We now see why it is impossible to seriously entertain the claim of Co-operative Production as a direct remedy for poverty.  The success of Co-operative schemes depends almost entirely upon the presence of high moral and intellectual qualities in those co-operating—­trust, patience, self restraint, and obedience combined with power of organization, skill, and business enterprise.  These qualities are not yet possessed by our skilled artisan class to the extent requisite to enable them to readily succeed in productive co-operation; how can it be expected then that low-skilled inefficient labour should exhibit them?  The enthusiastic co-operator says we must educate them up to the requisite moral and intellectual level.  The answer is, that it is impossible to apply such educating influences effectually, until we have first placed them on a sound physical basis of existence; that is to say, until we have already cured the worst form of the malady.  From whatever point we approach this question we are driven to the conclusion that as the true cause of the disease is an industrial one, so the earliest remedies must be rather industrial than moral or educational.

Sec. 4.  Effects of Temperance and Technical Education.—­Again, we are by no means justified in leaping to the conclusion that if we could induce workers to become more sober, more industrious, or more skilful, their industrial condition would of necessity be improved to a corresponding extent.  If we can induce an odd farm-labourer here and there to give up his “beer,” he and his family are no doubt better off to the extent of this saving, and can employ the money in some much more profitable way.  But if the whole class of farm-labourers could be persuaded to become teetotalers without substituting some new craving of equal force in the place of drink, it is extremely probable that in all places where there was an abundant supply of farm-labourers, the wage of a farm-labourer would gradually fall to the extent of the sum of money formerly spent in beer.  For the lowest paid classes of labourers get, roughly speaking, no more wages than will just suffice to provide them with what they insist on regarding as necessaries of life.  To an ordinary labourer “beer” is a part of the minimum subsistence for less than which he will not consent to work at all.  Where there is an abundance of labour, as is generally the case in low-skilled employments, this minimum subsistence or lowest standard of comfort practically determines wages.  If you were merely to take something away from this recognized minimum without putting something else to take its place, you would actually lower the rate of wages.  If, by a crusade of temperance pure and simple, you made teetotalers of the mass of low-skilled workers, their wages would indisputably fall, although they might be more competent workers than before.  If, on the other hand, following the true line of temperance reform, you expelled intemperance by substituting for drink some healthier, higher, and equally strong desire which cost as much or more to attain its satisfaction; if in giving up drink they insisted on providing against sickness and old age, or upon better houses and more recreation and enjoyment, then their wages would not fall, and might even rise in proportion as their new wants, as a class, were more expensive than the craving for drink which they had abandoned.