The times., 1901-05-20
AIfruism in Rusfness.

In "Cassier's Magazine II. F. ]. Por
ter. Of the Bethlehem Steel Company.
expressed opinions which are refresh
ingly business-ike and sensible. when
contrasted with the cold-bIooded COM
n9ercialism on one side and exaggerated
philanthropy on the other. which have
been shown in dealing with working
men. He says that if the wage scale
is once fairly adjusted the employer
need not worry himself about aitruistic
measures adopted for the benefit IF his
employees, and having thus hit the nail
on the head, he goes on to hammer it
in as follows:
'.It must be remembered that kind words, and
rest rooms. and Libraries, and lectures, and
other so-calIed aitrustic measures, although ex-
celient IN their proper time and place. DO not
in themselves bring happiness and contentment,
for they do not supply food, and clothes, and
house rent and home comforts. and the latter
are what men work for. OF such things there
fore until the proper time arrives, the men be-
come suspicious, as they partake OF the nature
OF charity and honest wOrkmen resent anything
Of such a nature. The men must be mentally
happy and well advanced in modern thought and
methods before such things can be introduced.
Nor should an employer allow the announce
ment 20 become current that he has model
shop when he has made his business sue
cess by adopting the methods outlined above,
and added such ConvenienCes as he finds are oi
common advantage TO his business and his men
Intelligent workmen are sensitive 70 beng refer
red 20 as adjuncts 20 anything model
This is sound business sense, and the
best sort of philanthropy as well
There is nothing more mischievous
than TO accustom a whole community
to live on charity. Private charity
there must always be, and the more of
II the better: but when one rich man
assumes the responsibility Of providing
for a whole village luxuries which the
inhabitants should have money enough
to provide for themselves. he is usually
| doing them harm.
The workingman, If he has good
wages. and is properly assisted by the
employer to send his children to good
! schools. will find out for himself what
| things he should have to enable him
to take the next step in his develop
ment. What we need is less charity
and more Justice; less self-sacrifice and
more common sense. There are hun
dred ways in which the rich can help
the poor without hurting their self-re-
spect. We need rich men who Will not
dodge their taxes. who will not lower
| wages below the living point; who will
insist on honest municipal government,
good car service, good gas, good roads,
good schools. For their own good the
rich who own factories should see to
il that the buildings are well lighted
and ventilated. and comfortable as they
can be; those who own houses should
take care that the sanitary condition Of
these houses is perfect and that rents
are not exorbitanL There are dozens
Of rich people who leave duties such as
these alone, TO interest themselves in
philanthropic work among unfortunates
created by this very neglect Of duty.
man who gives to the town in
which his factory is situated a soldiers
monument. a course Of lectures, an art
gallery. or library is simply taking to
himself the right, in five cases out
of ten. to give back in charity what ne
has gained by injustice. The intelli-
gent workingman does not care to be
patronized. He would rather have
glass of beer and a pipe that he has
earned himself than a Thomas concert