The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-10-15
Industrial Partnership.

not well be, a commercial one, in which
the workmen would have a right to in
spect the accounts at pleasure and a
voice in shaping the business manage
ment. 1t is an arrangement limited, so
far as the workman is concerned, to the
industrial or the distributive department
of the business" These are words of
Rev. Nicholas p. Gilman at a dinner
in Boston few nights since. Mr.. Gill
man has long been interested in this
form of cooperation between employer
and employed, and to his mind it is the
most practicable way of avoiding hos
tility between the two classes. AS he
says, il is a system which leaves the
employer full master of the commercial
part Of the business. The cooperation
is altogether in the production or dis
tribution of the goods in which the es-
adjustment deals. The idea is simply
to fix on scale of wages by mutual
consent, as a basis of operation. These
wages are paid throughout the year, or
period less than year. The employer
brings all the foresight and knowledge
of the market he can to the business,
selling at the highest prices he can get.
The workmen give their best services,
understanding that every good piece of
work done is to add so much to the gen.
eral stock of wealth of the shop. A
certain profit comes from all this union
of effort, and it is reasonable to suppose
that a shopful of men working with
heart and good will, and an employer
doing his best to manage the business
economically and to sell in the best
market, will produce more than a shop
full of men working for wages alone,
although having the same kind of an
employer as the other shop has. This
net profit, as shown by the books, is to
be divided at the end of the year on a
certain basis between employer and the
employed. Whatever the proportion
the men are to have, they are sure of
receiving a larger addition to their wages
from q large profit than from small
one. In other words, there is every
inducement to work well and faith
fully. There are difficulties in this
system, of course. One is to do Justice
to the employees working only short
time. But it is to be assumed that the
system would do away with much of
such temporary work. 1t would be for
the interest Of all concerned that the
men should continue permanently at
their work, thus becoming more eff
cient and adding to the common profit.
This theory is sound enough to meet
the unqualified endorsement of so dis
tinguished an economist as General
Francis a. Walker. Moreover, it has
been tried with success, especially in
France, where there are now some
seventy-fve proft-sharing establish
ments. In our own country, too, there
are examples of the same success,
among them that of the great Pillsbury
nOuT lnllls at minneapolis.
But why is it not generally adopted,
if it is such a good thing2. General
Walker answers this question by saying
that employers who are content with
what profit they can make under the
wages system are indifferent. This
class is satisfied to "let well enough
alone" And again, the workmen are
not attracted by the comparatively small
gains of profit-sharing. " In this coun-
try the trades unions do not desire the
workmen to be bound up with the in
terests of the establishments where they
are employed-they want to have their
force a marching force of minute men,
ready to turn out at moments notice
when the word comes from headquar-
ters." This is General Walkers ex-
PLANTATION. But whatever the present
attitude of workmen toward profit
sharing, the system has in it merits that
deserve study and trial. 1t can not be
called an experiment any longer. 1t
has been tried, and has not been found
wanting. 1t is kind of cooperation
that has nothing visionary or imprac-
ticable in it. And besides its economic
advantages, it has moral features which
are highly important. Itremoves COM
petition from the employer and en-
ployed, and ranges il between one bust
ness establishment and another. This
fact gives wholesome esprit de corps
to every shop, and the workman feels
that he is working in honorable rivalry,
as well as for his just share of the
nrofitg