The sun., 1889-12-22
PRor1r snhRrrR
soae Rastasess 90 Its opsrusaea - EursVs
sd Englaaa.

profits among wage earners is no new thing
L + now nearly iitI Iears since kdme JeaT
prosperous way OF business. who had riser
from the humblest beginnibRs, determined &
by giving up 10 them a portion OF the Income
which they helped him TO gain In the face ol
the greatest mtstrnst and Opposition. Leeiairs
stood BY his Intention; and at the end OF 1872
the first year of bis expenment. distributed
among his men f4IA or an average OF over EIt
ineesss Of T Ieclsires sI inssntioSs ir,nediseiI
disarmed the suspicious Of hts workmsn. vhc
needed no further tndueement TO make the
tsr's elear-hesded generosity. Once fairly
started the plan prospered exceedingly, to the
success has never been in doubt from the d,J
OF its inauguration to the present Oh the nd-
vantage gained BY Leclairo's men: II Is enough
1881 a sum q 6lS3Ol5 was paid to them In ad-
dition to wages on the usual scale.
vorkmen was pad over in cash. Modiflea,ions
demanded by circumstances we're made when
necessary in the original scheme; but the
lowing shape: One-fouTth ot the pIonts earned
ent 10 the managing dtreetors. Who were also
their cap.t.sI invested in the business: one-haif
went to the vcTkmen as q cash bonus. and the
remaining quarter went 10 = mutual aid society
thus sDlendidlY subsidized Yery soon Developed
into an institution which OF itself must have
Sci vice with lie MsisoG Lssisire. 10 every
member OF She age OF 80. ard who has work ell
twenty years for the firm. II gives pension OF
z4s. anu inSures the lives nt all for E4O.
The method OF dividing the share OF proats
allotted 70 worxmen between n cash payment
providenf fund. Is that adopted by most OF the
houses which practise profit sharing Some
there are. however. which tar over The whole
pianoforts maker. N Bord introduced the
system into his business on account OF n strike
IN 1865 and has since then raid over a consid-
0FabIa norton ~ an
who have been In his employ FOR six successive
months In 1851. the sum given away was
paid in wages during the year.
At the other extreme stands the system en-
eTSies. gnder which 5 per cent. ON ;he "ne nst
profits OF the business is set aside for the bene-
At OF the employees and allowed to aecumu-
vice. when the amount Is invested for tho
benefit OF the owner. who Is allowed to take the
bonus Il pSd at
manner of profit sharing Is that practised by
some limited liability companies. In which q
workmen and offered to them on specially fav-
orable terms. In one shape or another partici-
on the Conttnent. where many firms have
adopted Il with generally very beneficial re-
suits to all parties concerned
brought under notice year or so ago on the
death OF Ame. Bouciraut OF the Bon Mareht
Paris, whose clerks and shopmen hold three
fiftns of the very large capital rspressntsd in
the business. Another Is that Of the Mafson
Chalk. which runs the bookstalls at French
complicated time tables.
In England profit Sd harinR has never caught
time various Arms in different SM paris u n the 10
country have made the experiment, and most
of them have found it pay to go on with But
Of them does not amount TO more than
.oDsS .E9 S9Tsn Tsss, A1Sng Tssn them may be msn-
men anioS The benefts oF n nroEtSs,,t %,5
established out of the firms profits and
Nessrs. BurruuEhs. Welcome i Co. the chem
Messrs Thomas BushiIl { Sons printers and
mAnufaeturtnc stationersl Of Coventry. who re-
Gently started a pront-sharing system differing
in some slight respects from THAI OF any other
house. were awarded silver medal for their
rules in the social economy system OF the Paris
Exhibition. Their first years trial has been
very successful bonus. OF six weeks wages
having been allotted 10 their workmen in addi-
ton TO a sum placed TO reserve
he other side OF the shield is eeen in the no.
torious example Of the wildwood Galleries.
The case Is an interesting one at the present
Of participation was the inter
yentton between the eompGny and its men OF
ssruction Of tbe Conan A on Ras me orsJ 6sfGn
that one-hau OF anY excess profits. after the
payment OF a 10 per cent dividend should
by the company in proportion to their re-
spectIve earnings. For some years the sys-
boon IL the coa .rad. and in eSnsiders eaas fse
ton OF rapidly rising prices the men asked
and were granted an advance on their wages
amounting to nearly 80 per cent, while at the
same time IL was arranged that a dividend Of
Is per cent should be paid before the profit
sharing should come into operation. Even
these altered conditions were highly satisfae-
tory to the men: in June. 1874. El4.2j6 was
distribute ed among them as against E5.350 In
the previous year. In the latter half OF 1874
prices declined. and q general reduction OF
wages Ia the trade became necessary. The
com panys men Ioined in the general strike
which ensued. and on the shareholders pro-
testing against any Turther payment Of the
bon II was discontinued.
The Miners Union looked unfavorably on
wood Colltertes. The men were taught tn think
hat the money distributed 10 them at the end
Of tho year was their Just due. and was nothing
N pre- than deferred payment, which should
have been spread over their weekly wages
he time came at last when q difference arose
between the company and its men on a tech
lical potnt-the use OF riddles" The position
assumed by the men was alike unreasonable
And untatr' but they were backed by the
lnton. and in the name OF the union a resoIu-
ion was posted declaring the intention Of the
men never again to submit to the use OF the
iddle- Shortly aiterWard came the strike.
when the men again opposed their masters.
Ind drove them in disgust TO discontinue the
partnership in profits Nor was it surprising:
he men had shown that they were ready to
AXE all they could get and In return would !
he failure Of the wildwood experiment. and |
ome OF them arc plausible enough. But its |
history would seem TO show that profit shar-
nR Is not TO be considered an fnfallibIe rem.
dy Tor disputes between capital and labor.