruits and vegetables which might otherwise be wasted. They also may include processing of fruits and vegetables to be placed upon the market to bring sufficient money to aid project workers in obtaining other necessities which can only be bought with money. Lumber projects, which may include cooperative groups operating saw mills, using local timber from the mountains. Dwellings, farm buildings, poultry projects, etc., could all be built from such material and thus keep large sums at home that would otherwise leave the state. 3. Coal and other fuels, which will likely include the opof coal mines to supply the needs of large numbers of erating families scattered throughout the mountain states with fuel that many of them now go without because of the lack of means with which to purchase the same. Gathering of timber suitable for fuel from nearby sources and storing it, to be used when and where needed. 4. SEWING CENTERS, WOOLEN MILLS 5. Textiles, the making of clothing in community sewing centers and factories. Unemployed women and girls as well as many men and boys will be given an opportunity to make themselves independent and at the same time produce wealth which will aid materially in the lessening of the burden upon the head of the family. It may also mean the restoration of early day woolen mills and thus absorb a considerable portion of Utahs output of wool. 6. Mercantile trade depots, which may include the gathering together at regional store houses of the products of the farms, factories and homes for distribution where needed. It may possibly include one of the great modem developments known as Consumers Cooperatives, in which members of the community own the business, have one vote each, and receive their dividends in proportion to the patronage given the co- operative. 7. Dairy products. Each farm capable of sustaining a small dairy herd to be stocked, and new plants available to farmers to be established for processing the output from the -- vy INSURANCE FOR Life insurance for tithe payers. Probably this one item TITHE PAYERS has created greater and more d interest among church members and non church members as well, than any other suggestion made by the Committee. 9. wide-sprea- Numerous questions are being asked by those who have long thought that life insurance might be possible to Church members in good standing, and who are loyal supporters of the cause in a financial way. What form the insurance will take, how it will be handled, and to what extent benefits will be given, are vitally interesting questions which present themselves whenever the question is discussed. The possibilities in this field are so great and the ramifications so extensive that this one project may overshadow in importance all the others mentioned. recreational activities. While not named specifically under the heading mentioned above, this type of project has a prominent place in the outline. It has many possibilities. It is becoming to be generally recognized that recreation is just as necessary to the welfare of human beings as is food and other necessities. But small communities do not have the means necessary for a well balanced program, and hence the necessity of bringing together larger groups such as stakes, to make possible a program rich enough to satisfy the reoreational urges of both old and young. 10. Stake-wid- e This can all be done on a cooperative basis such as has been done in Sharon for three years, at a cost so nominal that even the poorest of the poor can participate and enjoy the benefits ss much as their pi ore fortunate neighbors. Outride cf the larger cities this cooperative program is readily adaptable, and could easily revolutionize recreational programs of rural 1. 2. herds, are possibilities. Flour mills, which will provide for a greater use of home grown grains. It should be unnecessary to import food stuffs from other states, which can, with economy be processed here from the products of home farms. 8. MEDICAL AND Medical and hospital cooperative insurance groups. HOSPITAL Although not specifically menCOOPERATIVES tioned in the program, this type of activity is a possibility, and no matter what form it takes, it will be a great boon to the people. 11. One of the crying needs of our times .is to make available to all the people everywhere the great discoveries of modern science in the field of medicine and surgery, and allow the thousands of high minded, trained and skilled physicians and surgeons to make use of their skill and training for the prevention and relief of suffering. Here, indeed, is a field to, intrigue the most socially minded. All of these projects are possible under the general principles announced. More will undoubtedly be added, as the field is as wide as human endeavor. MAKING PLANS WORK Only the other evening President Roosevelt issued a challenging invitation to the do social to 6ome country pioneering... By that he no (loubt means not only the making plans for social bfetterment, but the successful realization of those plans in actual practice. It is one thing to make plans, but quite another one to make those plans work. The President, in his speech, emphasizes the trend of thought in these days. The program of the Church is in keeping with that trend, but like all programs, it has yet to face the most difficult phase of social pioneering that of making it work. The fact that the Church is the sponsor and its leaders are regarded by its members as inspired men, does not make it any the less necessary for plenty of hard work and sacrifice on the part of both leaders and followers if the plan is to succeed. No one expects the Lord to perform miracles in furthering