Connecticut western news., 1879-02-05

faces in the committee.
 GA business corporation, continued Harold, without appearing to notice the sudden clouding of his auditors faces, Ca great business of any kind, can't be run by mass meeting. Yet I've heard men who wouldn't trust three cooks over @ broth, talk about running mill or a railroad by a show of hands in some sort of caucus. No body needs more than one head-but it needs that. There have been too many sub-heads, and other expensive members, in this business. On my recommendation, continued the young president, with a slight emphasis on the last word, and smile as he spoke it, "the Board of Directors yesterday reduced the salaries 5of its officers and agents forty five thou sand dollars. No man can get twenty thousand dollars year from this con- cern any longer-nor fifteen thousand, nor ten. No man needs it, for any ra- tional ways of living. And what they can't earn and don't need they shan't receive"
 The dark brows began to clear up.
 "Now to come to the point,' con- tinued Harold, pausing to get his thoughts in order. "I want to have you men, and all the men, do better and feel better than you are doing. You ought to be laying up little something. You ought to have homes of your own. Your wives and children are entitled to better chance. have thought it all over, and don't see my way clear to giving you partnership in the profits of the business, when you can take no share in the expenses, the risk, the management or the losses. I do not wish anything beyond a fair return on my money invested here. But what is 8 fair return Suppose this year we make profits warranting dividend of twenty per cent, and take ten for the stock holders and divide ten among the work men. And next year-and perhaps for four or five years in succession-sup- pose we make only three per cent, or run the mill at loss-who is to share that with the owners? Such times come to every business. And unless there is a surplus in capital, I don't see how large enterprises are to be run. If sim- pie interest is to be the limit of gain in the risk, ordinary men will put their money into bonds or mortgages, won't they ?"
 The committeeman acted as if they hadn't looked at it long in that light.
 But something can be done," said the speaker confidently, as he saw the dull look return to the workmen's faces. "In the first place, by the savings al- ready made in salaries and perquisites, and by taking out only fair return for the owners, we are enabled to restore the thirty per cent that has been de- ducted from your wages within the past three years;
 The "Heaven-bless-you-sir" of the committeeman stuck in their throats, but 1t shone in their eyes and spoke through their radiant faces, so that Har- old did not miss it.
 The oldest of the workmen, fore- man, who had known the young man since he was little lad, arose and stretched out his hand-the "horny hand" of labor-to the speaker:
 "You talk like man that has heart in him, master Harold," said he, in Q husky voice. "I said to the men, says I, Give the young 'un chance," but I didn't expect you'd see things from both p'ints so soon."
 "You see," he continued, in response to an encouraging smile from Harold, "the workman has his side, too. We're men, you know, though most everybody seems to forget it, except when we are driven to make fuss now and then. By your talk of the wages, I reckon you've thought how little it takes to keep us quiet and contented-like. It's only g snug home in two or three rooms-a char apiece for the old folks and the childers-a matter of potatoes, and bread, and fish, with taste of meat of and on, and little sup of tea or coffee
 "a bit of a fire in the cold weather, and a decent dress for the women folk. It's not much, is it, sir? Do the fine gen. tlemen that talk about Capital and La bor, and such like, know what living OF ten, or eight, or six dollars week means, to family of five? And when the ten dollars is made five, or the eight four, do they know what that meansp ] think not, master Harold, or they couldn's help but care It means only an hours fire day in the bitter winter and sometimes not that it means
 feeding the young ones on meal an6
 porridge, day after day, and seeing
 'em grow paler and thinner, dying bJ i; inches under your very eyes-starvine in land of plenty When tht ! pinch comes, we had better be ma , chimes, for then we should have care te keep us running,-or animals, for tn, society with the long name to look aftel us and Prevent Cruelty! There's , screw loose somewhere when man can starye his COW or abuse his horse fo , fear of the law, but can hire workmel
 at eighty or ninety cents day, becaus there's others willing to work for star ) vation wages ]"
 } The laborer had warmed up with hi l subject, and stood talking to the capi
 talist as man to man, with fire in his ey l and 8 clenched hand.
 3 " You are right, Rogers," said Har t old, with emotion that he was too manl . to conceal. "The world can't know, o 9 it would care more for vour sida of th