The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-04
Run BY WORKMEN.
Woodaman's Factory Now a Co.
Operative Industry.
BRIGHT PROSPECTS OF SUCCESS.
proposed Amendments to Printers I'm.
ION Constitution-Extend the
Coast Federation.

one OF the largest woodworking facto-
ries In the city, the one formerly owned
py Fred w. Woodaman. at the corner of
University and Seventh streets, is noE be.
ing conducted on the cooperative plan.
Inc oflcers say it is running very success
iuly SO tar, though over one-third of
those who first went into it have either
Withdrawn or been laid off
Some weeks ago Mr.. Woodaman found
himself so situated financially that he
could not continue to run his factory. He
was perfectly solvent, but could not col
iect his outstanding accounts to pay his
employees and meet his other obligations
as rapidly as he was required. About
eighty men were employed in the factory,
TO each of whom he owed from 800 to up
wards of $500, and these liabilities aggre-
gated about $4,000, the estimated value of
the plant. The employees organized
stock company, each man taking stock
to the amount of his claim against the fac
tory and Mr.. Woodaman turned the en-
tire plant over to them to be run on the
cooperative plan. His other debts he ar
ranged to settle according as he collected
his accounts, with the exception of about
$500 due on new machinery that had been
put in the factory short time before
1t is now about six weeks since the new
company filed articles of incorporation as
the Seattle Planning Mill and Manufactur-
ing Company. The capital stock was
placed at SIS, 600, which was of course all
paid up. The shares were placed at 81
each. The officers of the company are:
President, George R. Waites; secretary,
Frank Hamilton; treasurer, Fred Russell;
trustees, George r. Waites, Frank Hamil-
ton, w. Ince, ]. Gorbutt and E. F. Peter
son. Mr. Waites, who has the general
management of the business, said to q
Posr-INTELLIeENoER reporter, on Saturday,
OF the workings of the institution and the
outlook for success:
We feel confident of success, though about
thirty OF those who went into the company be-
came frightened lest they should not be able to
get their pay as We went along, and 30 they quit
work. The balance OF US were willing to take
our chances on making the business pay after
little and hung right to it. We propose to run
1t just the same as any other corporation. II
any OF the stockholders working here are dis
satisfied in any way. let them get out and sell
their stock or hold it as they see fit If men are
to be laid off we will lay them of whether they
are stockholders or not At present we have
only two men working who are not stockholders.
We could have employed all the stockholders if
they had been willing to stay and take their
chances with the rest OF us. We have quite
number OF unfinished contracts which were
turned over TO us by Mr.. Woodaman. He was to
get paid for what material he supplied on them
and we get paid for what we supply. We
wanted to rush them through and SO could have
employed every man.
We are getting more work right along, and
only this morning had to refuse good job
Would mot rat fhn IL nYxto
it was wanted. We have between $4,000 and
$4,000 worth of WORK on hand right now, and
have contracts for furnishing the finish for
some of the best residences in the city. We are
building new style dummy for the James
street cable line, and have the promise of Q con-
tract for four more II 1t suits the company. We
have fine plant and our total indebtedness
does not exceed $500. OF course 1t cost US more
than its actual cash value-that Is, more than
we could realize on it If we were to sell at the
present time-but it was the best we could do
under the circumstances We make sash and
doors for the firm that furnishes our glass, and
also for those from whom we get lumber, go our
only important item of expense il the labor.
Every man is interested in getting work and
making the thing pay and this Of itself is quite
an advantage.
1t was reported from another source
that the thirty men who Mr.. Waites says
withdrew were laid off when the new
company took control of the factory be-
cause there were too many men for the
amount of work on hand, and that this
was the origin of the dissatisfaction.
About two years ago 4 factory was
started in Ballard on a similar plan. 1t
was known as the Ballard Manufacturing
Company. 1t started with fair prospects
OF success, but for some reason it failed
1t is said the discipline necessary to the
success of such enterprises was lacking;
that the employees would sit around talk
ing and otherwise wasting their time dur
ing working hours, and finally one of the
officers skipped out with considerable
money belonging to the Company.
This was but one of long list of SINH
lar institutions established in various
parts OF the country which have met with
failure. But all such attempts have not
been failures. Many have attained high
degree of success, notably the cooperative
cooper shops of Minneapolis. Accor ding
to the report of the commissioner of labor
OF Minnesota for 1889, there were seven of
these shops in all in the city of Minneapo-
lis, employing on an average about 800
men, and doing total yearly business OF
upwards of 100000. The report stated
that from the time the first one of these
shops was started, some six or seven years
before, there never was bond required of
one of their officers nor penny lost
through defalcation.
The men who have been practically
forced into the present cooperative ven
ture in Seattle have therefore much to en-
courage them. Much depends on the
management and Mr.. Waites is the man.
: -l.>, Il. = I.,-
and this of itself is encouraging TO .hem.