REAL PROFIT-SHARING.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12874, 18 August 1910, Page 1

REAL PROFIT-SHARING.

In the" "Socialist Review" Mr Ren Turner, general president of the Textile Union, describes what l;e calls a splendid Hudderr.ncld exampb of pro-fit-sharing. It is the b".-iness of W. Thomson and Sods, Woodhouse Mills, Huddeisfi?ld> which makes worsted and woolloa cloths. . Every ounce of cloth is made from pure wool. No shoddy or cotton adulteration is allowed about the place. It originated in 1886, when Mr Thomson, called together a number of co-operators, trade unionists, and personal friends, and laid before them . his scheme of labour co-partnership. Mr Ruskin sent his blessing. Judge Hughes gavo it praise. Every year it has been a moral success, and, excepting three, a financial one. During these tinea years the workpeople shared in the loes as well as the profits. The workpeople met and resolved that out of their earnings they would pay the shareholders' their five per cent; interest. The;shareholders were paid their five per cent., but many:of them.returned it.' The "piece" system was abolished . at Thomson's many years ago:— "Every Friday, work or play, slack time or busy time, whether playing for weft or warps, or anything else, the workpeople get their wages. It if? for a 48 hours' week. There is no overtime, and there is no driving. The men and women-work free and easy, and there is an absence of all rush; whilst there is no skulking about, dodging work, or shying work, as sometimes happens where driving is in force. There is no married worn* n at the place. When a woman marries she lias to leave. They -give her a marriage portion of five or ten pounds, according to lejigth of service: She also retains hec shares in the concern. There" are not "two* sorts of share-holders,-som©- with votes and s-j-v.a with none, as happens in many profitsharing shops: 'Here all are equal, and all have an equal share of management". It is a pleasure to go to a half-yearly meeting; there ar? ho .shareholders growling and grunting about, the interest,, or tlie profit, or the -expenses. There is trust and brotherhood. The same spirit prevails in the'mill. There rs ro oeepii'g about to see if anybody isn't doing the ir hardest.' There is ho' foreinau driving theni to bigger- spged,' there is real co-operative brotherhood- and what Mr Thomson hoped for is partly realised—namely, 'man mending.'" They have a scheme of old age pensions on a non-contributory basis. At 65 a man, or at 60 a woman, can get his pr her pension. At 60 and 6-5 respectively, they must cease work.