Omaha daily bee., 1916-05-03
EASLEY REPORTS ON
PROFIT SHARING
Civic Federation Committee Ana
lyzes Arguments Made for and
Against the Scheme
MANY PLANTS ARE EXAMINED

NEW YORK. May 2.--One or the
most exhaustive reports that has
ever been made on the various
profit-sharing plans that are in force
or have been tried in the United
States was made public today by the
welfare department Of the National
Civic federation. Civic workers have
been engaged for twelve months
past in investigating more than 800
so-called profit-sharing schemes. and
their report covers the analysis Of
some 200 plans
"The work was sundoria en-" says
chairman Ralph n sasIey Of the ezecu'
iiye colnel, in response to many re-
quests for up.to-date information from
men interested In the subject ~ prac-
tiesI way There has been . marked
growth 81 interest IN the proft.aharins
idea during the last year and large
number of new schemes have been
la4nehed, but thus far the newspapers
have been the only source 81 Information
eith regard 10 these recent experiments
some o. which are far-reaehlns IN ~
tent
NJ Conclusion Announced.
The report itself comes 20 no sct con.
rlagions for Of against The profit sharing
idcp. bnt u devotea more than 20 rages
10 an exposition u the mnny plans ~
force today o. tried and abandoned, and
pois forth group Of interesting opinions
and discussions both from prominent en-
ployerg. Representatives Of organized lar
bor and npaelal students Or the adhieet
Geofge ~ Perkins, chafiss 81 schwab
samuel Gomrefa. ptedfent of the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor warren
stone. grind chief Of the international
brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers
" - Mahon. president d The Amalga
mated tmoelatlon Of street Railway Em-
poyes and many olhefs afe quoted ~
l,ngth.
Reasons for apd Against
Many reasons says The repofi are
given BY these employers for thelf faith
IN tic idea Among there arc that w.
promoter more continuous service, 70
dtcea cost ~ production. secures more
regular attendance At work builds hp
confidence and creates . spirit OF co.
operaiion. gets 10 Of rolling stones and
encourages horne building, enables TIE
c5mbsay 10 keep lie employees during rlsh
reasons. inducee aalesnlen and others -
work harder. promotes effi1enct inter
esl and loyalty, ana increases the profits
~ ite business.
yet the report continues employer
vino have had experience on the supjeci
afn IS no means unit aa 70 itg pfac~
deal value some employers express DIR
appointment thai the efforts o. their
companies we're mol appreciated by me
men. that they seemed to prefer their
total earnings IN fixed wages, with no
variable element, that they we're Aus-
plelana OF the employers motives, that
they insisted upon joining unions ana
pfspeptlna demands IN spite Of the com
ranies efforts 70 give them an extra
f4are Of the business. that when stock
was sold 10 employees upon favorepie
terms they would dispose Of Il al profit
when IT, value rose, and 50 get the habit
of watching the stock market, that when
,lc profit distribution was large the emf
floyes learned to expect similar
bonanza every year and we're disgrintleh
II they did not get II, TO say nothing Of
,heir discomfort II conditions forbade any
extra payment At all, and that all
schemea OF this sort are necessarily COM
pleated and hard TO understand. 80 tha'
the workers especially Of the less W.
tailisent grades. are not easily convinced
thnt the ayAtem really benefits them and
i not merely a device 10 withhold part
~ what they might otherwise demand
and get.
depend on the Employer.
THAT difficulty o. comprchens on Is real
and not imaginary and must be aeknowi-
edged by investigators or the great num-
Der Of schemes attempted. hardly any
two being precisely alike, and many o.
Them apparently based upon no accepted
economic theory. but embodying ideas
pecn,lar 10 the Individual employer.
Among the points raised against the
rrofit-sharing among the trades unions
the chief Il, OF course. that the interests
~ labor as a whole would be imperilled
hy any weakening OF destruction OF strong
oraanIzation to protect wage Standards
which under profit-sharing, would pass
wholly under the control OF the en-
ployers.
Another objection by organized labor
which Il must be acknowledged Is borne
out hy the statistics Of many Of these
experiments. Is that profit sharing chiefly
affects only the snpefiniendenss, iete
men and higher grades Of employees ahe
does not reach the rank and file, Either
+ i claimed. the profit payments are TOO
ANAL 10 be ~ AM moment 70 the low
said wofkefs. OF, where Il u stock
snbscrlptinn plan. the mass Of the NorA
80 IA moi yarn enough TO buy any stock,
even en- instailmsnts
orKaalsea 1.sher,s stand.
Union representatives alsa point ont
tnnt labor itself Is making 20 demand
80 croft sharing. either IN the organized
~ anaFnanised fields and thai the thlnEs
~ ss.t ana vital Interest - tabor are not
tt6ss which sfngiasefa PROPOSE hA Mhi q
.aaAnats fram tha NafsinKinsa thens
selves
ANasbeg fFeaHaHi criticism 4 lhai mnF'
MI vases are rat pAlA where Rfpllis
M4FimH X snplsea - thAs Naaes aaA
maaflis ta#ethHf A. nnt steseaA AnA 9fisn
as ~ a4Aat ihs rfs8aillNs anlan sealH
xaaMsIs ~ AHe faAtft saaws lhsR Ah@
raeas : saFus has q nsNs Aass
WA feFaff asa pasats gat ne rHiaFlaht
thaf Hfafii ahaglns saen'atea afe even
M aiiaesa seessa e me esass % 90
rsf ana 4 aaafss saase ei itt
.fasssaaH fas istsa a eEnastlaH iH tNF
ehs,s tfsstF & fsefi1 sAst'aE "a the
ssas taat r iHs fHius go psA ti