The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-15

test. lie Is wealthy man. the largest
manufacturer In Germany of Venetian
blinds and of wood pavements. and
ME employer of 1900 men in his fac
tories at Hamburg, Breslau and Me
In this country his
industry is a very important one as
practically every German window has
Venetian blinds Herr Freese reasoned
that the vice OF the present relation
between employers and employd is thai
the employer is still practically an auto
crat Against the autocrat- -emnloyei
the worker has no recourse Striking OF
throwing up ones job are unsatisfac-
tory eXpedients which help the worker
no more than the right to emigrate &c
free country helps the population of :
despotically ruled state. Real politica
stability, says Freese, was first at
tained by selflimitation OF mon
archial power The factory and tho
workshop must be pacified on this
principle. The employer must pledge
himself TO do certain things and moi
to do certain other things. But he musi
go further BY analogy with the con-
stitutional state, he must create ma
chinery which will guarantee the keep
ing of his pledges. A workmen's par.
lament is necessary in every factory
and it must not be mere debating
society, but must have executive and
prohibitory powers in certain matters
of moment concerning workers and
masters
Freese declares that the analogy be-
tween the state and the factory must
be carried out in all respects. Euro
pean constitutionalsm and not pure
democracy is what he aims at Just as
in the state certain Of
ernment such as diplomacy and ma
tional defense. are reserved to the
so in the constitutional fac
tory the employer must retain his au-
thority in several domains Among
these are technical questions: the con-
troll of sale and purchase prices, also
everything connected with the ac-
conntancy But the general relations
of employer to employed. wages. hours
of labor, overtime, provisions agains,
accident and filming, are matters OF
Whlch. by analogy with the state, nc
change should be made without con-
sent both of the employees parliamen,
and of the employer. Freese declares
that he makes no attempt to deny the
natural conflict of interests between
employer and employed. The consti.
tuition exists to regulate matters ol
common interest, and in matters OF
natural opposition to bring abou
compromises and to prevent breaches
Freese granted a constitution t,
his Breslau factory in 1884 by giving
the decision on certain matters to {
committee partly elected by worker.
and partly nominated by himself Thi.
succeeded well, and in 1891 imperia
legislation helped the idea on. The
imperial industrial ordinance of 1891
provided that a workmen's committee
must he elected nv n,
employees in every factory employing
more than 20 men. The committee mus
be consulted before any changes arr
made in the "arbeiterordnung" The
arbeiterordnung' is a code of regu.
lations concerning hours of works. no.
tice, overwork, calculation and payment
of wages, and other internal factory
concerns; and the law declares thai
such a code must be displayed in ev.
cry factory BY giving the workmen Q
right to be heard as regards the "ar-
beiterordnung," the state to a certain
extent recognized the constitutional
factory principle. But the workmer
were given only an advisory voice
Freese's proposal Is to give them al
absolute veto. Together with his "ar.
beiterordung" he issued factory
constitution. By this charter he pleget
himself not to change any rules with.
1
being understood that the workers or
their side should not insist on changes
without his consent. To represent the
employees, the Freese constitution pro.
vided parliament of IL elected work
men and four workmen nominees o,
the employer. Soon afterward Freese
relinQuished the right to nominate and
henceforth the workers parliament
consisted of IL members, all elected
EraaQn'Q re, Mi
sembles in detail a political parlia.
ment. 1t holds regular sessions te
discuss matters concerning conditions
of employment and when special mat.
tors arise 1t conyokes extraordinary
sessions. The general election is an
nual. and 1t is preceded by the rem.
dering of report by the chief Of.
ficers of the expiring parliament. The
sessions are public, so that non -mem
bers may attend and sec what theil
Representatives are doing. Non Nom.
bers have the right to send in com.
plants and petitions. but the parlia.
ment Is free to discuss what 1t chooses
and cannot be terrorized or dictated tC
by the workmen outside.
Freese has published an account O,
200 sessions of his parliament, at ali
of which he was present as sovereign
or minister. The parliament proved a
SuScoSS. WithOuC III any way 1n1urinP
the employers interests it enabled
agreements to be come to which ma
terially improved the lot of the EN-.
ployes. 1t practically did away with
the system of filming, a system very
common in Germany industry. 1t leg.
islated on proposals to work overtime
when business was good, and on pro.
posals to shorten hours when business
was bad. 1t came to a compromise
with Freese providing for a general
reduction of hours; and today the
Freese factories have an eight hon,
day. This-except In one ella IS
of coal mines-is absolutely unknown
in German industry. The financial no.
sition of the factories did not suffer
The question of wages and methods OF
payment of wages repeatedly came up
before the parliament and the onno.
sition between the ''monarch' and the
Legislators" was usually smoothed
down.
The constitutional system enabled
treese to enter upon practicable sys-
tenn of profit sharing. Freese had beer
In the habit of giving bonuses to his
official and clerical staff. He now
agreed to extend the bonuses to the
men. Five per cent was given to the
officials and the same sum to the men.
The worlSmen here were given the
usual constitutional power Of tito
purse" inasn1uch ais the parlfam ent
was allowed to satisfy itseIf fhrouph