Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1877-12-11
COOPERATION PRACTICALLY APP
Piled.

which there is greater effort demanded than
that involved in the relations of labor and cap
ltal. The problem grows in prominence day
by day. and anything which tends to throw
light upon it claims the most patient investi-
CATION Heretofore, with one exception,
which, singularly enough, has been generally
overlooked, although it has long been applied,
industrial partnerships have been mainly con-
fined within the internal machinery of certain
religious orders, as the Shakers and the Nor
mons. Naturally enough, these examples
have been circumscribed within their own pc
culiar limits and Shaker farming and manu-
facture, as well as the 'Zions Cooperative
Unions, known among the Mormons of Utah,
have excited mere curiosity and elected no at
tempts at imitation save among themselves.
The exception we speak of as having been lost
sight of in discussions of this question, is the
system which has been many years in vogue
among whalemen. The Whale Fishery as
conducted by Engishmen and Americans has
always been carried on upon a strictly coop
erative plan. The whale-ship owners fit out
the vessels with all needed supplies, both of
food and appliances for capturing whales and
securing the oil, while the captain, mates and
crew enter upon their share of the service as
partners in the business. Each one of the
ships company, each officer and man has his
Clay and the profits of the voyage of course
depend upon cooperation and success Like
the ''prlze system in vogue in the navy, the
''lays' are graded in accordance with the rela-
tive rank of the officers and men. Brewster
d Co., a New York carriage making firm, have
been, for some years past, experimenting upon
plan of partnership with their employees
They began by giving the heads Of their vari-
Gus departments share in the profits of the |
business, and found it working so advantage
ously that they thought it best to offer to ex- |
tend it among all their workmen The propo-
sition met with but little favor at first but |
the men were finally prevailed upon to try it.
The system is modelled upon strictly republi-
can principles SO far as the discipline of the
partnership is concerned; a constitution be-
ing adopted, under which boards of control,
elected by the men themselves, govern the in
ternal policy of the establishment The plan
contemplates making each workman sharer in
ten per cent. Of the gross profits, without liza
bility to losses, and all dividends are made be-
fore the firm deducts interest money on CAPT
tai invested or allowances for service by the
proprietors. The workmen take no other I
chance than that of making nothing They
risk no other loss than that of their time. The
President, elected under this constitution, is
chosen from amongst the proprietors, and the '
only limitation upon the discipline of the en- a
ployees is in his veto, which can be overruled a
by two thirds vote of the Board of Govern h
by the men. There was consid- t
cradle reluctance among the men, at first, |;
about entering into this plan ; and when they p
did agree to adopt it they elected as their of 81
fcers some Of their most Objectionable fore
men but after a months trial the scheme
worked so well, they reconstructed their ad- "
machinery and heartily entered u
into the order of things. The result is .
hat in addition to their receipt of the highest "
prevailing wages they have each received IL
handsome dividend The advantages at u
aimed to by emp yee as well as proprietor ="
ire plainly manifest. The men place them u
selves under much severer discipline than Iii
heir employers would think of attempting, d.
md the result is better work, less waste no II
conflicts between ''capital and labor no
hirking. Formerly, when business was more -
han ordinarily brisk some of the men were y
disposed to take advantage of it; now, the
more driving the work, the more alacritv =,
mong the hands. Here we have practical CO.
essOn in cooperation worth thousand bril- 81
ant theories. The lesson, such as it is, COM tn
lends itself to the attention of capitalists and de
'orkmen alike. A revolution such as may In,
e wrought out by the general adoption of a no
Ian like this one will involve no violent dis
rbances of business relations, no strikes, no
l-feeling, no injustice. That some such P.
ethod of adjusting many of the differences nu
hlch are involved in the labor question will full
7entually find widespread favor seems prob off
Die. American workmen are intelligent, ap- ain
relative and ambitious. A fair understand
g between employers and employees will
ach political agitators and demagogues who I"
e constantly seeking to array class against
ass that their officious services are not in %"
QUESTION. 1t has only to be understood 'i'
at CAPITAL and labor have interests which