Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-07
Industrial Cooperation i'm England.

industrial cooperation In England.
The experiment of partnership or CO.
operation Of the employees of manufactur-
ing and other large industrial establishments
in the business of the concerns is being made
in England in such q manner rs viii soon
test the merits of the scheme The great
carpet manufacturers Of Halifax, +. q j.
Grossly, whose works cover eighteen and a
half acres Of flooring, and employ capital
OF seven million five hundred thousand
dollars, have given all their hands, men,
women and children, amounting TO forty-fve
hundred souls chance TO become partners
in their enterprise by investing their savings
in the stock Of the concern, and sharing in
the profits, as well as drawing their weekly
wages. Briggs & Son, proprictors of the
wildwood and Methley Galleries, have also
converted their large business into a
stock company, and made all their
hands eligible to become partners. II
they cannot raise money enough TO pur-
chase a share the proprietors have arranged
20 keep ten per cent. as the interest which
their capital ought to earn, and all realiza-
tons beyond that they divide between the
shareholders, who have risked their capital,
and the workmen, whose devotion and skill
have produced the profit. In Manchester
the leading firms are fast adopting this
system. and the great financial agents,
Messrs. Greening 4 Co, have endorsed il,
and are laboring for It's general acceptance.
In the last named city new company has
lust been formed which even goes a step far
Their in the cooperative direction, and in
cludes the. customer in the division of
profits. Ten per cent. is the claim Of capt.
ital in this instance also; and the surplus is
divided in thirds-among the share holders,
the clerks and workmen and the purchas-
ers-these last receiving in proportion TO
the amount Of money spent in the purchase
Of goods.
This movement is not merely humani-
tartan plan. Ii is based upon enlarged
views OF enlightened selfinterest. If per
sons are directly interested in concern to
which they are attached, they will, of course,
be more careful Of the interests Of said COM
pauy, and economical Of the material used,
and hence the profits will be correspond
ingly increased. Experiments in some OF
the large English collieries have demon
strated the fact that by extra care under the
cooperative system the men could create a
large extra profit, in some cases as much
as fhirty-five thousand dollars per annum.
As a portion Of this profit goes directly
into the pockets Of the hands, they viii
be stimulated to still greater care and
exertion each year, and thus the Interests Of
the concern and the welfare offhe employee.
will be mutually benefited. II this system
be generally adopted il will do away with
the necessity for strikes and other means
now employed by workmen TO increase theil
wages. and produce a kindly feeling and
community Of interests between employee
and employed, which is much TO be desired
by both parties. In our own country the
lines between labor and capital Is beginning
a tighten a. money Is accommodating in fewel
hands. and II this cooperative system will
Lei light into the future, LEI il be adopted
At al events. the experiments making IN
England sre full Of interest ~