Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 1.djvu/719

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PROFIT SHARING IN THE UNITED STATES
705

ing to 3½ per cent, on wages. Discontinuance was due to change in the firm, and to business complications.

22. The Crump Label Company, of Montdair, N. J., adopted the plan in 1887, and made one distribution of 20 per cent, of net profits for that year. A change in ownership of the enterprise resulted in a discontinuance of the experiment. Mr. Crump writes, "The effect was immediately noticeable; more work was produced of a higher class and at a lower cost than before, and all the employés took a greater interest in economy of time and material. A feeling of fellowship was also manifest and those who belonged to trade unions abandoned their membership."

23. The Woodstock Mills Company, of Norristown, Pa., adopted a plan of profit sharing in 1887, which was soon discontined on account of a change in ownership.

24. The Haines, Jones & Cadbury Company, of Philadelphia, Pa., manufacturers of brass and iron goods, adopted apian in 1887 which gave the laborers a bonus of from 6 to 8 per cent, on wages. Mr. Haines writes, "We adopted profit sharing among all our employés and kept it up for five years. In that time we divided some thirty housand dollars. We then abandoned it and now divide about two-thirds of it among twenty of our chief men and women, which I think is all right; but a general profit sharing, while in theory just, is in practice simply throwing money away." They are decidedly of the opinion that the practice reduces profits.

25. The Springfield Foundry Company, of Springfield, Mass., began to divide profits in 1887, and discontinued the plan after three years trial. The bonus amounted to 2 or 3 per cent, on wages. The firm say, "In our business, it was an injury rather than a benefit to us. We could not see any perceptible increase in the production of our men, nor interest in the care of their tools or material. On the contrary, our employés began to think that they were the proper parties to fix wages, and the prices at which we should sell the products. The employés were also careful to take advantage of their membership in the Labor Unions to enforce their demands. Since we have abandoned the system of profit sharing, these troubles do not exist."

26. The St. Louis (Mo.) Shovel Company, divided profits from 1887 to 1894. The plan was practically that of the Nelson Company, from whom they took the idea. Their opinion is that the plan decreases the profits of the firm, and "so long as Labor Unions dominate labor,