CO-PARTNERSHIP AND PROFITSHARING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1925, 6 December 1913, Page 7

CO-PARTNERSHIP AND PROFITSHARING.

Sir,—Now that this unhappy strike is wearing itself out, is it not a timo to review the- whole position, and to ask whether there is mil some remedy for those vast social ilis ol which, the present trouble is but one of many symptoms:-' That in a counrty wmch for a quarter of a century has been noted for its advanced labour legislation thcro should havo arisen from a trivial cause a strike attended with as uiucu class bitterness and mcti violence as would be possible in tho most conservative countries ol' the world, surely shows that there, has been something wrong with our methods, or, at least, that some essential element has been lac - ing. Such an element appears to me to be found in a principle which has been mentioned occasionally in your columns, but which- never, tt) ivinid) receives the attention it deserves. I refer to the principle of co-partnership or 'profit-sharing. At "tiio outset R would moot with bitter opposition irom those n<iitM.ors who I;\'-c- by sornnu up class against olsjks, loi" it ** loundod on precisely the opmisito assumption to that oil which not only ihe \\ w \ iTdernLinn, but also tho trades unions in general,' as we now have thorn, proceed— namely, that tho interests of employer nnd employed are necessarily and inevitably opposed; wher-as (he nnderlyjn<r principle of n;-parl lUM'slnp tlm interests of t'lmdoycr aro in most essentials one nnd tlic fcasnci

and that the worker who does best for Ins master does in Hie end best i'or himseit aisu. C<siuiii;i to the practical application ol the principle, I am aware that there are many dillicuities to overcome, and eai'h trade or industry would have hi meet ( lii-iii in a slightly different way. In every case there would have to be a minimum and || j s probable that Ibis need be little, if at. all, below ilie present stand,mi, for the employer would gain s 0 nmeii in security from slriKes, in diminution of fiieiion. and in heller work done, that he eould all'ord in make the extra contribution out of prolii, thus gained. !u addition t,o this inii'.i ilium, tilere would be in all t'he more regular occupations au.l industries a dividend payable at convenient intervals «u! ol Hie profits of tlic business. This would mean that the employee would lo some extent share bad times as well as good times with his employer, hut eUMi fiiis should increase feliow-feelinu, ;ind make him realise some of the diffi-

culties Ins employer lias to face. In the care of more casual labour, such, for instance, as waterside work, there might lie a regular daily or hourly rate, puis a bonus on work actually done, whether rai minted by i|itaniify, value, or weight, or by n combination of t'he three, as the experts might decide. That this would be a solution of the present, difiieulty 1 do not for n moment claim; but had a belter spirit prevailed throughout the labour tyorld these troubles would never have arisen.

The plan is not wholly an untried one, lor it, lias been adopted by many firms at Home, notably the F,ngiish gas companies, with invariable success. It has also been Iried to some extent in New Zealand. I would suggest taht the Government lie asked to collect all available information on the subject, '.villi a view to legislation, sliould it be deemed advisable. In the meantime, any private firms that see their way to adopting such a scheme will bo doing something not only to increase the body of such inform,ition based on experience, but also to refuie in a practical manner the chief argument of the soap-box oraior—the deadly lioslilily of Capital to Labour. It is' jint chimed that an immediate reign of industrial peace could be brought in. Time is necessary_ for adjustments, particularly in the inindr, of those wiio have for so long been taught the pernicious: doctrine of the Vitra-SoeialisU. lint who can doubt that l;y the promotion of a practical community of Interest between class and class, a belter, more civilised, nnd more Christian spirit would gradually be introduced into our industrial and lialionnl life?—l am, etc . t'O-PARTNHtt.