The Washington times., 1894-05-06
PROFIT SHARING.


letter or circular issued by the Association
for the Promotion of Profit Sharing" This
circular is signed by the present Commis-
sioner OF Labor, Carroll D. Wright, q man
who has studied the labor question for fifteen
years and does aot yet know whether he is a
protectionist or free trader; also by Gen.
Francis A. Walker, a gentleman VINO is re-
sponsible for the census Of 1880, Mr.. Alfred
Dodge, of Dolgeville, manufacturer of felt
ing, and bright particular star in the pro-
tective tariff armament, in that be knows how
to grow rich under the tariff without shooting
his workmen, like Mr.. Carnegie; OF the other
signers nothing need be said. Profit sharing,
according to this circular, is "a method Of
paying dividend to the workmen out Of
profits as they are realized annually" and we
are told that sit has been approved by most
OF the economists of Europe and America
as thoroughly practicable and advantage
GUS to both employer and employed" ;"
The circular goes on to say that, as
the system involves the payment of
the highest current wages and bonus in ad-
dition, 1t would stimulate employees to the
greatest activity; that it would lead to more
cordial relations between employers and
those they hire, and generally to intimate
that it would so far to solving the labor prob
lem.
Coming from Commissioner Of Labor, this
circular deserves some comment. Let US
look for a moment at industrial conditions
and see what effect such q scheme could
really have in changing these conditions.
The great majority Of men who enter COM
mercial or manufacturing businesses fail:
small tradesmen and small manufacturers are
going to the wall by the hundred and thou
sand before the competition Of huge marts
and gigantic industrial concerns; the average
farmer, by the hardest toll. is barely able to
make his expenses and a meager living for
his family; the professions and arts are
crowded with unsuccessful aspirants; in one
year (1ss5), according to Bradstreet's, over
1.000. 900 workers, mostly in manufacturing
industries, were thrown out Of work, while
this year the bitter humiliation Of eating the
bread of charity was the lot of hundreds Of
thousands of able-bodied, willing men, and
In every large city women and children have
died Of starvation-died in the streets, in the
garrets and in the loathsome tenement cells
where the daylight never enters. And the
remedy for this Is "profit sharing" Whose
profits? venture to say that il any one
could have shown the ordinary business man
or manufacturer any means of making q
profit that would justify a ''divide" during
the past six months he could have obtained a
good deal more than one-half Of 1t for his in
formation.
What class of people is 1t whose "profits"
go on, rain or shine, good times or bad times,
ever increasing, but never to any marked ex-
tent decreasing? Certainly not the employing
capitalists whom Messrs. Wright and Walker
ask to divide profits with their employees.
There is only one Glass; it is the land-ownins
class-the ancient and honorable guild OF
landlords. What has the Association for the
Promotion OF Profit Sharing" to say about
division ofthe profits" OF iandlordism? Some
time ago, while the bread funds and clothing
funds were being raised for the destitute. one
ter Of fact what seemed to be needed most was
funo TO pay the rent OF the poor, who were
constantly beng elected from their homes.
and in fact large part Of the money raised
was used for that purpose Apparently this
rent fund is just what the association In ques.
tion proposes to raise, for in asking employers
to divide profits with employees they are really
doing nothing more than proposing to insure
landlords the prompt payment of rent
But what is this proposition but mixture
Of cant and milk and water socialism? Why
should any successful manufacturer or busi-
ness man divide his profits with anybody, un-
less. indeed, by reason Of some protective tariff
swindle he or the trust of which he is men,
Der has been enabled to extort unjust profits
from the mass Of the people? In this case, no
doubt, he would and It desirable to plscate