Studies in the South and West, with Comments on CanadaWarner, Charles Dudley
History
Studies in the South and West, with Comments on Canada
Warner, Charles Dudley
Canada -- Description and travel; United States -- Description and travel
It will be noted that this plan promotes steadiness in work, stimulates
to industry, and adds a most valuable element of hopefulness to labor.
As a business enterprise for the owners it is sound, for it makes
every workman an interested party in increasing the profits of the
firm—interested not only in production, but in the marketableness of the
thing produced. There have been two divisions under this plan. At the
declaration of the first the workmen had no confidence in it; many of
them would have sold their chances for a glass of beer. They expected
that “expenses” would make such a large figure that nothing would
be left to divide. When they received, as the good workmen did,
considerable sums of money, life took on another aspect to them, and
we may suppose that their confidence in fair dealing was raised. The
experiment of a year has been entirely satisfactory; it has not
only improved the class of employés, but has introduced into the
establishment a spirit of industrial cheerfulness. Of course it is still
an experiment. So long as business is good, all will go well; but
if there is a bad six months, and no profits, it is impossible that
suspicion should not arise. And there is another consideration: the
publishing to the world that the business of six months was without
profit might impair credit. But, on the other hand, this openness in
legitimate business may be contagious, and in the end promotive of a
wider and more stable business confidence. Ivorydale is one of the best
and most solidly built industrial establishments anywhere to be found,
and doubly interesting for the intelligent attempt to solve the most
difficult problem in modern society. The first semi-annual dividend
amounted to about an eighth increase of wages. A girl who was earning
five dollars a week would receive as dividend about thirty dollars a
year. I think it was not in my imagination that the laborers in
this establishment worked with more than usual alacrity, and seemed
contented. If this plan shall prevent strikes, that alone will be as
great a benefit to the workmen as to those who risk capital in employing
them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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