New Britain herald., 1915-06-24

tho capital This plan baB pfCVtH
that under better condition labor will
produce more. During the month of
February under the prof1t-sharing plan
with 200 less men. over 10000 more
motor cars were made and shipped,
than during the month of February in
the preceding year under thc>old plan.
Moreover the price of the motor car
to the public was considerably re-
duccd.
The best example of stock holding
by the employees, lis the United States
Steel corporation. This is undoubted
ly the largest industrial corporation
in the world. In 1912 it employed
221, 900 and tho nominal value of Its
issued share capital was $ses,0o0,000
Since 1903 this corporation has
offered to all employees upon easy
and especially favorable terms shares
of it's capital stock. In 1913, $4,000
employees were stockholders, and the
par value of the stock held by these
was over 16,5o0,0o0 million dollars.
was over $4,000, 900. Andrew Carne-
sic said that he considered
this plan OF making the
workmen share holders, as tho great
est of all forward steps yet taken for
bringing workmen and capitalists clos
CT together.
Here we have two of our largest
manufacturing concerns attempting
to reconcile the worker, the Ford
Motor company instituting profit
sharing the United States Steel cor
poration stock holding. Both of these
methods should be united SO as to
bring about real cooperation. The
plan should not be of quiet-powder
kind, but genuine attempt to give
the employee a greater shade in the
value of his labor.
Many establishments based on real
cooperation exist throughout all
Europe In London, for instance, the
Gas Light & Coke company adopted
this system. The capital of this con-
Germ does not fall far short of $780,
100000 and the number of employees
who enjoy co-partnership privileges
exceed 5000.
The two largest concerns in the
United States established on a CO.
partnership are the Nelson Manufac-
turing company of st. Louis, and
Proctor & Gamble company of Gin
hands and the latter $500. A few
months ago the Dennison Manufac-
turing company of Massachusetts,
turned over its huge factory to the
full control of its 2,400 employees.
This factory is to be re-estabiished on
real co-partnership bisis. t
Co-partnership of capital and labor
should be the next step in our indus
trial world. To promote this end, a
law for encouraging companies to re-
organize on this plan ought. to be
enacted. There should be no compul-
sorry co-partnership, but certain re-
strictions might be withdrawn, and
I certain privileges granted, to corpora
tons adopting this system, which are
not allowed to those organized purely
capitalistic basis.
The master and servant relation in
our industry should be abolished. The
workman has ceased to regard him
self as servant. He considers him
self as the equal of the capitalist and
desires to be his co-partner in his
business. He is becoming more and
more educated and is ready TO enter
into his heritage and partake of his
share" This partnership of the work
er and the changes. that will accom-
pany 1.-THE shareholders rights, the
more efficient work, the more sympa-
thetic control-will wholly change our
industrial system.
AS stated in the beginning, great
advancement for the workingman has
been made in government. Co-part-
nership of capital and labor is, / be-
lieve, a movement destined to do in
the Industrial world, what the intro
duction of constitutional rights has
done in political world. / mean to
transform the autocracy and monop-
oily of industry into an industrial
democracy, gradually, peacefully and
with profit in long-run to all conc
cerned.
This plan is the greatest proclama-
ton of independence to human toilers
since the days of Washington. 1t is
the biggest work of human emancipa-
ton since Lincoln freed the slaves. 1t |
can rightly be called a goth century |
blue print of the Sermon on the
Mount.