Morning journal and courier., 1883-02-03
Yale Kent Club Lectures.

The First Lecture by Hen. Henry c. Rob-
 insOn-SuggestfOns From the Life of a French House Pafnter-An Interesting Address.
 There was fair sized audience assembled in the Common Pleas court room last even ing to hear Hon. Henry c. Robinson lecture on Suggestions from the life of 8 French house painter It was the first of the ninth course of lectures under the auspices of the Yale Kent club The committee of arrange ments were George Shiras, Frank H. Wads- worth and Russell A. Bigelow. Promptly at eight o'clock President Trumbull introduced the speaker. ''When the young men of the Law school get through hearing lectures and studying theory,'' said he, sthey will have to grapple with the great question of proper ty. This great question has interested fine minds and attracted fascinating pens. In Ireland to-day it is the one great ques- tion. In that country there are too many claimants to the soil-too many voices in the chorus But let us hope that the great liber- al party may soon work out this great prob lem for the British nation. That branch of the question of property of which I wish to speak to night is the participation by work ingmen in the profits of their industry. Co., operation has been carried on quite exten- sively in Europe. Property is being more and more used in common by the people. People are beginning to comprehend that property is good for nothing except to use it. The poor workingman sleeps in safety, works in healthy shops and sends his el1iI- dren to first-rate schools because of the duty imposed by law on the property of the rich man. Socialism has at least one true funda- mental principIe-man's brotherhood to man''
 The speaker then devoted the rest of his interesting address to a description of the cooperative house painting establishment of M. Leclaire and company of Paris. In this establishment the net profits are distributed among the workingmen according to tke wages they can earn. The amounts received some years amounts to 15 per cent. of their earnings-nearly two months pay. Connect ed with the establishment is also 8 sort of mutual benefit association, supported by a part of the profits, which provides pension of about $2OO year to workingmen in case of accident, or one-haIf that sum to their widows if the accident proves fatal It also provides an annuity of an equal sum to those
 who have been employed in the concern | twenty years, when they reach the age of fifty. The establishment is incorporated
 and during the latter years of M. Le-
 claire's life and since his death has been run by a board of ten directors
 selected from the men employed. The more | immediate control of the corporation is in 1 the hands of two of the directors who are
 called the managing partners and who re- ceive sufficient salary. Current wages are paid to the men and work is performed at
 current prices By this admirable arrange
 ment, which has stood the test of many years, every artisan employed becomes a
 partner and everyone feels personal inter-
 est to do his work well and to prevent waste.
 Such system tends to elevate the working
 man because it places within his reach the | position of director or managing partner. He
 is no longer drudge, but an intelligent and | hopeful human being.
 | No announcement was made as to when the next lecture of the course would be given.