Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-09
VIII Il Ever Prevail?

If dreams came true what a night
mare this world would be! If the Wis
ions of dreamers came true-ah,
there's the rub. The picture that Nell
son o. Nelson, millionaire business
man and promoter of cooperative
sharing of profits, is set forth by
James B. Morrow as follows: Groups
of buyers living out of stores owned by
themselves and groups of producers
selling in those markets where prices
are best"
Nelson o. Nelson had theory So
ciaiism, he has always believed, is re-
strictive, monopolistic, and, when put
into operation, compulsory. A vote is
taken, Socialism carries and every
man must yield to the decision. Co
operation, on the contrary, is a free
agency. to be accepted or rejected by
the individual. Furthermore, 1t is re-
gional and not general. One part of a
city, and a small part at that, may be
cooperative In its purchases of food
and clothing. Everywhere else in that
city cooperation is optional. 1t is the
ships. in counties and in states. Man
is left to his choice.
In 1885," he said to the writer, the
Gould system of railroads, leading
from St. Louis and covering a large
part of its trade territory, was entirely
closed for a month or two by a strike
of the knights of Labor. / was
member OF the Committee on Media
ton but the committee could get no
hearing. 1t was a war of conquest. in
which no terms were given or asked.
Economically, as l saw the case, it
was a crazy performance. About that
time I read Sedley Taylor's book on
profit sharing, In which there were full
accounts of the Paris house of Leclaire
and of Godin's stove foundry at Guise,
France.
1.-THE plan seemed sane and prac-
teal solution of the labor problem.
promptly adopted it, announcing to my
200 employees that the usual wages and
salaries would be paid, that interest
would be allowed on the capital invest
ed and that the remainder of the net
profits would be divided by an equal
percentage on capital and the wages
of all who had worked six months
within the year.
The announcement was made on
slips of paper which were put in the
pay envelopes of the men. Two weeks
later all the employees were called to-
gether and given a full explanation Of
the matter. They were asked to elect
an auditor so they could verify the
dividend figuring and they chose de-
partment head, who was a wage-earner
like themselves
Notwithstanding and cooperation are
feasible in all sorts of enterprises,
large or small There could be a di-
vision of profits in the house of ]. P.
Morgan & Co.
In our own establishment profit
sharing has increased the capital from
100000 in 1886 to 100000 in 1914. Our
200 original employees have been null
tiplied five times In number during the
IS years. AND all the while we have
paid good wages and given capital n
return of per cent. a year. There are
no more strikes in our factories. Tie
workmen are prosperous and happy
and have steady employment. Occa-
sionally the state of business compels
us to reduce our production. When
that occurs we do not dismiss any OF
our men; we simply cut down the
hours of their work and thus afford
them the means to live until times
improve That is better than paying
them S. a day and then laying them
off a good part of the year.