The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-04-20
HERE'S A FACTORY
 THAT OWNS ITSELF
UniQue Establishment in Southern Germany Exemplifies
 Cooperation

Down in southern Germany there lies. like plum pudding in a bowl. the little old town of Jena It's first plum. the University, has been a we'll spring of science, aesthetics, and phil osophy these several centuries.
 The second famous plum is the Carl Zeiss Works, where, according to a writer in the Worlds Work, the sci ence of cooperation and the philoso- phy of human brotherhood are being practised and proved as a by-prOduct of optical instrument manufacture.
 Years ago, back in 1S46, one Carl Zeiss, scientific instrument maker tC the University of Jena, established his first little workship, which, after thir- ty years, employed only 36 people. But in the next dozen years the number rose to 300. It is now 5000 and still growing, while there are 1000 more in the affiliated glass works.
 At first they made only microscopes; graphic Instruments and appliances for visual and ultraviolet light, lantern and projection apparatus, instruments for the observation of ultra-microscO- pic particles, also photographic lenses, stereoscopes, binoculars and various kinds of measuring instruments, such as range finders for the army and na-
 
 When Carl Zeiss found his business growing too large for him, in 1866, he took into partnership a young Uni versity professor, then but twenty-six years of age. This man was the son Of a spinning mill operative of Eisen- ach, and was named Ernst Abbe. He became remarkable as a scientist and inventor and also as a business organ izer.
 In 1891, two years after Abbe had ac- guired sole control of the optical works, upon the death of Carl Zeiss, created the Carl Zeiss Ctiftung. To this foundation he transferred the ownership of the business and con- trolling share in the affiliated glass works.
 That. is. he transferred the owner ship of the Zeiss works to itself. In five years more, 1896, the grand ducal government of Saxe-Weimer ratified and invested with statutory force the provisions of this foundation. Over it the State has final control, but subject always to the charter.
 The administration is vested in a committee representing the works, the university and the Government. Nc superintendents or higher officials may receive more than ten times as much in wages as the average wage paid for the last three years to all the work men over twenty-fOur years or age wbo have been in the factory for three years. Therefore at the present the highest salaries are about $5,000 a year. And the managers, those off, cials who act on the governing board, may not share in the dividends.
 All workmen are guaranteed a defin- ite weekly wage which is the minimum they may receive. But all work is done on a piece basis. and the weekly income is supposed to be in excess of the minimum wage. In addition to this, at the end of each year part of ;he surplus is also distributed.
 This, during the last fourteen years, has averaged 6 per cent. of the wa ges There has been an increase or about 14 per cent. in the average wage since 1902, and the wage, not in- cluding the annual bonus, is at pres ent somewhat higher than the average paid elsewhere in Germany for work acquiring similar skill.
 Eight hours is a working day. It fs worthy of note that on the eight -four basis. which was introduced III - by vote of the workmen them