The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-02-17
(For the DemOcrat.1
Labor and Capital.
To the Editor Of the Stark County Dem
Oe1.nJ.

of the article last week, Labor Re-
form" in which you give al account
OF the plan pursued by MI. Briggs. of
the Whitwell Collieries, England,
and for the truCh of which [ "a Vouch
In the fall of 1866, 1 was present at
a great meeting held at Sabden, LanP
cashlre, England. Mr.. Briggs atten.
ded and gave a statement of the wor-
king of his plan. Sabden is a village
1t the foot of "Old Pendle Aill," a
village famous as having been the
scene of Richard Cobden's enterprise
IS a master ''blOck printer" The Oc
asiOn to which l allude vas the open
ing of a new cotton mill by co-Opera-
i've enterprise-mOst Of the sharehOl
ders being working men, Thomas
Hughes. Esq author Of''TOm BrOw"s
Sc Il oil Boy Day was chairman, At
nat meeting Was gathered the chnic,
friends of labor reform in the old
world, including delegates from
France n various parts of Germany.
Mr.. Briggs is a member of the So
'lety OF friends-a wealthy
nigh souled chieftain, and his state
ment was looked forward to with con-
siderable expectation.
My object Is to show the truthful
ness OF your report, and also the fea-
ability Of the plan pursued by Mr..
Briggs.
Mr.. Briggs said he had been a large
colliery owner for a great number of
years; had considered the relation
between capital and labor in all its
phases, and had long ardently hoped
tor sOne way whereby the cha~m
might be bridged. Tired of continual
squabbles, and careful to examine
what return his large capital yielded,
ne at length announced to his child
rem his determination to close the
mines and live on what property he
already possessed. His children plea
ded for the hundreds OF workmen and
their ftmilies, asked that they might
be allowed to propose q new way IF
dealing with the difficulty. Mr..
Briggs wa ready. His large capital
had not yielded two and a half per
cent : to say nothing of the wear a.
tear of machinery during the year
The plan was one of corporation. The
father did not hesitate, fell heartily
into the idea, and the great colliery
firm of Briggs & Sons became d pat
tern to the world.
When the men heard the PROPOSE
ton they rejOiced. There was joy
and peace. At the end of the first
year the firm of Briggs & Sons, in:
stead of receiving two and a half Der
cent on the capital invested, as for.
merly, received sixteen and a halt
per cent. During the year there was
not a difficulty of any description
with the men. They became guardi.
n of each other. Even the boys
felt the influence. Education advan
ced. Self respect was cultivated, and
the result of the first year was all that
the most sanguine could anticipate
The prosperity of following years has
been marked.
In order fully to impress the impor-
lance of the principle of Labor Re.
form, AS inaugurated by Briggs &
Sons, 1 think it will not be waste to
reproduce the regulations of that firm:
l. The manager and workmen to
be paid salary and wages at the cur.
rent rate of remuneration.
2 out of the profits a preferential
interest to be paid On the capital in
vested equal to the average amount
of Interest and profit in the particular
class of business. A sum to he also
reserved, if necessary, for replacement
otAplant or stock,
Any b'lancs of Invisible profit n
he divided as a bonus in the form oil
IN equal percentage over the aggre.
gate amountgof capital invested, and
Of wages or salary earned during the
period IN which such profit has accru-
ed.
4 The managers may, if they think
dt reserve a portion of the profit to
firm an 'inVested capital reserve
fund" and a Labor capital reserve
fund" appOrtioned between the two
in the proportion of the capital to the
gross wages.
3. Where the business is liable to
fluctuations, if in any year there has
o been made a profit sufficient To
pay the preference interest on capital,
the deficiency to be made up either
Tut of the reserve funds, if any, or
out OF extra profits in future years be
fore distributing any part of them as
bonus. And in like manner provi,.
ion may, if thought desirable, be
made for capitalizati' n of reserved
funds when an extension of the bust
ness is deemed proper.
As nearly as a remember, near
Iy zoo persons are employed by Briggs
& Sons. / see, in my minds eye,
even now, the venerable form OF MI.
Briggs, as he made his statement, and
well remember that cheer after cheer
followed as he expressed himself sat
isfied with the development of the
new and practical gospel of the nine
teenth century.
ACd1O GALdb Ody a 6NOlCu minister
of God declare, that for nineteen cen
turtles the people had wandered in
blindness, seeking how to love each
other, debarred by reason of conflict
ing interests; but that here, anew,
the Spirit Of Jesus addressed suffering
humanity with enJreaty 10 love their
brother man, and by that love show
they loved Him whom they had not
seen,
L might speak. of the Rossendale
Valley, where nearly 500, O00, 900 are
invested by working men in co-opera-
tive enterprise, and ia which valley l
Vas for many years a visitor, adviser
aud friend. 1 might tell of battles
fought, victories won, defeats suffered
in the reform of labor, which K me is
the practical christianity of the pres
ent; but I forbear
If these things are done in other
parts of the world, why not in Amer
lea? Why not in Canton? If we are
all brothers-and the Gospel says SO
what right has the rich brother to
take all the profit of the poor brothers.
labor? 1 know the slur that attaches
to a man who works for Wages-or is
hired. 1t smac, s., in the minds of the
little and contemplate, of only a few
years ago, when slave and master, As
miles away on the other side of the
Ohio river, was the order. To pro
claim work dignified to attempt to
emancipate it from the CALLING restric-
tons unprincipled capitalists would
Impose; to breathe peace, teach that
love, nOthate, mustruIe, has been the
constant aim of such men as those L
had the honor of associating with that
glorious day in the fall of 1861, when
l heard the venerable Mr.. Briggs, a
great capitalist. declare he WIS per-
fectlv satisfied the new order of things
would improve society more in one
year than had been effected by the dry
and musty theological teachings of the
past six centuries
Yours for Labor Reform,