The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-09-06


Il. Of the country. the men who look
ahead, are already giving thought
to conditions when this mine strike
shall have ended. One great trouble in
the hard coal mining industry in years
gone by has been the lack of thinking
of looking ahead. Had operators
looked ahead. there would have been
no powder question TO iniame the men,
no compulsory trading in company
stores, no excessive dockage and no
tolerance of gross ana wholesale favor
itism or petty tyranny on the part Of
many mine bosses inflated with brief
authority Had the miners looked
ahead, they would not have rushed the
Battle for bettered conditions in the
foolish hope of getting instantly every
thing asked for under penalty Of strike
nor would they have let the control
of their locals slip in many in
stances from conservative into dare
devil hands. IL both sides had looked
ahead. there would have been no strike
and no pulling at the pillars Of pros
perity with damage requiring years 10
repair. The test of common SenSc is
ability to profit by experience. anl
therefore it is timely to consider what
can be done IN the future to avoid and
undo these mistakes of the past.
There are two forms Of advanced
treatment of the labor problem which
have enthusiastic champions. One in
wolves social service; tina is, surround
ing the workman's work and home life
with multiplied c0nveniences ANA COM
forts, helping him to educate his chill
dren and endeavoring. in brief. to pa
triarchalze industry. Some excellent
results have been wrought by these
means; but it will ever he recalled to
the detrimenf of this form OF enterprise
that when the National Cash Register
company, at Dayton, had made it's fac
tory life the model for all the world and
had gone to lengths of good will and
generous treatment establishing Shin
ing records ia the relations OF employ
ers and employed. the whole working
force struck because the free towels
supplied to them had been sent for
y
mot belong to the union.
The other method, more strictly busi-
,ness-like, is pro,t-sharing. our cap
'tains of industry are very largely turn
Ing their attention to the institution
OF old age pensions. sick benefits and
accident insurance-forms of profit
sharing; and there have been success
full instances of straight profit sharing.
The Brooklyn Eagle tells VI one, that
Of well known soap factory near Gin
cinnati, where, II says, "the character
of the work was radically changed in il
few months by the introduction Of this
sharing system. Until then, the pro-
'prietorshad been at great loss through
Iths tarelessness lawlessness. laziness
anf .gssslSti9ir ri. their :, hands They
GoY ln"S,glut ly,"oTnththG They were
wafteful, They welrld work til they
has easned enough To set drunk with,
ane rrhasl.Ylas the last seen OF them
Every new man,redaire,p The oversight
Of trained one While he Was learning,
and during that period he VAS not only
productive himself. but he caused
his instructor to be non productive Also
Materials We're destroyed through sheer
Indifference. The men we've unclean
and unpleasant. They We're not good
.HRizens, because they had no interest
In their town, and no spur to Il better
public spirit.
Z. ss.As-sooti'as these people We're made
% understand that they would profit hy
heir work In the same way as their
employers, all Was changed The men
became earnest, they stopped all waste
'ul habits, they became sober and in
iustrlous, they settled to truer home
life, ami began To take an interest in
Ghools and other public belongings of
he place; they were helped in the buy
ng of houses, aud lastly We're encour-
,.ged TO BUY stock in the factory, which
VAS found for them In the market. and
inre allowed for the payment. When
aborer MAS working not only for his
.lsnai-annual gift, but Tor a dividend On.
ais shares, he worked To a purpose.
rhe experiment has been entirely sue
,.exsful"
Ths Eas-'- i inclined to recommend