Facsimile PDF - Online Library of Liberty

cumstances for B workman to bo zealous and skilful? If he
be but moderately efficient and active, tho union will support
hiin if discharged, and will oppose him if bo seoka for better
\rages than his companions. UTtlless, as I believe is very
generally the case, real honest,y and love of doing his work in
a workmanlike manner stimulate him, he can really have no
motive for doing more than the averago amount of work.
JVo know that unions often opposo piece-work, or any such
arl-angernent as sccures a reward proport,ional to energy.
When I think of all those thinga, I am surprised that work
is so we11 done as it is; tllero must be a strong power of
energy and howsty behind.
Tho advocates of industrial partnerships wish to see honest
1;Lbour meet with its due reward. They consider that combination
should be in n perpendicular, and not in a horizontnl,
direction. The master is to combine with his men, to Lo their
true lender, nnd after all the ordinary costs of wages, interest,
and suprintcndenco are provided for, the surplus is to be
fairly divided an1011g all who have contributed towards it.
T‘llerc is no reason whatever, except long-standing custom,
why tho capitalist should take all tho risk and have all the
excess of profits. Workmen generally cannot wait beyond
tho week’s end for thcir wages, and thus they have been
obliged to part with all interest in their products €or au immediato
payment; but theoretical soundnew is in favour of a
totally different arrangement. In every work there are a
thousand opportunities where the workman can either benefit
or injure the establishment; and could he really be made to
feel his interests identical with those of his employers, there
can be no doubt that the profits of the trade could be greatly
increased in many mea.
111.
Here I would point ont that the Report
of the Trades
Union Commissioners is not only erroneous aa regsrds qnestiona
of theory relating to industrial partnerships, but is, in