The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-02-03
A NEN l'LAN
To Bring Employers md Employees Closer
Together.

.. together. .....
Tho busy brains and practical sympa
thies OF great many employers Of labor
have been occupied more or less OF theil
time during tho last few years, and nevel
more earnestly than ut this present time
in devising practical ways and meant
whereby capital and labor, or. in other
words, employers and employees, can be
brought into closer and more mutually
helpful relations. The most that can be
said as yet is that fair progress has been
made. Various plans have been tried
aud several OF them with good if not en-
tirely satisfactory results.
One OF the latest plans is n scheme de
vised by Alfred Dodge, the largest fell
shoe manufacturer in the United States
He is an employer who has come up
from the ranks and who is familiar with
every step Of the ground over which he
has Travelled. In years past he has
busted himself with the labor problem.
Like all wise men who arc not blinded
by greed Of gain, he realizes that one Of
the great, if not the greatest, question
pressing upon modern civilization is
the workingman's condition. How
toaccomplish this great reform has
been with him an object OF deep study.
10 certain extent he has made his en-
ployes partners in his business by plan
Just submitted>to them at their annual
reunion at the place where he carries
on his immense business-Dolgeville,
Herkimer county, N. y. As a prelimi-
nary to the announcement OF his plan
Mr.. Dodge delivered an address in which
he reviewed various other schemes by
other employers having the same OBJ
ject in view, most Of which. he said had
fallen short OF the hopes and expecta-
tons entertained on their bchalfbecause,
as he claimed, they were not founded on
correct principles. We quote from this
part OF his address as follows:
After Nost careful study OF all the known
systems Of so called prohtshaiiug. said Mi,
Dodge In his address, come before you In the
tical ono Of all the different devices Tor the
ameliorntion OF the condition Of the working
people, for the reason that 1t Is the only one
which Is not projected from any idea Of 6cnev.
olcncc, but ia Gased on self interest. 1t Is not
proht'sharlng-it does not In the least resemb
communism or socialism, or the scheme OF pu.
terual government now In pructiCe In GERMANY
II appeals In all Its phases TO the egotIsm and
self'intsrest OF the employee rs we'll us the en-.
ployer. Il Is In direct opposition to paiernal
govern Tcnt, socialism and communism II dc.
pcn!s entirely. upon the development Of each
employees Individuality. II places the employe
oil the game level with his employer; II puts
him gu his metal aud rewards him according
10 bis own mctt. Ny objection 10 proilt.shur.
Ing Is that II Is unjust, because lazy and incom.
petcnt workngmen will get the same percent.
ago Ms the intelligent and industrious cmployc
who has perhaps earned for his employer twice
The injustice Of the plan destroys all individual
ambition, creates dAcontcnt and dissatisfaction
and must before long be abandoned ills after
n!l only u sort OF nlmsgviHg. which Is dlstaste.
ful 10 every man endowed with .elf.rcspoct. II
the profits Of Il business arc TO be shared by en-
p!oyes, then 1t logically follows that they also
share In the losses. This they cannot do: hence
prolltsharlng Is impracticable.
ut Is Il deluslon TO believe TINT in our time.
when eight hours working day Will soon be a
iact, thst our workins people will be satisfied
with system OF patcrnnl government II hns
been tried on n grand scale here IN America.
Mr.. Pullman huilt model city near Chicago;
he gave II his name, spent enormous sums OF
money 10 make 1t beautiful, built libraries.
churches, schools, Westinghouse and unlloubted.
~ cherished the ioudcst hopes Of the rcalizntion
Of his philauthrophic dream. Why did MS MAN
fall? Why did tho workingmen no, appreciate
acknowledged the friendly spirit In which II was
but they were too Independent, too
manly, to submit 10 the paternal government
which he saw lit to exercise aud preferred to
live In frame cottages us their own masters In.
stead OF III elegant brick houses built for them
by Mr.. Pullman, which. owing to the obstacles
created IN the shape Of all kinds OF laws and
regulations for their moral welfare, seemed TO
them more like prisons thnn homes. Indlvil.
nallty asserted Itself and Mr.. Pullman learned
welfare OF his work people was nothing but the
dream OF an ldcallst after all. -
2"AnoIhes system which has been tried for
years and years Is co'operntton. This has uu.
more elements OF success than either
or system OF patcrnal govern.
lncut, nnd yet In only few Instances has II
proved success. The only reason why coop.
eratlon bus succeeded in exceptional cases Uus,
rs com munIsm lS succccucQ IN a lew Isolated
Cases here In A,nGrinal Is because 1t gave indy.
duality chance for Development, and In every
instance the SUCCESS cun be directly traced to one
or Two members OF that cooperative or com,
society. who possessed so marked an
Individuality that their .fellDw.workers willing |
Iy followed their lead, knowing that they could
rely on It and gain by doing 50. 1t Is admitted
That the cooperative plan cannot be universally
Introduced, Hit could, Bellamy's state social.
SIN would BIO possibility. A patcrnal system,
IN spite OF It's kindly motives, dccmtlcs the
'vorEiugman 10 the level OF q machine md
hereby declares that Il has no faith In bis abil.
ty to rise TO the level Of his more fortunate fe
owmen. while Bellamy, and bis followers, on
ho other hand, have such an exalted idea OF the
higher and nobler qualities OF mankind that
hey serioualy aim ~ state socialism pure and
implc aud believe II to be practical." ~
After reading this much from Mr..
Dolce's address to his large number Of
employees, tho reader will perhaps be
prepared to, appreciate as to how far he
las obviated the objections which he
las pointed out above in the schemes Of
,ther experimenters in the same direc-
ion. His plan is as follows: