The daily sentinel., 1908-12-28

huge combination. and even the
moderate corporation. has no chance
in competition with the partnership.
which embraces the principal officials
and has adopted the system of pay
ment by nours or reward through
out its work The latter may be
relied upon, rs n le. 10 earn hand
some dividends in times of depres-
sion. during which the former. con-
Quoted upon The old plan, will incur
An actual loss. and perhaps land
i'm financial embarrassment.
BY way of illustration. he cites the
case of The F;lene Stores. of Boston,
which he says has gone farthest of
ali in the direction OF making its en-
DIoyes shareholders. The establish
Inent. he says. employs seven to nine
hundred men, the capital stock is
held only by employees. and is return
ed to the corporation al its value,
should the cmploye leave the ser
vice Every share of stock belongs
40 some one working in the stores.
The most important advance. says
Mr. Carnegie, is that all questions
are submitted to arbitration, not only
complaints or disputes. but wages,
scope of work and Tenure OF employ
ment. More Than four hundred cases
of arbitration have arisen. and the
result is that both managers and em-
ployes have been satisfied that this
Is the true pi;in. when an employe
is discharged he has the right to APP
peal to an arbitration board com
posed of fellow employees of differ
ent grades All wage disputes have
been satisfactorily settled. There
is profit sharing department, hay
ing nothing 10 do with wages. which
has been able TO distribute varying
amounts eacn year.
He goes on TO describe the work
ings of the plan. remarking incidents
that the Filene stores are not eX-
celied. If equalled in making pro
fits" He cites other examples of
profit-sharing and joint ownership,
and then comes to his generaliZa-
iions. in the course of which he says
among other things.
whether the communists ideal
is TO be finally reached upon earth,
after man is so changed that self-in-
terest which is now the handspring
of human action, will give place TO
heavenly nrighbor-intorest, cannot
be known rhe future has not been
revealed He who says yes. and he
who says no. are equally fool-hardy. |
Neither knows, therefore neither
should presume to consider. much
less to legislate in their day. for
future they can know nothing of.
''Thc writer. however. believes one
point TO be clear, viz, that the next
step toward improved labor condi-
tions is through the stage of share
holding in the Industrial world. the
workman becoming joint owner II
the profits of his labor. Payment tc
slaves and serfs. by providing shelter
and food and clothing for them, thef
by orders upon the stores for articles
up 10 payment by cash TO indie
pendent workmen today. each a grea
step forward have all been tried. ant
now the coming day dawns whei
payment is to be made wholly or II
part by profit-sharing, the workman
having the status of the shareholdin
official and voice in management
as Joint owner. He will be guaran
teed IA minimum wage, when ilnall
paid by profits entirely, to keep hi
mind easy and free for his work, tn
proper support of himself and HI
family thus being insured.
1T may he mentioned that the
the United States Steel corporation
have been very profitable to botl
the men and the company.
zone of the greatest advantages
the writer thinks. will be found il
drawing men and managers int
come friends and learn each other
virtues. for that both have virtuci
none knows better than the writer
who has seen both sides of tht
shield as cmploye and employer II
vast establishments il is very diff
cult. almost impossible, for work
men and employer to know oacl
other, but when the managers ant
workmen are JOINT owners, and botl
are paid wages. as even the presi-
dent of the company is, we shall see
greater intercourse between them
In the case OF disputes. 1t is certain
that the neutrality-suspicious. have q
status nothing else can give. They
can attend ait shareholders mectingt
and have voice there il desired
Entrance into the partnership class
means increased power to workmen.
On the other hand, knowledge of the
company's affairs, its troubles aud
disappointmcnts, which come AZ in
tervals to the most successful con
Germs viii teach the workmen much
hat he did not know before.
"Co-partnership tends to bring a
realizing sense. of the truth to both
labor and capital that their interests
broadly considered are mutual: and
ns far as the latter is considered II
may lnaliy, in some cases. be all
furnished hy those engaged in ihe
works. which is the ideal that should
be held N view-the workmen both
capitalist and worker, employe and
employer
This, however. is not for ouI
time We are only pioneers, whose
duty is to start the movement; leav
ing to our successors its full and free
development us human society ad
h.a HrG
Ell viii mark the new era in the re