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04V INDC'STRIAL PARTNERSHIPS. 131
all these qualities; but if so, we arg forced to the conclusion
that the most able and conciliatory masters cannot, under the
ordinary relations of capital and labour, prevent their works
from becoming a constant exhibition of ill-will, conflict, and
riob. The Whitwood Collieries seem to me to furnish all tho
requiromerlts of a perfectly decisive experiment. The re-constitution
of the partnership in 1865 is tho only cause to which
we can attribute the undoubted change which has followed.
But the Commissioners remarked that when they reported
the plan had only been tested during a period of comparative
prosperity in tho coal trade. It might be answered that since
t,hey reported, the state of the trade has not been at all prosperous,
and yet there is no apparent effect. But I can fortunately
refer to a second independent experiment, which cntirely
negatives their remark.
V.
It happens that Messrs. Fox, Head & Co., of tho
Nemport Iron Works, Middlesbrougb, had up to the year
18GG suffered even more from strikes than tho Messre. Briggs.
Their works had stood id10 about one-fourth of tho time since
they had been opened, and at the close of the long strike o
1866, they determined to adopt a partnership scheme closely
similar to that we have been considering. The differences are
not of D material kind, but the importance of their case arises
from the fact that tho partnership was constituted just at the
commencement of a period of intense depression in the trade.
The collapse of 1866, and the cessation of railway works, have
rendered it di5cult -for any ironmnker to make a profit. In
their first two annual reports, Messrs. Fox, Head & Co. were
obliged to deciare to their men that there was no bonus to
divide, and it might have been expected that such disappointment
and *discouragement would have ended the scheme.
But the account,s were audited, and the result certified by
eminent accountants, and they were apparently received with
confidence by the men. In the third year of the scheme,
which has just ended, the proprietors were entrbled to distribnta
a bonus of 24 per cent. or 6d. in the pound, on all
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