Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-01-21
Most Conspicuous Supporter.

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In America this form of cooperation
Is of more recent date. The Proctor &
Gamble company. after suffering from
great many strikes, adopted profit
sharing and has had no serious labor
troubles since. About the same time.
1886 N. o. Nelson, a millionaire brass
manufacturer of st. Louis, took up
the plan and has since been It's most
conspicuous supporter In the country.
AS already stated, Nelson not only in
cludes his employees. but his custom
ers, In the division of dividends. he
has also given his workmen an ever in
creasing share In the business, gradu-
ally withdra wing from ownership him
self The experiment has proved emf
nently successful One Of Mr.. Nelson's
innovations was TO found a town In
Illinois, which took its name from Lee
claire, the practical founder Of profit
sharing in France II Is one OF the
boasts of this town that It has never
had any other government than the
state laws and yet has never known
crime In It there is no renting, each
workman owning his own home and
paving for It as he can. Nelson lives
among his employees in house but
little more pretentious than theirs. One
of his cherished ideas is that 1t is
bad habit for captains Of industry 10
get rich. since they have higher mis-
sion In serving the public.
used to know Nelson about the
time he was in the ST. Louis city
council, where he had something TO
do with inaugurating the reform wave
that finally brought Joseph W. Folk
to the front He is an unpretentious
man. ever in sympathy with all ad-
vanced movements and freely helping
every worthy cause and sincere indi-
vidual that appeals 10 him. One Of
his pet ideas In the council was 10 sell
city franchises ut public auction. but
in this ne was defeated. Ile promoted
causes like the fresh air mission, free
steamboat trips for The poor. work
ingmens culture clubs travelling Ii
braries and kindred movements that
would add to the happiness and intelli-
gence Of others He once had a hand
some home in st. Louis, but gave il
up TO live among his own people at
Leclaire. Here he has established
clean social amusements, reading
rooms, literary and discussion clubs,
public lectures, and has encouraged
the people TO beautify their homes and
make an ideal village.
Nelson O. Nelson was born In Nor
way in 1914 and came TO this country
In childhood. He was educated in the
common schools Of Missouri and served
as a private in the Union army during
the civil war He started life as a
clerk and made his own way. In 1872
he established his mandatory Of
plumbers and steam filters supplies
which he is now turning over to his
employees.
Methods That Have Succeeded
Profit sharing has taken many forms
with us. some OF which have not been
notably successful. The most common
plan has been that of selling stocks to
workmen. Whether II is because of
suspicion OF the stock market, lack Of
means or lurking enmity to their en-
ployers, the men have not fallen over
each other in the scramble to invest.
The plan has by no means proved a
failure. but has gone so haltingly that
there must be some inherent defect in
II. A method that has succeeded much
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