l!LACK.MAk: KXl'I'Rl.MlCXTS IX S( Jl.fllOX OF LAllOR PROl'.LKM. 2^ 



January and Jul\-, a da\' is set apart for a general celebration in 

 which employers and employees engage. The da\' is taken np with 

 games, sports and general jollifications. 



The entire profit sharing enterprise is established on a business 

 basis. Although altruistic motives may have been at the founda- 

 tion of this scheme, it was originated for the improvement of the 

 business with the belief that the benefit of the employee was in 

 the end to be to the benefit of the employers. Most of the labor- 

 ers being unskilled at this time and below the average intelligence 

 of skilled workmen, it was difficult to persuade them that it was not 

 a scheme to get more work out of them for a corresponding equiv- 

 alent. Also the\- were disposed to take the dividend as a matter 

 of course anci spend it freely and sometimes foolishh". But time 

 and experience have dispelled this idea. The success of profit 

 sharing there as elsewhere is a matter of education, and many 

 efforts of profit sharing have failed elsewhere simply because 

 the employers failed to remember that the employees must be 

 educated up to it. Patience as well as justice is required for 

 success. During the first two vears the profit sharing was not a 

 success as a mone\' making investment, but as the men became 

 more and more convinced that they were treated with justice they 

 became more careful and more intelligent in the work, until it is 

 plainly demonstrateci and freely admitted that the saving under 

 profit sharing is much in excess of the sums paid to wage earners 

 as profits. 



The success of the plan has exceeded the expectations of the 

 company. The gain is in the saving of time, in the diminishing 

 of material, in making a better quality of wares, in keeping men 

 of experience, and finally a saving in oversight. These are the 

 principles which have been maintained l^y the advocates of profit- 

 sharing and it is gratifying to find that they agree with the experi- 

 ence of those who have carried it out. There have been no strikes 

 or labor troubles of any kind at these works since this plan has 

 l)een in force. Employees remain longer in the service of the 

 compan}-, anti it is very seldom that a man is clischarged on ac- 

 count of lack of work. It demonstrates that the interests of 

 employer and employee are the same and any warefare between the 

 two classes is an unnatural warfare and works against the interests 

 of both parties engaged in it. 



Another very important example of profit sharing is furnished by 

 the N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Co., a corporation for the manu- 

 facture and sale of plumbing goods, steam goods, and machiner}'. 