the cause. It is probably neither necessary nor desirable to have Him do so, and that for our own good. BRIGHAM YOUNGS In this connection the PHILOSOPHY what of a social pioneer in his own right, is in point. Said he, in facing an economic crisis jn?t as severe as cur c.vn : The Lord has done his share of the work. He has surrounded us with the elements containing wheat, meat, flax, wool, silk, fruit, and everything tyith which to build up, beautify and glorify the Zion of the last days and it is our business to mold these elements to our wants and necessities according to wisdom we can obtain . the knowledge we now have and th from the heavens through our faithfulness. In this way will the Lord bring Zion upon the earth, and in no other. And again: You count me out fifty, one hundred, fivtf hundred, or a thousand of the poorest men and women you can find in this community; with the means that I "have in my possession I will take these ten, fifty, one hundred, five hundred, or a thousand people and put them to labor but only enough to benefit their health and to make their food and sleep sweet unto them, and in ten years I will make that community wealthy. In ten years I will put, say one hundred or one thousand individuals whom we have to support now by donations, in a position not only to support themselves, but they shall be wealthy, shall ride in their carriages, have fine houses to live in, orchards to go to, fruits, and herds, and everything to make them comfortable. UNITY NECESSARY NOW AS IN PAST 4H Indeed, most of Brigham Youngs exhortations on the subject of cooperation, thrift, and family independence would be timely and appropriate on the Church program of today. Home industry, the necessity of unity, of united action, of oneness of the people, were brought home to the people in his most forceful manner, and the success attained was largely because the people had confidence in him and followed his advice and example. Whether or not the leaders of the Church have gone to the records of pioneer days for their inspiration, or have been brought to the same conclusions by mdem conditions, there is little doubt that the answer given by the early pioneers is the one that will be finally given in this age. Today, as in those days, such a program could not operate without confidence in leaders, confidence in fellow workers, and putting into practice in daily life the great commandment, Love thy neighbor as thyself. Today it is as true as when Brigham Young declared it, that if the people are to succeed in redeeming themselves, in building Zion and providing for the wants and necessities of their families, they must work together as one family. It is common place to say that history has a habit of repeating itself, but it has done that very thing in Utah. Here we are in this year of our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Thirty-Six- , with many of the same problems confronting us as plagued our pioneer fathers and mothers. They found the answer in cooperation and We, their sons and daughters, can likewise find the answer if we will but open our eyes and our hearts and follow in their foot steps. ft may seem old fashioned tp establish regional store house? fpr the preservation of food stuffs fropt all sections in which thp chprch is established. Put old fashioned pr not, it is good common sensg. self-hel- p. The Church is so wide spread and so far flung that a great variety of products can be gathered, and from these store houses can be interchanged between the sections of the Church and thus supply wanted end needed articles In various communities. MUST EXPORT TO IMPORT . Brigham Young found that one great Problems was export sufficient produce to get needed moneys to purchase things which the territory could not produce. .His warning cry was to develop home industry to the fullest extent, and then to have a surplus to send to other places so that means could be obtained to purchase those things that must be imported. It is generally recognized that one of the greatest needs of our communities today is industries within the state which will produce not only enough for local and domestic needs, but a surplus to be exported to bring back to the state sufficient funds to purchase the manufactured articles which the people do not fhpmsejves produce. It would be interesting to inventory the large number of articles which we purchase from abrpad and compare them in quantify and in totaj output with what we import. If every citizen of the state wopl4 do his, be woul4 have brought home to him in a very striking manner one of the main reasons why the purchasing power of the people of this state is so small and why the depression has been so severe in Utah, ::a . 54v jl; PIONEERING ON ITS WAY, WHERE? Social pioneering is definitely on its way in the Church. The plan is admirably conceived. It is timely. It has great possibilities to bring about a new order of social and economic life in our communities, and should be a light unto the world. We can arise and 6hine , as Chairman Ballard of the Church Committee, declares it is our duty to do. All these things, and more, can be done if and it is a big if, if Church members, leaders and all, catch the spirit of the movement and work unitedly and- unselfishly for the common good, with confidence in God and their fellowmen. In the final analysis then, whether "social pioneering is on its way to a glorious success and a new order of things, or to a mediocre success, or a dismal failure, depends on you, and yoq an4 you. For surely, as Brigham Young says, God has done His ' part What shall history say of th$ movement! You write the answer. A.y.W. - 44 |