The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-08
THE G0DIN FACTORY.
METHODS OF THE COOPERATIVE
ESTABLISHMENT AT lIEGE.


Of initial distribution NJ. Godn' ideas
were .c .ored 10y Fourierist recollections
Before 1870 ~ Godin had merely set apart a
certain sum-4sO00 or 4l0,00O-out OF the
profits OF the year to be distributed among
his men as a bonus; but in 1880 he converted
the business iutoa commandite company, and
introduced a complicated system Of arrange
ments FOR realizing effectively Fourier's prin-
eple Of "a just division Of the produce of in
dustry, the division between capital, labor
and taleut, according 70 the importance of
their several contributions. IL is true he
thought this principle theoretically defective,
because talent was only particular kind of
labor, ami because nature, which Fourier
wholly ignored, was, in Godin's opinion, as
important a contributor TO production as any
OF the other three Natures share in the di-
vision ought, he thought, 10 be appropriated
by the state, partly 10y means Of TIE nation
alization Of land for the purpose Of letting it
out 20 ali sorts Of productive societies atd
partly 10y means Of a heavy graduated sue
cession duty and the funds thus obtained
ought 20 be employed in establishing a sys-
TEN Of universal insurance against sickness,
accidents. age and vicisstudes generally
private inheritance and private property in
land remained unmodifed, and the state
showed no disposition 10 serve herself heir to
natures share, individual producers must
each set aside that share for themselves, and
consequently the first part in NJ Godin's an
nual division IS % per cent Of the whole net
profits to a reserve fund for purposes OF per
sonal insurance In passing ! may say that
besides this every workman Is obliged 10 pay
10 that fund per cent. on his wages, that in
1883 the fund amounted 10 100000 francs,
and in the three years IL had existed at that
time moro than $1,000 francs had been paid
out of it for sick relief and pensions on
comfortable scale.
Ncxt to natures deal comes the deal of
talent or intelligence, and that also is fixed
az - per cent. The director alone M. Godn
during his lifetime cot and gets IL per cent
of the profits Ia addition 20 has salary Of
1900 francs In SIS this 10 per cent
amounted 70 more than four times his salary
Half the profits going thus in equal shares to
nature and intelligence the other half re-
manning % he divided between the factors,
capital and labor Capital had already re-
cciyed per cent interest. and labor had of
course already received its weekly wages, all
before There was ANY calculation of profit at
all. and a. Godn concluded tuat tho proper
principle now was o. give capital share Of
the remaining la'f ~ the profits in proper
ton 90 tle amount Of interest 10 received
AMI labor il proportion o. the wages 1t had
received ln 1855 the total amoant Of interest
rld was $4,000 francs on 4Gl0o1l francs OF
capital, aud the total wages paid was s,sooO
Francs. SD that II this remaining half of Che
profits some ume-tenths 60 20 tho deal OF
labor
r. Collins scheme. however. by no means
ends here. his object was % make the en-
poves in the final result owner Of the
cautqi 0f ilc business ard with This view he
decided that the laL0rels share OF the profits
should not bee paid Immediately into their
hands. To be used at their discretion, but
should bee applied TO buy for them shares IN
the business In ~ way the business is
gradually falling into The hands of the labor
els engaged ia it IN l-s3 they already pos
sessol stock amounting 90 ueagly two millions
ol francs. and though the capital has hecn
raised 10 100000 francs it viii only take q
few moro years for - % BE- acquired entirely
by the employees The interest Oh tho shares
they possess they receive like then wage, to
spend as they will
NJ. Godin states, in his book on govern
meut. that the average amount Of indirect
taxation 0n articles of consumption paid per
head in the famihsteTe Of Guisc IS seventy
five francs, and turning TO books Of statistics
We find that thcoyeragc for France generally
is Only thirty francs The people Of the
famihstere 1--we, therefore, two and half
times better than the rest Of the French.
Their working day is ten hours and they
have besides common holidays two special
fete days OF their own every year-the Feast
OF Labor on the first Sunday IN May and the
Feast o. Infancy on the first Sunday IN
September
Tho director, who at the head Of tho whole
place. is an autocrat in all business affairs
He is elected--that is, since leSO-but be Is
elected for life, and bis management is IN
controlled Re closes the foremcn and makes
the bargains. Next below him stand the
group that elect him, the associes, numbering
siXty-eight IN 1883, who must have worked et
least FIVE years in tie foundry be men OF
good education and stainless life and possess
not less than 500 francs Of capital IN the
business. Their privileges arc large, Ike
their requirements. They elect themselves
by occupation, share hi tho profits on twice
their wages, can only be expelled from the
association by q vote Of two-thirds Of their
own peers lthc other associesl, have the first
right 90 w0.k when work is short and retire
ona pension Of two-thirds of their WAGES or
salaries. After them come ninety-fiyc so
cetares chosen boy the manager and admin
istratiye council, sharing the profits on one
and oue-haf times their wages, and gettnga
pension ON one-third of them, 513 partici-
pants similarly chosen, and sharing on their
simple wages only: 2jS auxihaires, who as
Vet ret no share in the profits, except through
their interest ia tie insurance fund and so
inieresses. who are allowed 10 retain stock
they have Inherited though they have no
further interest in the concern.
The stock, which is only being gradually
taken up year by year, must, when 1t Is al
taken yn, be again parted with IN tho samo
way. sso first shareholders being then obliged
10 sell out their shares 20 the new corners.
During The interval the shares may appar-
emily be held by widows or other persons rot
in active employment, but AZ the end Of tho
term they must always return TO tho posses
sion Of actual laborers, and so the way Is
smo1thed for the retirement Of the older gem