The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-01-20
making great neadway ana promises
soon to be universal"
Eliminator Of Strikes.

making great neadway ana promises
soon to be universal"
Eliminator Of Strikes.
Melville ID. ingalls,, chairman Of the
board of the Big Four railroad, puts
his advocacy Of the new idea on the
ground that It will eliminate strikes.
II believe that profit sharing is the
only sure means of doing away with
the possibility Of such disputes" he
says. 'If every railroad would adopt
the principle doubt IL we would have
any more strikes. II every industrial
corporation would adopt 1t 1 doubt IL
there would be any more lockouts.
Make the laboring man your partner,
recognize him in the division of profits
as well as in the determination Of the
cost Of production, and you'll go far to
do away with these difficulties that
have been interfering with our indus
trial progress for so many years"
quote all these utterances to show
their emphasis and significance. Sure
| ly new era is dawning in the econom-
| ic world when men of this character
come out for an idea that q few years
ago was regarded as the EXTREMIST rad
| icalism. Yet profit sharing is no new
| thing, especially In Europe. In France
1t has been in successful practice for
half century or more, and there are
now scores Of cooperative concerns
throughout that country. In England
the Rochdale plan has long been IA
nous, and with 1t as a model many
other profit sharing schemes have
| sprung into existence. Just now the
movement has been given q new i'm
pulse in Great Britain, the speech of
exPremier Balfour before mentioned
referring to a number of new cooper
alive enterprises Of Importance. Prof
1t sharing has not gained 80 great a
vogue on the continent outside of
France, yet there are a few concerns
in Germany, Switzerland and else
where that are practicing the princi-
pie.
Most Conspicuous Supporter.
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,
1885, N. o. Nelson, a millionaire brass
manufacturer Of st. Louis, took up
the plan and has since been its 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 Le-
claire, the practical founder Of profit
sharing in France. 1t 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 a
crime. In it there is no renting, each
workman owning his own home and
paying 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 it is a
get rich, since they have higher mis-
sion in serving the public.
1 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 to him. One of
his pct ideas in the council was to sell
city franchises at public auction, but
in this lie was defeated. He promoted
causes like the fresh air mission, free
steamboat trips for the poor, work
ingmen'S culture clubs, travelling IL
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 1t
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 1874 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 manufactory 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 it 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.