Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-21
WORKMEN's HOMES.
influence Of the System Prevailing in
GermanV

United States Consul Harris of Chem
htz mas written letter in reply TO criti-
cisms or his recent reports tie subject of
the homes of workingmen in Germany, in
which he says:
An American critic of my recent report
en- the homes of work.ng;nen in Germany
and England said that the only class OF
homes which deserved any attention in the
United States, as far the working people
are concerned were those when would
yield reasonable interest on the sums in
vested in addition to fixed charges etc.
This may Or may not be true The expe:i-
ence in Austria, however. where the aver
age manufacturer fUrn shes dwellings and
fuel to his wogkIaen free of ch9rge, has
been to minimize the number OF strikes L
am satisfied that this has also been she ex-
perience ut Port Sunlight and Bournville
village, in England where the ren.s are
practically fixed at rates VIII oh pay ony
Tor maintenance. taxes and repat :. as wei
as at Essen, where the krupp cntes priS.
yleid ABOUT per cent on the inves tment
1t stands to reason that Ii a mdnufac,u
could eliminate the danger of strikes from
his yearly program he would soon make
good any extra expense he was pat to IN
order TO pace good dwellings at tae dis
posal of his worbmep, either for nominal
rate OF interest on the money lave sled, or
even Tree OF charge. THIS tGpitin state OF
affairs, however. will not com II pass,
and as long as human nature is so consti-
tuted as 1t is labor troubles viii always
exist in some form or other. Experience
has shown. however, In Germany, as per-
haps elsewhere, that the more nanufac-
turer learns to diferentia;e between a man
and machine the more is he likely to
duce the danger of strikes.
In a country like our own. where so much
money is being given BY philan .hrops to
charity, education and othe.. enterprises. 1t
would seem that the great schemes of Lous-
ing working people might be a subject
worthy of consideration. Experience has
shown thus far that the average attempts
to lessen the danger of labor troubles have
been but superficial methods applied FOR
the purpose of securing momentary allevi-
alton after strikes have commenced. rather
than seeking for something which will tend
TO remove the cause. The chances are.
however, that good treatment and a we'll
directed philanthropy toward Sc cur ng
suitable homes for working people viii in
the long run form the most potent anti
dotes against the desire to strike. Strikes.
generally speaking. are no longer local in
their influence. They cast Their shadows
all over the world. and each and every one
teaches its own lessons.
Il had an opportunity recently TO discuss
the question of wofkingmens homes and
strikes with gentleman who owns a large
mill which gives employment to several
hundred men. He is member of the or
ganized syndicate of manufacturers FOR the
prevention of strikes and his business is
suffering very much at preent on account
of the strike in the textile districts of SAX
ony and Thuringia. He said that If he had
a million marks (S23S. 900 which he could
devote to that purpose, he would introduce
the Krupp housing scheme into the textile
districts Of SaXony, where thus far nothing
of the kind is being done. This gentleman
evidently considers that such Il sep would
achieve good results, and subject wei
worth the consideration of manufacturers
in SaXony.