Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-03-26

'--N''''
-Eugcae FseH.
The Millennium Mill.
BY the death of his father, Harold
Fletcher succeeded to the management of
the mill which his father had built up,
and the larger portion of the stock of
which had been left to the young man. 1t
WAS only Il month after the sole manage
ment came into his hands.
Harold had studied the history Of the
mandatory, and investigated for himself
the condition of the workmen; and now
be had sent them word to appoint COM
mittee of their number to confer with
h m. They had known what hard times
meant under old Jonas Fletcher, and
heard Of the young heirs accession with
some hope, not unmingled with suspicion.
These young chaps, they makes the
money fly" said one of the men " mother
ten per cent Off, reckon.
"Give the young 'un chance cawn't
yep growled one of the old leaders; " he
cawnt be any worse than Old Skntlnt."
And so committee of three, represent
ing labor, met the president of the corpo-
ration, representing capital.
Il have sent for YOU" he said, after
putting them at their case, " 10 talk about
the mill. 1t was built, rs you know, with
,he money Of men who had saved where
others spent, risked where others held
back and put their dollars to work while
others kept their money ut the dull bust
ness of earning interest My father
worked at the bench till he was twenty
! H,-, frppl Ntynvl. with hic
hands, but better with his brains. He got
II start by his industry, his temperance
and his wils-wilhout pushing anybody
else back, or injuring II human being. He
had the knack of making money. So had
two or three others of the hundreds of
young fellows who started with him and
had an equal chance. He came to love
money too well, rs men are apt to do who
make it by hard work and saving. He
was IL hard man, you think; but he was
just and square.
Now this MILL" continued Harold,
" has been good Investment. 1t has paid
those who built and run it, 1t has given
work to five hundred men. and enabled
those who were sober and decent to sup.
| port their families and educate their chill
drcn better than they could do in any
other country in the world. . 1t has helped
all SORTS OF trade in the village. 1t has
given work and profits to other hundreds
of men who furnished the material, trans
ported it here, took it away manufactured,
and sold it again for Il hundred times It's
OF iginal value, You see, n manufActory is
something more than II place to earn piece
wages and make dividends.
Well, this mill belongs TO its owners
You and all the men must understand
that. While run it, we shall hire whom
we please, if we can, where and when We
please, and pay what we agree to, without
dictatjon or interference.
There were three dark brows and SCI
p. faces in the committee.
a business corporation continued
Harold, without appearing to notice the
sudden clouding of his auditors faces, " Il
great business Of any kind can't be run by
II mpss meeting. Yet I've heard men who
wouldn't trust three cooks over Il broth
taik about running a mill OF II railroad by
Il show of hands in some sort of II caucus
No body needs more than one hcad-but i
needs that There have been to many
sub heads, and other expensive members
in this business. On my recommendn
tion," continued the young president
with u slight emphasis ON the last wore
and smile as he spoke it. the board o
directors yesterday reduced the salaries o
: It's officers and agents forty.iiye Thousand
, dollars, No man can get twenty lhousant
; dollars year from this concern any
: longer nor fifteen thousand, nor ten. n,
l man needs it for any rational way of Iiv
: ing, and what they cant earn and don
/, need they shant receive
The dark brows began to clear up.
) " Now to come to the point, contiauet
, Harold, pausing TO get his thoughts il
order. want to have you. and all tht
men, do better and feel better than yol
) are doing. You ought to be laying up ;
) little something. Your wives and childrer
are entitled to a better chance. | have
= thought it all over, and don't see my
way clear 10 giving you partnership il
the business, when you can take no shart
, in the expenses, the risk, the management
or the losses. ! do not wish anything bl
n fair return on my money invested here
: But what is Il fair return? Suppose thi
year we make profits warranling Il divi
/ dcnd of twenty per cent, and take ten fO
l the stockholders and divide ten among tn
? workmen. And next year, and pclhap
f four or five years in succession, suppos
, we make only three per cent, or run tn
= mill aC Il loss who is TO share that will
! the owners? Such times come to ever
business. And unless there is II surplus il
, capital, don't see how large enterprise
: are to be run. If simple interest is to b
the limit of gain on the risk, ordinar
: men will put their money into bonds 0
s mortgages, won't they?'
; The committeeman acted as if the
2 hadn't 10, ked at it long in that light.
e But something can be done,' said tn
+ speaker confidently, rs he saw the dul
l look return to the wOrkmen's faces. i
b. the first place. by the savings alread
+ made in salaries and perquisites, and b
+ taking ont only II fair return for the own
C ers, we are enabled to restore the lhirt
per cent that has been deducted frol
your wages within the past three ycrrs."
The Heaven bless you, sir " of tn
+ committeeman stuck in their throats, but
; shone in their eyes and spoke throug
5 their radiant faces, so that Harold did ne
y miss it.
/ The oldest of tho workmeu, "a foreman
/ who had known the young man since h
\ Has little lad, arose and stretched Oh
0 his hand, the " horny hand " of labor, t
Y the speaker:
! You talk like man that has IL heal
c in him, Master Harold" said he in
g husky voice. =" / said to the man, saws
i Give the young'un n chance. but didn
1 expect you'd see things from both pint
l. so soon"
! You soe." he continued, in response
IN encouraging smile from Harold, Il,