The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-05-16
Discusses Moss Plan

He first took up the protit-dividing
(plan of the American Sash and Door
Company, inaugurated by its presi-
dent, F. j. Moss, which was outlined
last Friday in The Republic. At the
end of this year, Moss will divide the
profits of his plant among the enl-
ployes on pro rata basis based on the
amount of salary earned by each.
"That is real division of the prof
it's" Anderson said. 81 believe it
could be applied in most lines. 1t is
a guaranteed equitable division of the
profits to the workers, instead of ty-
ing it up as surplus to provide bigger
dividends for the stockholders.
at would be successful in any
plant which continuously makes good
profits each year. Its weak spot is
that there will be lean years. Then
it might not be so favored by the
workers. Until this plan is put to
the test of lean year, when there
are no profits to divide, its real mer-
it in solving labor unrest cannot be
proven.
"In industries having a large ma
jority of sensible workers, who are
willing to accept the lean with the fat
years, the plan, no doubt, would be
successful. Where large proportion
of foreign labor of the "hunkie" type
is employed, the industry might have
some trouble in convincing the chunk
les" that big profits are not contin-
uous performance in industry. 1t is
hard for this class of shifting laborXo
believe that they are not getting the
worst of it in some manner.
ain the lean years it would be neces-
sarl that the plant have sufficient
number of sensible employees to pull
it through and convince the others that
next year might be another one Of fat
profits"
In Analysing the proft-sharing,
stock dividend and industrial repre-
sentation plan designed on a compre-
hensive scale by the Proctor& Gamble
Soap Manufacturing Co., at Kansas
City, Kas., Anderson said that this
system, or parts of it modified to meet
existing conditions in other plants,
may work out successfully in indus
tries which are making large profits
each year. This system was outlined
Saturday in the Republic.
Most Men Are Satisfied
"The Proctor & Gamble concern is
making so much money that it does
not know what to do with it," he said.
at makes brand of soap that every
body is crying for. 1t has enlarged
it's plant several times, and yet can
not keep up with the demand for its
soap. It can afford to pay stock div
idends to its employees which other
firms operating on a smaller profit
cannot do.
"Ninety-five per cent of the employ
es of the plant are satisfied. A few
listen to the hot air of outsiders who
paint glowing pictures of how much
more they might get if they demanded
more
"The plan has not been carried to
conclusion, and it has not been demon
strated whether all or some parts of
the system might produce favorable
results if adopted by weaker concerns
which are not making so much money.
"The first lean years the company
has will shoot the dividends down to
the basis of the lean profits. Then
will come the actual demonstration of
whether the employees are willing 20
stand up and accept their loss Of pro-
fits and await a bigger profit division
the next year."
"What about the plan of industrial
representation inaugurated by the r.
wing Pitt Manufacturing Company, in
which Conference Committee, cleo
ted by the workers from among their
own number, have absolute control of
wages and working conditions throu-
ghout the plant, as outlined Wednes-
day in the Republic" l asked him.
"That is another concern which is
making skads of money" he replied.
at must be proven of value before it
can be adopted generally by weaker
concerns. The Irving Pitt plant man.
ofactures ioose-iedgers and devises
under patents held by it and is max
Ing large profits.