INDUSTRIAL PEACE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 692, 17 December 1909, Page 7

INDUSTRIAL PEACE.

w PROFIT-SHARING. ; NINE MONTHS OF THE SHIPBUILDING '■■:'. CO-PARTNERSHIP., EMPLOYEE PROFITS NOTE PEE CENT. (By Telegraph.-Preiß AMocUtion.-Oopjrliht.l London! December IS. , Messrs, Fnrncssi "Withy, : and, Co.'s .co-part-nership scheme. yielded the employee sharo-' ■■.■ holders 9 per cent, and .ordinary shareholders; ■ 10- per cent, profit per annum , for 'tho nino" '•' ri months just'ended. 1 ..:. . \;r v' ;: ; .,H

UMITEDCO-PARTNERSHiP,

INDTJSTEIAL PEACE AND INDUSTEIAIi ; ;. . ;,.;,,;. EFFICIENCY., ,•;*■•;..;.>.' Sir, Christopher Furncss; a Liberal-K.P.'and ■: head of Messrs. Furnoss, Withy, and Co., last ; -year initiated an effort, t0... secure:.. Indus- "'■ trial peaco -by admitting hia ; employees to' ! co-partnership. On October 7; 1908,.5ir Chris.: topher Furness invited a number. of represent v tahves of the shipbuilding/and, allied trades unions to meet him at West Hartlepool, and iai. • address to them on. "Industrial Peace and, Industrial Efficiency,"', made: two proposals whereby he hoped tho relations.between and labour might be made more harmonious.;,. An ftjternative. ';.,;:'>' ; : ; ' ; .'."' : "; '-■■'■.■ ''' '; V V-'-'r First he offered to: hand 6ver to tho v trad» ( unions his firm's shipyards at West Hnrtle-'" pool as going concerns "for such sumor sums' ■■ as may: bb determined by a^recOgriised.firm of' assessors, appointed ; :' by : joint -. nomination." '■.'■ tailing the acceptance of that offer, he made another proposal. :He, invited tho employees to', become, limited cb-partuors in: the shipbuild-v :inß yards'of Furncss, : Withy.and'tkv Ltd.,:, l & ?, wns tno'Middloton Shipbuilding Yard, f.T Hartlepool and the:, Harbour - Dockyard' at'' West. Hartlepool: ■ The" conditions'were: that the men should takeup ten jEl.shares in;tho comi.pany, to bo- called' employees' shares; paying: ■ lor them, if they so desired, .by a deduction of''; 5 per cent, from their weekly, earnings till the-' amount should be covered.-, On these shares-'l-per cent, interest'., would .''be guaranteed..'Th»v : existing shareholders;would have B'percent. r& :. sorved ~to them: out of the company's: profits,,' and any additional profit after payment of th»,' 5 per cent. Would bo divided between the brdin.V ,ary shareholders: and- tho ~men; on the '.basil: of their individual holdings. .:•-.", . ,

Works/Council/; "A %)---X ;•; ?. ■;,'! '..':';.•'j A'; The works would'continue to bo under tnt! ; ; control of-a board of. directors, ds at'present,', ; ■but-he proposed to.set, up a.Wprkseouncil;'.; composed of" an "equal.muuiber.' of represeuta. '■.■ '•'■ lives of employees and :of the, Erin; to settle 1 ;: disputes," to promote; friendly communication'.'. ■between' the,firm'nnd the'juon. ; To this'Coun-'■' oil ho would invito tho. secretaries' or' local re-":; presentatives of the trade'.unions: which; had ='•?' members engaged ini. tho works. It would.-be"'"'-an imperative condition that under no circum-f stances should the employee co-partners Rfl; or.','•' strike, and: that the firm should not lock tho,'-.' men- out. This was'necessary; because it would-■ enablo the'firm to guarantee delivery of shipv '■ by ; a certain date, which they. Could not do nt'j ; . present. 'The Trade ! Union delegates mot on s :' October 23 and approved .the.scheme,: roconv, : ; : mending the local' branches of the unions to no>., . cept' it on-trial .for twelve; months.::. On No.'.' vember 8, by a. majority''of ten "to one. the! men,.' adopted the scheme and iiccopted the offer,- an.;' pointing a: committee to arrange.the detaili;./ with Sir:.Christopher Eurness.f ,-■'■■'•':■, '■ '•;'■• ;'• .: •,v

