The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-11-07
THE SOCIAL SCIENCE CONGRESS.
Economy and Trade.


England, on Tuesday, October 9th, by the
wife Of Prof. Fawcett:
[coNcLDuED
The tenor Of these remarks is to show that
strikes cannot be prevented by acts Of Par
lament. They are the natural outgrowth
az our modern industrial system, their cesss-
ton Gao therefore only be secured by a mo-
difcatiou Of this system. Having shown
that a strike Is primarily doe to a SCI ion
between capital and labor il is evid that
We must seek = remedy in schemes will
create some identy Of interest amongst all
uersons engaged in any industrial Inderta-
king. Il is manifest that completely Ell
fectual remedy would be provided Il the cap
ltal which is needed 70 supper. and assist
labor were owned hy the laborers Themselves.
ID il possible to conceive that IN manufac-
tory in which there is emharked $50, 600 Of
capital, and in which 900 operatives are
employed, each operative might be the own
er Of $50 Of this capital The interests Of
capital and labor would be merged. and
would, therefore, cease 10 be antagonistic.
Such an association as that lust described
would represent very high form Of social
and economic development OCCASIONALLY,
10 this country and more frequently On the
continent, artisans have been found sufh-
cientsy intelligent 20 found and successful
" conduct such associations. In every in
stance where success has been achieved sig
nal advantage has resulted Those disas-
troua disputes which 50 much harrass and
deprcss our industry have been avoided F;
unusually large profits have been realized ;
in fact, capital and labor have been both
rendered vastly more productive when the
energy and skill Of all are stimulated BY the
feeling that they will enjoy the fruits of
their own industry. Il would be unwise 70
ignore the fact that these associations re-
quIre many high moral qualities; their mem
hers must have prudence to save; they must
show for5earaDce ia setting aside reserve
10 prosperous times to meet the Losses Of ad-
verse trade. They must have the wisdom to
select f-1m amongst their number those who
are most qualified to be managers, and when
the managers have been selected they must
be treated with confidence and obeyed with
out esyil. Ii NAV, therefore, not improba-
bly, be necessary that improved educution
should work with accommodating force upOn
several gcnerations-before the greater por-
ton Of the industry Of the country could be
carried on IN a mode which would secure a
complete union between capital and labor.
But there are many stages between our pre-
sent economic system, and the one which has
been just described. These stages may pos-
sibly serve as states of economic transition,
which viii gradually train and fit men for
that perfect union between capital and Ia
Dor towards which all economic reform
should tend. Much Of that an-agonism of
interest, which is the fruitful source of
strikes. would be avoided if operatives were
allowed directly to participate in profits
This participation msy be arranged in vari-
Gus ways. Thus, the AMessrs Crosslev. Of
Halifax, transferred their business into
limited company, the capital Of which was
1850 GOO shares representing one-ffth
% this capital were reserved for their en-
plOyes. W0rkmen were thus enabled 10
partipate 10 profits, and a certain union be-
tween capital and labor was created. This
plan has proved eminently successful. The
MessTs. Briggs, who are colliely propriesors
al Methley, near Leeds, have adopted plan
which effects a more complete union he
tween capital AND labor. They converted
their business into limited Inability eompa-
ny, and reserved shares, representing one
third Of the capital, for the employees. 1t
was furtbe1 arranged that after a dividend
q ten per cent. bad been paid upon capital,
and d sufficient sum rad been se: aside az
reserve, that one half the remaining profits
should be distributed amongst the workmen
in proportion to the aggregate wages each
canned. The mode in which this industrial
partnership in the colliery of Mr.. Briggs
was originally brought about, affords a sin
gularly instructive illustration IL The infu-
ence which theory may exert upon practice
In no branch Of industry have strikes been
moro frequent than coal mining, and per
haps no coliiery propriet was more har-
Fsssed by strikes than Mr.. Briggs. Lis life
was frequently threatened, and every term
q abuse was applied 10 him. At length
matters were coming to a crisis. The per-
sonal annoyance and the pecuniary loss con-
segment upon these strikes were 50 preat
that Mr.. Briggs determined to relinouish
business, unless some remedy could De ap-
piled. just about that time an article an
peared in one of the quarterly reviews, sue-
gesting, as a reEedy for strikes, the estab-
Iishment Of sort of partnership between
employers and employed. The details Of
this partnership were given but they were
OF course, theoretical rather than practical
A zen Of Mr.. Briggs, from whom | learnt
these facts, happened to read the article.
lie 40 once asked bis father not to abandon
the business, but to allow him to carry into
Practice the suggested theoretical remedy.
This be has done with remarkable energy
and with the most complete success. Strikes
have ceased where there was bitter anita
gonisEi, there Is now united action and good
feeling. The profits of the concern have
been enormously increased, FOR not only has
tie pecunlaTy loss consequent ueon frequent 1
dlsputes between masters and men been
avoided, bot the miners are directly inter
ested IN the prosperity of the concern. and /
cani'M and labor both work vita augmented
eihci Dcy. The experience to be derived |
rom theae and other similar experiments.
would almost warrant the conclusion thai
employers ard employed would be alike be-
nehtted II lal or directly participated in the
profits yielded to capital; there is a yery
simple mode Of carrying out the system. An 1
employer, after deciding what is a fair
average rate q profit upon his capital might 4
agree 20 divide a certain portion of any ex-
ira prohts amongst his labCrers- The bonus
thus distributed amongst labOrers would not /
DuicAte SO much abetracted from the en-
PIoyers preht- The bonus would rather
serve to measure the additional profit WELD
ed to the employer, 10 consequences of the la
DoreI DeIDg stimulated BY feeling of self
Interest to work with greater efficiency. | /
am nos 10 toe least degree opposed to courts
q Aroi,ratlon for setting trade disputes.
IL Is 70 De feared, however, that such an ar
uneiai remedy can be put partial in its ope-
Eallob' ~ only seeks to palate an evil, and I.
does not deal direct blow at the real cause /
OF these disputes. The improvements ID
our economic system, which an endeavor has
here been mado to indicate, will be greatly
BY the diffusion Of the principles
OF economic science. All will be eager ford
= ohaLge when the evils and the perils re- 4
sultiDg from the present state Of things are r
adequately recognised. England has now 70
carry on in some Of her most important
branches of industry keen and closeiycS
sssted competition with foreign countriey.t
Fne slightest addikional burden cast upon [,
Der may cause thu b1I4nca % tnrn against
seF. Let rs, th@e5ore, inquire. what sfe