The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-03-11

il, SO habituaI was the notion with then
that what was good for their masters mus
be bad for them but on this occasion the,
at once consented to do as they were asked
Another time some forty Of them were di
rected to remove for a month from one ri
to another, in order to do some work OF
sort to which they were not accustomed ,anC
IN which they would not be able to earr
their usual wages. They did not at all like
going, and 10 the Olden days would have
refused point blank but now, after being
reasoned with, and having had the necessi
ty of the thing explained, all except two
or three went without further ado. On ;
third occasion, the price of coal having fal
len, notice was given that wages lkews,
would be reduced. The men, who, somt
months before, bad their wages raised be-
cause the price of coal had arisen, now that
circumstances had changed, submitted with
out remonstrance On a fourth, the men
at one Of the collieries having demanded an
advance without any Of the usual pretexts
for such proceeding, the question was re-
ferred by the directors to the men at the
other pit, who unanlmOusl y pronounced the
claim unreasonable, and recommended that
those who had made it should be left to
strike, il they thought fit,rather than have
their application complied with. Formerly
men who had piece of rail to put in, were
known to break rail or two in order to get
the right length. and, if they got the wrong
length, then to bury The pieces in the dirt
and break another new one. Nothing of
Che kind occurs now. Every one under
stands that the value Of every bit Of iron
or timber wasted is so much deducted from
the bonus fund.
A new rector coming to Normanton
noticed Immediately the great difference
between Messrs. Briggs men and those of
another firm living in rows Of houses i'm
mediately adjoining much steadier
and better the former were. What the
rector observed every passer-by mi ght in
fer, from the great difference in the appear.
ance inside and out Of the two sets of
dwellings. Bonuses are paid in lump sums
AZ Ine emu OF OaOu tdls Altol tnc nlsl
payment three men spent their bonuses in
drink but they are the only three out Of
nearly thousand who have been known to
do so, and the ignominious expulsion Of
those three took place amid the acelama-
tons Of all those Of their companions, a
score or two in number, who happened to
be within hearing when the sentence was
pronounced. Money which the men would
formerly have spent on liquor they now
spend on the education Of their children,
the number Of whom at school has Of late
.reatly increased, or in the purchase of ad
ditional articles of furniture, among which
cottage piano quite commonly figures
An immense change has taken place in
their manner to their employers. They
used to shout to us, say the latter now
they speak" What the manner used to 10
those who used to witness and endure it are
best able to say. To what it is others may
testify. Whoever has, like myself, gone
with Mr.. Archibald Briggs over one Of the
colleries, down the pit through the yard,
and into the cottages, and has noted how
heartily "Mr. Archie is greeted by all he
meets, can need no further proof that he
and they are on the best Of terms. Our
village says Mr.. Currer Briggs, "has
been transformed from a hOtbed Of strife
and iIl-feeling between employers and en-
ployed into model Of peace and goodwill "
W hoover has lately been on the spot can
vouch for the accuracy Of the latter part Of
tins description.
On the first year only 800 out of 900
workmer even got the penny books to
quality them to receive a bonus. One re-
narkable source of profit to Messrs. Briggs
in this arrangement has been the check it
bas put on wastefulness. The miners over
look one another and rebuke sharply those
who are wasting or who are working poorly
According to evidence given by one Of
themselves, it is quite common thing now
for man in passing through tie yard, if
be meet with a bolt or any large nail, to
pick it up and say, this is 50 much bonus
saved. And the same with the men in the
bottom. They will sometime get out a
prop that is rather difficult to get out, and
might have been left under other circum--
stances, and then they will turn over the
expression, that is so much saved toward
bonus.
So successful has this experiment been
that it has been initiated by various trades;
among them the well known news agents
w. H. Smith x Son, Of the Strand, and
John Crossley < Sons, the celebrated car
pet manufacturer Of Halifax. In the latter
company about lO,0 900 shares, or $500, 600
Of capital, are held by their own employees.
Both employers and en- ployed have acquired
wealth by the new arrangement, which
loaned the capital for the future shares at
five per cent. interest, payable out Of the
future profits on those shares, on condition
that all profits above five per cent. should
be applied towards the purchase Of the
shares, until they were fully paid for. The
progress Of the concern under this partner
ship has been prodigious, mainly owing, j!
is believed, to the increased interest of eacl
emplo, ce in the business of the company
the theory Of all these experiments being
that laborers may, by the conditional prom
ise Of extra remuneration, BE- stimulated
' to extra exertion or greater caretulness, 4
that the increase Of product rom their Ia
\ bor will more than balance the increase,
outlay Of the employer.
\ Cooperative labor is labor for both em-
ployer and employed, and is naturall
done better, more faithfully and economic
ally. 1t is labor, too, with the prospect 9
better pay, and therefore should be NOR
efficient Every workman il then to cer
tain degree partner, and takes somethln
Of partners care IN experimenting tn
others He does not waste 50 much b,
cause his waste d'minishes bis own reward
Halt the disputes between employers an
employed would be put an end to By tn
system, for their interests would be muc
more Identical han before.