New Britain herald., 1915-06-24

to reduce the t1ifference Laborers
have as much right to organize as
capitalists; they are human beings;
the workingman does not merely want
an increase in wages; he wants conf
fort for himself, and his family and
he will get Them" and added, IF
it were not for the philanthropic
work now being done there would be
a social revolution"
The statements of these two great
authorities cannot be disposed of as
idle talk. The truth of their words
re-echoes in our ears. Political de-
mocracy and industrial autocracy cam
not go hand in hand; the two are
incompatible and cannot long remain
side by side.
This, however, is but one view If
the story. The employers have their
side also. One hears the employer
constantly saying: / am working
much harder than any of my en-
ployees-and it is true. But while
he is working harder, he is having
the satisfaction, which comes from
work. The men, who are denied
participation in business, are denied
that satisfaction and consequently do
not exert themselves to the utmost.
AS matter Of fact, there are few
things in life as interesting as work
under proper conditions; and the way
in which employers generally work
establishes the truth of this state
ment. They complain because their
employees do not work as hard as
they themselves, and no not feel the
responsibility of the business. Let
the employers give them the oppor-
u. 4
the response will come. For unrest
usually means unused faculties and
there will be labor unrest until the
faculties of the laboring men are fully
utilized. as
The employers say that there is not
enough produced to compensate the
claims of labor--and this Is true The
present profits produced in our in
satisfy the demands of both capital
and labor. Our hope lies in pro-
ducing more and the only way to
produce more is for labor and cap
ital to cooperate fully.
From the controversies of our time
there energies three main ideas as
to the best way in which industry
can be organized First: Industry
may be organized as it Is at present,
on the basis of pure individualisnl.
Second, it may be organized on the
basis of state and municipal social
ism. Third, it may be organized on
the basis of voluntary association.
that is co-partnership and capital and
labor.
Pure individualism has put the con-
troll of industry in the hands of the
few who provide the capital, while
labor has been paid in wages only.
The result is a continual strife be-
tween these two factors. Socialism
has no desire to begin where we are
now, but wishes us to take leap
into the dark. It's principles are
not voluntary, but compulsory, and
are based on many elements fraught
with danger.
Voluntary association, or in other
words, partnership of capital and
labor is happy mean. 1t is not q
revolution in our industry but is an,
evolution. 1t is no chimera, but is
the basis towards which we are grav-
itating. It has already appeared on
the horizon and is travelling towards
the zenith. Let us examine for a
few moments the possibilities that lie
in this form of cooperation.
Co-partnership of capital and labor
in it's simplest form provides, that
the worker should receive, in addition
to his wages, some share in the final
profit of the business; and that the
worker should accumulate q part OF
this share of the profit in the cap
ital Of the business employing him,
thus gaining the ordinary rights and
responsibilities of a shareholder. A
scientific detail plan based on this
proposition has been Endorsed by
President Emeritus Eliot of Harvard,
by Sir George Livesey, captain of
industry in London, and by many
others.
A general outline of the plan is
as follows: Labor is to be paid it's
living wage, and capital is to be given
it's dividend. say 6 per cent, which
represents its living wage. All earn
ings in excess Of this after a sum
has been laid aside for surplus cap
ital is to be divided between cap
ital and labor. The labor partner |
is to receive share Of this net profit |
based on his annual wage, and the |
capital partner a share based on his |
annual dividend. This would be a |
scientific division Of the net earn |
iHeS, HrSt since IL is based on the |
service rendered, and second since it |
eliminates the principle af bargain /
ing, in which the stronger party al
ways receives the best of the bar
gain.
A part of the surplus profit thus
allotted to each worker should accu-
mulate in the capital of the business
The method by which this is usually
attained is by retaining a part, say
or one-third, Of the annual
surplus profit Of each worker for this
purpose. The laborer automatically Z