New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-06-24
ASSOCIATED LABOR.
" Iec,,,re,. Experiment IN Paris.

c1o,Iovs two hundred worknen. For some time
after commencing business. he proceeded on The
same system with regard % Ais workmen which
hc saw others practicng- system winch con-
sists 10 use bis own language. in paying tie
workman as little possible and IN dlsmiss.ng
him frequently ior the smallest fault nd4us
tins system unsatisfactory be altered 10 edopiel
more liberal one 81 waves and Cndeavored, o.
retaining good and tried wOrkmen Prominently in
ms service, 70 produce some stability Do me ar
rangements Of his establishment. The result 1" as
encouraging but STILL from causes which were
Incyltabie-anOng which be spccihes tAe hstcss-
ness OF even the best wOrkmeu, and the waste Ol
material OccasiOned by their carelessness-ns
profits by no means answered his expectations
while bis position as a master was one OF con-
tinual anxiety and discomfort. lie resolved there
fore on a total change ol system. \ reading and
intelligent naL-he bad heard o. the specu.ations
regarding the applicability Of the cooperative
principle % business a irm aud entcrpusing man
he was willing 10 try the experiment 40 his own
risk. Accordingly, having made cerran necessary
preparations be announced % has w0rkmen. in
lie beginnng of the year 1852. that, during that
year. be was % conduct bis establishment oA the
principle IN question, in other words. De was o.
asslIee them all for that year INTO partnership
with himself and form of his establishment little
industrial association, Of which he should be the
chief
The details Of his scheme were rs follows e.
Al the eapi0vers OF the Cstab.i shmcnt-M. lie
clare himself incuded-were % be allowed rcgu
lar wages as ia other establishments. each accord
ing 10 his rank and positiou-M Lcclare O saiai.
for the year OF 5000 francs A2i0j which was
about the sum a. which be considered himself enc
titled for his services his i0urucymen ln the ore
binary wages of about four francs day Ia pound
= week. in Summer. and three francs day 600
teen shillings a week. ~ Winter the iofemcA
and clerks propOrtiOnably more the apprentice
prOpOTtiOnably less. These fixed allowances were
To be totally independent OF the success OF the tN
pertinent; as regarded his men 81. Lcciairc guar
antccd their payment. But d the experiment
should succeed, then, after the sum total thus cN-
pended In wages had been deducted. and alter aii
tho other other expenses of the establishment hai
been paid-such ~ rent taxes, material, as wen
a. the interest Oi the capital lnFcsied.-ihcrc
would still remain some surplus u clear pront.
Now this surplus more or less. NJ Lcciaire under
took 10 distribute faithfully am0n- all the members
oi the establishment each sharing in the ratio d.
the fixed sllowaucc--that IS, receiving exactly /
that proportion of the profits that lie received 10.
the total wagCs-cxpCusCs. Thus. suppOsue tlD !
business of the wear 90 yield in all = 1920 sup
posing the total aeescXpcuscs % be 1+,oJu. /
and the outlay IN rent taxes, material interest
bad debts &c. % bc 5000 more then there
would remain A200 Of surplus profits Co Zoe divided .
among en- concerned OF this sum each would rc-
ceiye that portion which lac received oi the wages
expenses consequently. N. Lcclares own share
tA2Oo0. 5000: Ggi0t.A2ll would be A2i. d.
total amO1nt Of wages during the year had hcea
$40, would be - OF clerk or foreman, whose
had been eco, the share would be 10 Oi an ape
prentice, whose wages had had IL the share
would be IS. Even those workmcn who should
have been but few weeks Ia the establishment
were to receive in the same equitable proportion
the value OF every mans services, ana c0nse-
qoenty his title b. a share n the profits, being al
ways measured by the amount be bad canned ~
wages.
These arrangements having been agreed 0, anc
some ether stpulatious having been made. the
chief OF which was that NJ Lcclaire was sin o.
retain the usual rights which belong % master
was, for instance, Oh have the sole charge oi The
purchase OF materials. the undertaking oi com
missions sc. the experiment vas fairly aud faith
fully tined The result was most satsiact9ry.-
" Not one Of his journeymeu. We are told that
hal worked as much as 900 days obtained less
than 500 francs lA6yl and some considerably
more Accordine o. a table now before us
the average wages per day % q iournesmal
house painter IA Paris is "A francs i0r Jll days 90
this rate the return would be llJ francs Ail
therefore il wosd appear that steady journey
IN NJ Leclaires establishment earned -lat
year about fso francs 4 = more than his b-efh
rem IN other establishments Ga the slpposit.1n
which also seems the correct oae that VI. Le.
claire paid his worSmen, 90 respect oi their .Xet
wages, AZ the usual rate this sum OF 4 woua
represent exactly what the w0rkmen gained ty
the change O, system. For. VI. Lec.aire himself
the gain was Of course pr0p0ruonate. To che
&2iO which he had allowed himself as his per-
sonal salary. he woud ada about ZOO as bis pro-
portion of the profits beside which. Il Is 70 be re
nembcred he drew the interest OF his invested
capital. Even as private speculation therefore
the experiment was successful success which
Is TO be accounted for by the superior zeal aad
carefnlness produced among the workmcn by the
sense of common interest AMI responsibility. or
as the French express 10. sol.darte. Every boy
for instance, who empticd a pot OF paint into the
Kennel. injured himself and his comrades aud al
though he might not care for his own loss bis
comrades would take him o. task for theirs
hence an advantage Ia the system not possessed
by that OF piecc-work. Morally also the effects
a the experiment were admirable; and upon
the whole 50 decided was the success that N.
Leclaire coatnacd the system on trial durins the
following year. and. 50 far as we are aware has
kept il up ever since. North British Review.