The herald., 1896-04-26
BETTER THAN STRIKING
An Attempt to Do the Right
Thing
A GREAT PROBLEM SOLVED
Capital and Labor narmonized in Le-
claire, Illinois
The Nelson Manufacturing company's CO.
Operative Plan Puts the Comforts Of
Wealth Within Reach Of Toll

Perhaps at no other place in the
United States has an attempt to har-
monize the differences between labor
and capital met with greater success
than at Leclaire, Ill, where the n. O.
Nelson Manufacturing company has
been endeaVoring for eleven years to
solve the problem. The settlement has
the single tax idea to the extent that
land for house lots can be bought at the
prices paid for farm lands, and COM
munism is practiced to a small extent.
The experiment has been watched by
social and political students through
out the world NJ Lami the French
economist has visited Leclaire, and
John Fisk and Edward Everett Hale
have lectured to the people of the COM
munity.
Leclaire owes it's existence to N. Q.
Nelson, German, who believes that in
this modern Utopia will be solved what
he believes to be the greatest question
of the age Mr.. Nelson was in Kansas
City recently on his way to Topeka,
Kan, where he delivered an address be-
fore the cooperative congress which
met in that city. Among the distin-
guished economists present We're
Prof. Ely of the Wisconsin State univer-
sity and Prof Bemis of Oberlin.
Nothing gives ME more pleasure than
to talk about Leclaire. said Mr.. Nelson
to a reporter for the Star. THE town
is situated eighteen miles northeast of
st. Louis, and upon 125 acres are our
factories and the homes of our work.
men. Our purpose is to conduct our
business on the cooperative plan. This
is a matter of growth however, and for
number of years the profit-sharing
system has been in effect. This scheme,
after regular wages have been paid and
6 per cent allowed as the commercial
rate on the capital invested, sets aside
10 per cent of the profits for a reserve
fund to pay for the care of the sick
and of the families of deceased en-
ployes. Incapacitated members each
receive S. week: to which is added 81
for the wife and 81 for each child. The
remaining profits are divided at the rate
of per cent on wages and per cent on
capital The dividends on wages for
the eight years ending in 1894 aggregat-
ed "a per cent, or nearly per cent a
year. This is the stepping stone from
ordinary wages to the cooperative
plan. The business is conducted like
that of an ordinary corporation, with
out division of management.
Today the Oldest department in I.e
claire was organized on purely Coop
erative basis, one of the five factories
being sold by the company to an asso-
citation formed by about thirty of the
oldest workmen- To each man is issued
a $1,000 share. for which he pays 500 in
cash, or in wages, and the remaining
5000 is to be paid out of the profits. 1t is
our purpose ultimately to conduct all of
our manufacturing on the cooperative
plan.
I'VE manufacture plumbing supplies.
bicycles, woodwork and marblework.
and / am glad to say that the business
has been successful and has grown con-
stsntly. During the three years of the
panic the factories We're never closed
and even in 1893 we employed full force
of men,
What provisions are made for home
life at Leclaire?" was asked:
THAT is one feature of which we are
very proud replied Mr.. Nelson. 'Le-
claire is prettily situated. and the
streets, instead of running at right an
giles to each other. meander like drive
ways in park. They are paved, shad-
ed by trees and bordered by substan-
tial sidewalks. No man need get his
boots muddy in Leclaire. The streets
are lighted by electricity and sprinkled
at the expense of the company. a land
scape gardener devotes his time to
beautifying the city, and each year he
distributes about 5000 plants and shrubs
among the residents.
1T costs the company about $1,000 for
each home, which it provides for an en-
ploye. The houses are modern in de-
sign and have from three to six rooms
The owner is not allowed to have gar
den on his homestead. His lot con-
sists of One-third of an acre, but he can
cultivate free of cost as much of the
farm land as he needs. Water is fur
nished free in the houses and electric
light costs only 25 cents month. The
houses are not rented. The company
cOnsults with the person who wishes to
build a house and allows him to sug-
gest the details He is given deed to
hx- .,
mortgage at a low rate of interest, and
the house is paid for in monthly install
ments of from $40 to $1S
"Leclaire has a kindergarten and q
GOOD school system, which are free
to everybody There is one part of our
school system in which we take great
pride. Boys above II years of age are
put to work for an hour day learning
trade while attending school, An
hour day is added for each subsequent
year, and when he is IS years old he
is working half the time. He is sup
posed to graduate at 1S. when he has
both a good education and q school
trade, and a job at full pay awaits him.
Ordinarily, boys who get a good educa-
tion have no trade. and boys who begin
early to learn trade seldom secure a
good education. The school system has
an endowment and is supported from
the earnings of the factories
throughout the winter lecture or
concert is given in the public hall. To
this hall is attached a billiard room. "a
bowling alley and a library. The Ii
trary is an unusually good one and is
owned and controlled by the school cor
poration, which is elected by the home
owners of Leclaire. The cooperative
store pays big dividends
'The people represent half a dozen
different nationalities. yet the utmost