The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-03-27
SOCIOLOGY.
Rev. Mr.. Prescott's Last Lecture in Cur.
rent Events Club Course,

In Mr.. Presoott's last lecture in his
course on Sociology, given under the
auspices of the Current Events Club in
Union Hall, yesterday afternoon. the lee
turer said that he had no panacea to
propose which would do away at once
with all the evils of life. Any such plan
savors of quaokery. Only here and there,
men and women were trying to Tighten
1.-THE burden of the unintelligible W orld :"
| were showing a new interest in the well
fare of their fellow men. The environ
ment itself would not change man-the
man must help to change his environ
ment and that involves some radical
change in human nature. To accomplish
| this revolution, we must begin in the
education of children. in the kinder
garten schools. 1t is there that lies the
best hope of the world.
Mr.. Prescott took for the special object
of consideration in his lecture the system
| of cooperation which is known as profit
| sharing. Surely, if the golden rule
should be applied anywhere, it should
be in that department. where it is most
needed-the world of trade. The princi-
| pie has not always worked with perfect
success. Sometimes through ignorance
of the workmen, sometimes for reasons
he could not have foreseen. The Proctor
and Gamble Company of Cincinnati has
for many years pursued this system, d.
viding its profits above certain point
among its employees, and shown by it's
success that unselflsh principles could
be applied to business. 1t leaves much
! freedom to its workmen in the matter
of selection of homes, etc, but provides
good houses, and i'll many ways shows
its interest in the men in it's employ
ment The same thing Is done, in slight
ly different fashion, by the V. o. Velson
Company of LeClaire. where various
parts of the profits are set aide for divis-
and for fund to draw upon for support
of sick or infirm, and for widows and
orphans of employees. Good homes are
provided for the workmen, the best
schools are maintained. There is also
a cooperative store in which workmen
may have stock.
! These are two illustrations out of
many that might be given of the entire
practioability of profit-skaring. Some :
thing clearly must be done to make
Christianity prevail here in the world OF
business, with any justice to call our
se4vss Christians. Some of the crying
evils of the factory systems in our great
cities demand the thought and work
of all students of sociology.
The earnestness of the lecturer, his
knowledge of his subject, and his evil
IDENTIFY heartfelt belief that study along
these lines-with the practical work nat
urally resulting from it-would do much
toward reforming the world, have made
this course upon sociological SUBJECTS
o most valuable and helpful element in
tho life of Portland during the past few
weeks. 1t is earnestly to be hoped thai
many people may be aroused to make
Investigations in the lines suggested by
Mr.. Prescott IN the study, say, of the
| tenement house system or cooperative
or proft-sharing, as it is from the first
hand knowledge of the actual condit
| ions of human life, and from this alone
that can come the wisest philanthropy
and the truest reforms, based upon
larger conception of the real brother
hood of man.