The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-11-09
Industrial Partnerships.

partnership over the cooperative system is
that, while each member or partner has u
direct interest in the profits OF the shop or
mill in which he passes his days, the whole
business may still he controlled with tho
unity and regularity o! an ordinary business
| undertaking. In Il cooperative factory the
manager may he humpcrcd by the well
meant suggestions and plans OF his menl-
bcrs, each one Of wIo!n has un interest
equal to his own in ,,.a capital OF the busi-
ness. But in tn: Industrial partnership the
capitalist wields the authority due to his
larger stake in the venture, and which is in
dispcnsable to sound and successful bust
ness management. The copartncrs share
in the profits, but have no proprietary inter
est, or managerial control Their share
OF profits is simply premium given them
| by the employer to encourage them in dill
Scnce and attention. The greater that dill
gcncc and attention, the greater the benefit
of every member of the league
The plan is yet in its infancy and willie
we have an abiding conviction of the cor
rectness of the fundamental principle of in
dustrial partnerships, we admit that there
are many nice and delicate questions 10 he
practically solved before il can have O gen.
ernl application. What is necessary now,
is to direct to the subject the attention OF
both employers and laborers, SO that by dis
cussion and reflection way may be found
to an equitable solution of oil difficulties OF
detail or application.
The simplest form OF an Industrial part
ncrship is an arrangement between the en-
ployer and the workmen to this effect: The
workmcn to receive regular price for their
| work, whether the business results in loss or
not; that all the expenses Of carrying on tlic
business, including labor, wear and tear of
Materials and interest on the capital employ
ell be charged against the receipts of the busi-
ness; that when balance is struck mt APP
pointed times the profit, if any, be divided
between the workmen and the employers
according to scale previously agreed upon
This IS the crude form of industrial partner
ship, and upon this plan we have for some
months conducted one of the departments
OF our business.
y radical objection 10 this plan-one that
would bc fatal IN an extensive factory whose
gains are prccarous-is that the workmen
are protected from all loss, while the en-
ployer must bear the whole loss, If there is
any, and yet parcel out the profits if any
profits be made. The workmen are sure TO
receive their weekly wages, but the cm-
ployers are sure OF nothing. This difficulty
could doubtless bc overcome by adjusting
the proportion Of profit, so that the greater
proportion going to the employer in good
seasons would make up for his sole loss in
bad seasons. OF course, il the workmcn
could allow their whole compensation TO de-
pend OH the profits of the business, the adj
justmcnt Of interests would be very simple
They woull be entitled to proportion of the
profits equal To the capitalized value of their
labor; the employer counting likewise the
capitalized value of his own labor. as well
Us the interest on capital, wear and tear,
and ordinary running expenses. But we
take il for granted that the workmen mist
hve whether the Seasons he good or bad
They cannot afford to wait; nor would they
perhaps, be willing TO trust altogether 10
their employers integrity and skill; nor
would the employer be willing to be coll
trolled in his business policy by the desires
of his worimcn. There must be both indie
pcndcncc of interest and identity Of interest;
safety for the employer and safety for tho
wOrimcn.
And it is very evident that the industrial
partnership is needed chiefly if not entirely
in those employments where the wages for
the same length OF time are equal, and
where no sobriety or attention enables the
workman to increase his income. Take
mill where q certain class OF operatives earn
ten dollars week all the year round. They
cannot make this ten dollars eleven dollars
by any effort of theirs. Month follows month
and year follows year, md there Is no hope
OF Improvement These arc the people who
should have share Of the net profits of the
mill. Then they would have something to
WORK for.
And when the ratio of the division OF ac-
crucd profits between employer and workmcn
Is agreed upon, another difficulty arises II
would not be just in all cases to divide
equally the profits going to the workmcn.
Allowances would be made, OF course, for
the length Of time that each one had noen
employed; bnt difference Of skill! makes Iif-
ference of value and The skilled workman
in the shop does more TO produce The aggre-
gate profit than Is done by third-rate
workman. Where all the workmcn receive
the same rate of wages no distinction may
be made in dividing profits; but where the
wages are unequal, the profits must fall in
the same proportion. Take the case, for in
stance, of the compositors in printing
office. They are paid by the piece; the man
who sets twenty thousand ems receives twice
rs much as the man who sets only ten thou
sand. In this way they have strong IN
centive to work quickly and well. The moro
they DO, the moro they are paid. Than jour
neYmen printers none need lnss tha stImn