The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-03-06
PROF.. HENDERSON DESCRIBES
THEIR GROWTH.
CAUSED BY CONDITIONS
interesting Lecture Delivered at the Y.
M. G. A.-lmproved Environments
and It's Beneficcent Effect on the
Workingman.

Prof. Hans Mendelson gave one OF
the most interesting Of the course Of
lectures he is delivering at the Y. M.
c. "A. last night, devoting most of his
evenings talk to q discussion upon
the history and development of labor
organizations and their weaknesses
and benefits.
Before discussing the history Of
labor organizations, he declared that
every increase in intelligence and ev-
cry improvement in the internal sur
roundings of the workingman increase
his productiveness. Hence, he assert
ed, that our public schools, our parks,
our sewage systems, our municipal
improvements, ETC., are not philan-
thropy, but good investments.
The labor Of the earliest civiliZa-
ton, he said, was almost entirely
slaves, and while it was more secure
so far as housing, clothing and feed
ing were concerned, it lacked mental
activity, which proved its undoing.
First Labor Unions.
The first organization of the lower
economical classes hadStheir origin, he
said, about 100 A. D., in the town
guilds Of the early merchants Of west.
ern Europe. When these organiza-
tons became strong andlsbegan to
press upon the hand Of laBorers, the
latter organized into craft guilds,
which we're the forerunners of modern
trades unions. With the invention of
the power loom, the guilds de-
stroyed.
The terrible conditions under which
the English factory operatives were
compelled to work from 1900 to 1920.
however, he said, drove the workers
for their own protection into new or
charlottesville trade unions. He
said that these organizations have,
with the growth of the modern indus
trial organizations, spread to almost
every branch Of industry, and. while
they have been at times grossly mis-
managed and have done great harm in
some cases, yet in the aggregate, they
have SO improved the condition Of the
Il ohn~orc E+hofH Iva oil FoSwvn1ce ~ ,o.,C%
be admitted that they have been ben
.ef1cfal. He pointed out that the labor
organizations, whether we think them
good or bad, are with us and like all
other things in the world exist be.
there is good and sufficient
cause for their existence.
Piece System and Sharing.
In speaking Of the methods that Of
late years have been tried to make
the laborer more secure and to. pro.
duce better returns, he mentioned the
piece work system, and said while it
has increased the quantity Of goods
produced, 1t has decreased the quality
and SO has been abandoned by many
Of large institutions that have tried it.
He said that several large manufac.
turing companies have tried the profit
sharing plan with better success
Proctor & Gamble. the soap makers,
he said, have operated under this plan
since 1887 and in that time have had
practically no labor trouble and also
have a, more efficient force of work
men al a result. A Swiss firm that
makes the best class of optical lenses
that are sold in the United States, he
said, is run entirely on this plan, ant
with great success.
Mr.. Mendelson said that the growth
OF modern industries has greatly spe
cialized and divided the labor tina
each individual performs. He main
tanned that this has increased wonder
fully the productivity of labor but ha
also tended to break down the lahore
by reducing his work to a few me
tons that 500 become automatic an,
leave the mind inactive.
AnnrA|1RINc HAi nAnNsu