The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-09-14
The Rise of
Business Supervision
Copyright. 1912. International News

Copyright, 1919, International News
Service.)
In 1895 there Was formed the Man
chester board Of health.
This was the first enterprise Of Its
kind In the world. Its intent was to
guard the physical Interests Of fac
tory workera It's desire was to In
sure light. ventilation and sanitary
conveniencss for the toilerx Beyond
this It did not seek to 60.
The mill superintendents lifted \
howl They talked about Interference.
They barred their doors against pub
tic inspection. They declared il was
all a private matter between them
selves and the workers. matter OF
contract
Robert Owen. 1t seems. was the
nrat factory superintendent to, invite
inspection OF his factory. He work
ed with the board OF health. not
against 1t. He refused to employ
children under ten years of age, and.
though there was . tax on windows
he supplied plenty OF iissgssss sTa Essso
freah air,
60 great was the ignorance Of the
workers that they regarded the fac
tory laws ~ infringing on their
| rights. The greed and foolish fears
of the mill owners prompted them
to put out the good old argument that
a mans children we're his property
ana that fer tina State to dictate TO
him whore they should work. when
and how, was q species OF tyranny.
Work was good for children. Let
them run the streets? Never,
Factories were built alongside of
poorhouses and orphan axyiums. Pau
pers and children were worked like
PACK mules.
When q man who worked q hun
bred orphans fourteen hours a day
boys and girls from six to twelve
was accused OF cruelty, ha defended
himself by saying: .1f / don't work
| sleep and eat. they will learn to play
aud then never work This arEu-
/ ment was repeated by many fond par
| ents as conclusive.
| The stress OF the umes-~hasing
many machines in one building all
I run by enc motor power, the neoes-
I sity of buying raw material In guam
titles. the expense Of finding mar
| ket--all these combined TO- force the
| invention OF very curious economic
| exped!enoy. It was called a joint
! stock company. From q man and his
/! wife and his children making things
| at homo we SGT two or three men
| going into partnership and hiring q
| few OF their neishbers at day wages
/ Then we get the system OF share
| holding" with hundreds or thousa nds
| OF people ~ partners in manufao.
| turing enterprise which they never
| visit
| The people who owned the shares
| were the ones who owned the tools
| Very naturally, they wanted and ex-
| pectsd dividends for the use OF the
tools That was all they wanted
Dividends.
| The manager OF the mill held his
| position only through his ability te
| make the venture bring returns. The
people who owned tho shares or the
tocis never saw the' peupfe waU uxed
the tools. A great gulf lay between
| them. For the wrongs and injustice
| visited upon the workers no one per-
| son was to blame. The fault was
shifted. Everybody Justified him,
| self. And then came the saying. Cor.
porations have no soula"
Robert Owen was mama ger Of q
| mill. yst he saw the misery, The IN.
norance and the mental indifference
that resulted from the faeteFy-sys-
tenn.
He. too. must produce dividends
but the desire of his heart was alss
to mitigate the lot Of the workers
He, too. believed in work for chill
dren,- hut 1t must be under happy con
doors
Books were written by good mel
| picturing the evils OF the factory sys
| tenn. Comparisons were made be-
tween the old and new, in which tn,
| hideousness Of the new was etched Ii
| biting phrase. Some tried to TURF
the dial backward and revive the cot
tage industries as did Ruskin q lit
tie later: "A Dream of John Baii'
was anticipated. and many sighed To-
the good old times
But among the many philosopher
and philanthropists who wrestled tn,
i problem Robert Owen seems to hav'
stood alone in the belief that sue
Ing back.
He sct himself to making the ney
condition tolerable. and prophesied
day when out OF the, smoke and dil
Of strife would emerge condition
that would make for health, happl
ness and prosperity such ~ this tire,
old world has never seen.
Robert Owen was the worlds mrs
modern business man. He sym
pathissd with the toiiers, and he safe
x1larded ,hia rlsfotpers- He was th
friend Of hia helpers. and tho frisn'
OF the public.
Very anaturaliy he was called
II dreamer. Soma called him an in
ndel and tho enemy Of society.
Now We cali him q seer and !,
prophet.