Bancf u I Effect, of Chronic Friction.;;,.'.;'. * ■■7-V- '■:.;'v ,■: In: making', his oiler to; the' men',; in * the hopo '.■ »-.-",' of securing '-industralC peace. Sir .Christopher.;. '■:■■.■< Furncss' said that friotion had .become clirohio ■; in. the industry, and ho had- more than onc« ' vf conned deliberately the question:of. retirement',, from .this; department,'.'.of.'..business,.;and tho;. : .i: >>: confinement; of. hiß - activities .to t other .-and;. "v : y, rather more profitable branches .'of. commerce;:: '. /. : "Strikihg/v said Sir Christopher, "will have to :'■.;-. ;. be a thing of the": past, if shipbuilding isover:;.. .'- again ; to .flourish.'..among: us.- is to tI/\ sources; :: '-i of the incitement, ;Wo ( 'imust-give:primwry. plact ;:-;i ;: . to the trade unions',.'and in' the.second'.rank :;-'•!'.'. to movements of .the social-reform'and politico.;'- -ft; theorist type,! whose, advocaoy,;,,wh.ilo: marked '•• ' j in the case, of the email. seotion',,ofc'themori'*;-1' militant Socialists; by a'/considerable.': measure.' ,! of malico, has been distinguished by unmis;'■-'.'...' tskablo sincerity of conviction.: The causes, of.'v ."•' tho. unrest are' to' be';, traced to the .-..unequal".>.... and ! nqt.' seldom 'unfair:.distribution: of • the. : "-'.y world's rewards. •; 'But ; I cannot "perceive how;*; i you are to,get from;inequality, of service any-:'';.:'; thing, else than inequality'.;'of:reward.'"".■' . :- : : '.-■ V , '.'bnbstantial dividends" declared' by. publio;;:;:'v companies, glowing.'speeches'.at-their, annual;;"'':.; meetings, are apt to be- .put in mournful com- S:i'parisoh; with:-the. artisan's condition. indpfoJ- ;' v peds. - ;.-. •■' .v'- ; ;';'v,;'-/y '■''''■:..'■'..'■ ■'■!'■■ ■:■:■■':'■ ''v'K:.' >'"-'

Causes' of! Disconterit..V-:^' : V::;i;v : \;;:V';: ; .: r;.^-!™^.;^ '■"The Circumstances 'of a .manager,; Bub-mana» : '.-]';;;;. ger, foreman, !or v 'what hot.'removingVfrom"a-:.>-.vXX-i mall, house.;' in .the'.-centre ..of; the town 'to/a;':/y:;/ villa in the''.outskirts;. : orj:apain,the-morning;/,,/;/ .'call of the director, in a erer or jeweller.or. dealer, in bric-a-brac'j [ or—'-./ ; /'/ •topmost pinnacle :qf.'.all,ufor'i I; lack-nbt; : tkb/!/;o/ courage ..to take., you the entire ' journey—-th*;.-//</ transfer '.of the home,of the ohief of the firm;':;;.;:-'!.; from a goodly mansion among-you tb a.oostly.V/',j'y ;h ouse' in the : West'-. End ■ of: London jn d a fins'': >i ■:;?. : 'seat in the country—things like these sometirii'ci /:'>:V;;-:/ make a good man's;gorge rise', not to mention:;''/ !?•'/ ,tho feelings of. such as .dwell in' misery by. rea*;,-' .:-<:-'/ son of unsettled, scores '.'.at the Ipublic-houso, of v;:/?;/ losses' duo;- to, betting, .-or.' of some ; - other'■ in«v''"^r:i'-'it tirmity of;'their natures.; : ;j-:-':,:'/- //:'/- ' "Men brood over (thoir f lot/and;ix whole dis/'/kW trict- is \fourid' srituVatcd', with discontents ■oitter 'feeling'.' / lien' in' such mood; are ill' to..''■ //ri guide, arid throw; to tho winds,' oftenenougb/y■/;/;V the advice of. their; own trade-uriion leadors./i/'■■,'.A;j

The Wage; of Ability; :; W\*r\ ''v--/ --^/i/ 1 /; "Enterprise, capital, and' labour,; no one ■ can///:/ ;veil'do".without:thft;bthor..-'.'.Th'b;oily" basis■which capital and labour can ,entor;into-re/;./:/ lations primarily.is that of-buyer, and seller 0f.;..-;'. • a .ccuiinodity" called labour.: The .capitalist's'', /:/; gain or loss* hasvcomparatively .slight:relation,.invito.'any profit oiv loss: made; upon ■ the particular;'../.',; purchases of labour involved in tho operation, I'v-.:' -- "The capitalist .really', adventures'■ his: capital // ,"/ for; say, 10 per .cent'.;' in. ; .:''' a .speculative frame of. mind.. Unless'you are ;.•;.-,'.', prepared to : share witiv him in .his' speculation,;'-'// in its losscS-'as well-ins., in/its-gains, you have;/;;'. no concern in.the; result./'You-cannot possibly,'■;';;»:.t escape.tho. fact that' in "thV.world-of enterpriso/ ; -?/ (he; principle-of, the .wage''of; ability is. 6b-///; served to. the full/ ; However jour:traae'Unions.-;. ; v : may choose "to" disregard'it.'lt'is a-good/sound,/-?-; .healthy principle—tho hub .of; the" .wheel.-.-'of . Vi "■'■;; life. If: investing capitalist,cniployoi's .are.not' - s *i: adequately: rewarded ..for; their' "exertions,' are .'•;'- they likely to persist,:-in' them?,.-; --'--i'/ : '- Y -v/i/' ".' As to, shipbuilding,'; Lfail; to! see'.: on:- tha /'A national'horizon.Nniij;-"'indications,■ other than':,//> 1 hose of a. future of - increasingly '■>' stroiiuoui. '.'■'*. /'' struggle to maintain:. :oiir';, position in- tin'.--' 1 -/' .World."'-. .;,: .-',--: - --■•' ';:;,:, -'- ;-'■-, --'■--•;-;■••.;;;