The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-07-31
GRITTY REPORT
WORKINGS OF TRADES UNIONS f!
ROYAL COMMISSIONERS.


COOPERATIVE AND INDUSTRIAL
Partnerships.
1897 No case OF an industrial or manu-
featuring partnership conducted wholly on
the cooperative principle has been brought
under our notice; and we have not thought
it necessary to make particular inquiry in
to the practicability of this kind of partner
ship, or into the que ion Of CO. operative
stores. Partnerships Of this nature may be
considered to be now on their trial, and it
has not appeared to us that any amendment
of the law is required in order that the ex-
pertinent of their advantages and disadvant-
ages may be fairly tried.
Co-oPERArIvE STORES.
(94) Cooperative stores have become
common, and they appear 10 be capable OF
being conducted to advantage to all parties
concerned. The management of q co OPP
erative store il, however, a much simpler
matter than that Of manufacturing part
nership, and it seems doubtful whether the
CO operative principle can advantageOusly
be extended to the conduct OF many kinds
Of manufacturing partnerships. 1t is open
to the artisans under the existing Law to
subscribe sheir savings, and to institute an
industrial partnership on this principle, il
they think fit. A smaller sum than has been
suscribed towards many OF the trades unions
would be sufficient for this purpose. Mr..
Allan, the secretary Of the Amslgamsted
Society of Engineers, SAYS that attempts
have been made amongst the members of
the society, without success, to form Coop
erative societies -they are opposed to using
the nnion funds for such a purpose (qu. L.
0l5-l ,020)
PLAN ADOPTED BY NEssRs. BRIGGS, son, CO.
(95) Evidence has been taken by us
with respect to the expedient resorted to by
Messrs. Briggs, Son, & Co., with their
Whitwood and Methley Junction Galleries,
for putting an end to strikes, and bringing
about better feeling among their work
men, by giving tnem an interest 10 the sue
cess of the works beyond that which arises
from the receipt of wages merely. With
this view, in July. 1865. they converted
their private partnership into a joint stock
cOmrany OF limited liability, with shares OF
small amount, such as the workmen may be
capable of acquiring and on the footing
which, however, was to be deemed vOlunta-
rilv on the part Of the sharehOl ders-that il
the profits, after a fair reservation for re-
demption of capital, should exceed 9l0 per
by way of bonus to the workmen, the share
Of each being calculated as a percentage on
his yearly earnings. And as an 1nducement
to the woIkmen to become shareholders, a
double share Of the bonus is allotted to work
men holding shares. Two. thirds at least Of
The shares in the concern are retained in
the hands OF the partners IN the original
partnership, SO as to give them complete
control over the works. This Messrs. Briggs
deem essential to the success of the plan.
RESULTS.
(96.) The plan and its workings are de-
scribed at length in the evidence Of the
Messrs. Briggs (qu. IL. 485 and following
gu. II, $50 and following %. IL, 754 and
following,) and we have also examined some
of the wOrkmen who have taken shares, and
who formerly were members Of unions tax
ing an active part in the strikes which were
of frequent occurrence in the works. Though
a small number only of the workmen mot
10 per cent on the WHOLE have taken shares,
the scheme appears to have been thus far
successful in putting an end to strikes in
those works, in bringing about better
feeling between the workmen and Messrs.
Briggs, and in making the Workmen more
industrious and more careful Of the proper.
ty of the colhery; and the unions have ceased
to interfere with their works.
how Fac GENERALLY APPLICABLE.
(97) Messrs. Briggs think the system
more peculiarly applicable to undertakings
such as their own, where large proportion
of the expenditure consists Of wages, and
where large quantities of stores and mate
rails are under the control Of the workmen,
who are thus brought to feel direct inter-
est in the economical conduct OF the works.
The period during which the system has
been under trial is too short to admit Of our
coming to satisfactory conclusion % to its
success permanently, the more especially a.
it has been tested only during period Of
operative prosperity in the coal trade.
[ro BE CONTINUED. 4