Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-28
PROFIT SHARING
INDUSTRY 5 HOPE
Andrew Carnegie Sees Salvation
of Labor and Capital in Co
operative Scheme
BELIEVES 1T WILL COME
Iron Master, in Magazine Article Just
Made Public, Takes Optimistic View
Calls. Attention to Labor's I'm
proved Conditions Rockefeller Also
Breaks Into Print.

New York, Dec. 2S-''In the future,
labor is to rise still highee. The joint
stock form opens the door to the par
ticipation Of labor as shareholder IN
every branch of business. In this. tho
writer believes, lies the final and en-
during solution Of the labor question.
Nothing can stand against the direct
management of owners. We are only
pioneers whose duty is to start the
movement, leaving to oar successors
its full and free development as human
society advances"
These are striking statements found
In an article by Andrew Carnegie in
the forthcoming January number Of
Worlds Work. made public today, An
editorial note states that the article
is taken from Mr. Carnegle's new book.
sProblems Of Today" and that 1t Is
published in the magazine "because
of the remarkable m. ght be called
even sensational forecast that he
makes Of the continued Improvement
Ia the position Of labor till protit-shar-
Ing does its perfect WORK and the la
borer and the capitalist. become the
same man"
Beginnings Of Steel Trust.
Mr.. Carnegie tells of the beginnings
made by the Carnegie Steel company
many years ago by making from time
to time forty odd young partners. who
paid for their interest III the business
BY their notes, payable only out OF
the profits Of the business. Great care,
Mr.. Carnegie says, was taken to ad-
init workers Of the mechanical depart
.ment which had hitherto been neglected
)by employers. Speaking further on OF
the combination Of many steel works
into the one United States Steel corr
porYtion, he says that the problem
presented was not altogether new. for
individual and corporate management
have co-existed since joint stock
companies were formed. The former
had undoubtedly great advantages over
the latter. Able men managing their
own works, in competition with large
bodies Of shareholders, employing sal
aried managers, were certain to dis
tar1ce their corporate competitors, and
did So Nothing can stand against the
direct management of owners.
Going on to speak of the experiment
Of the United States Steal Corporation
In interesting its officers and en-
ployes In Its shares, 1Mr. Carnegie
says that "every corporation could well
AFFORD to sell shares to its saving work
men giving preference in repayment at
a ~, 4 NoS NJ 6icoC.
ter. Just as present laws provide first
for the mechanics lien and for home-
stead exemption. This is due to the
workingman who necess arily buys the
shares without knowledge, and is asked
to buy them, not solely. for his own
advantage, but for the benefit of the
company as well-the advantage OF
both"
Labor Has Advanced.
The writer points out that "just as
the mechanical world has changed and
improved, so the world of labor has
advanced from the slavery of the la
borer to the day Of his absolute inde-
pendence and now to tais day, when
he begins to take his proper place as
the capitalist-partner of his employer.
We may look forward with hope to the
day when It shall be the rule for the
workman to be partner with capital,
the man Of affairs giving his business
experience, the workingnan in the mill
his mechanical skill, to the company,
both owners of the shares and so far
equally interested in the success Of
their joint efforts, each indispensable,
90 that without their cooperation
success would be impossible"
Replying to the possible charge OF
being ver-sanguine, Mr.. Carnegie de-
clares himself convince ed that the
huge combination, ad even the mod
crate corporation, has no chance IN
competition with the partnership,
which embraces the principal officials
and has adopted the system of pay
ment by bonus or reward thruout it's
work. The latter may be relied upon,
as a rule, to earn handsome dividends
in times Of depression, during which
the former, conducted upon the old
plan. will incur actual loss, and per-
haps land in financial embarrassment.
BY way Of illustra ton, he cities the
case of the Filene Stores, of Boston,
which he says ''has gone farthest OF
all in the direction Of making its en-
ployes shareholders" The establish
ment, he says. employs 700 to 900 men,
the capital stock is held only by en-
ployes, and is returned to the corpora
ton at its value should the employees
leave the service. Every share of stock
belongs to some one working in the
stores. "The most important advance"
says Mr.. Carnegie. 'is that all ques-
tions are submitted ITO arbitration, not
only complaints or disputes. but
wages, scope Of work, and tenure of
employment.
sewhether the communists ideal is to
be finally reached upon earth, after
man is so changed that self-interest, !
which Is now the mainsIring of human |
action, will give place to heavenly |
neighbor-interest, cannot be known. |
(Continued on Eighth Pege.)