able requirements from the company, while making many unreasonable and impossible claims for themselves.
"Altogether we felt compelled, much to our disappointment and regret, to discontinue the plan.
"In conclusion I will venture to express the opinion, that before any system of industrial partnership or profit sharing possible to manufacturers, and hence practical and permanent can be introduced, there must be more, and to a very great extent radically different, fundamental teaching on the part of labor leaders and so-called labor and social reformers.
"As I read and observe I think workingmen hear much indiscriminate denunciation of the alleged selfishness, injustice and heartlessness of employers of labor, and but very little, if indeed anything, in the way of admonition or advice to themselves to do faithful, intelligent and efficient work, and in that way to command desirable positions and adequate pay. In the teaching of professed friends of labor much needs to be done first to disabuse the minds of workingmen of the prevalent idea that their employers are necessarily either their enemies, or entirely disregard their interests, and that everybody who has accumulated large wealth must have done it dishonestly and to the detriment or impoverishment of somebody else.
"When the 'New Day' of the 'Industrial Millennium,' of which reformers speak and write, is fully established it will have been brought about fully as much by the increased intelligence, industry, faithfulness and economy of wage earners as by the increased liberality of wage payers. If each would study more the common interests of both we should be nearer the dawn of better conditions."
This testimony is of significance because of the large number of employés, the length of time the experiment was tried, and the unquestioned good faith and high motives with which the plan was inaugurated and carried out. The dividends declared amounted to 2 or 3 per cent, on wages for the year.
20. Mr. W. Eliot Fette, of Boston, introduced the plan in his gas works in 1886. The workmen were to get a dividend on the dividend declared on stock. Since the fixed capital in this business is large such a dividend made quite an addition to wages. The plan was abandoned because of failure of dividends in recent years and lack of appreciation on the part of the men.
21. The Boston Herald divided profits in 1887, the dividend amount-