amounting in numbers to almost the population of the chief town of Westmorland, to one - third the population of the entire country of Greenland. Nearly three thousand persons-the majority of whom have homes and families of their own-dependent upon the skilful enterprise of some half-dozen heads or principals! Looked at in its widest sense, how great the responsibility of these half-dozen! And yet no legal responsibility, for they may take the narrowest view of their position, and, regarding themselves as the mere hirers of these men's labour, consider their bounden duty ended with the payment of each one his wages at the stroke of two o'clock on Saturday. And even did the relation end here, and were no effort made for the moral or educational welfare of the employés, we should still be compelled to acknowledge the benefit done to society by the providing of the means of subsistence for thirty hundred individuals. But the acknowledgment of justice would be followed by the instant reflection, "How much more good might have been done by the exercise of a little thought for the after condition of these men!" What do Messrs. Spottiswoode consider as due from themselves to their men, and to what extent do they endeavour to carry out their duty? Both of these questions will best be answered by setting down as closely as possible a conversation which the writer enjoyed a short time ago with one of the principals* of the firm of Messrs. Spottiswoode and Co., upon the subject of this article.

"I should like,” I said, " to hear from you, as a representative em

ployer, what you consider to be fairly due from a master to the men engaged in his service."

"Well, I do not see how I can better answer your question than by stating the principles upon which we, my brother and myself, regulate our own establishments. We have, as I said, towards three thousand men and boys in our employ. We take lads at thirteen years of age, and, as no boy can be expected to have done his schoolmaster credit at thirteen, we put them to school for three years. The school is our own, on our own premises, and taught by our own master, who is assisted by some of the young men from the higher departments, all of whom have themselves benefited by his teachings in earlier years. Our school is divided into two branches-an upper and a lower-the second for the younger lads, and the first for the reading lads' who have reached a more advanced stage. We number about sixty and one hundred respectively in the two divisions."

"The schooling is given gratis, and is a voluntary institution, of course."

ments.

Institute,' established upon the regular principle, and with committee, treasurer, chaplain, and honorary officers. The workmen form the members; and anyone desirous of joining is balloted for as at a West End Club. A small subscription, of course, is paid by the members, but the principals provide a reading-room which is open to all. The institute embraces a discussion club (we had a capital debate on politics a few nights ago); and a literary section, the members of which give readings and dramatic entertainments on certain evenings of the week, which are very well attended. We have besides a musical society. And in the summer months we have our cricket and athletic clubs, the latter being a permanent institution, which, in the winter, is carried on under shelter."

It struck me, as it would have done any other, that so large an organisation had neither developed itself, nor was carried out with the sole assistance of the men, and I said:

"From whom now does the impulse come which starts all these institutions?"

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Well, probably the leading idea is given by one of the principals. I myself, for instance, may make a suggestion, and set the men to work, but when once started, the machinery which keeps all going is provided by the men themselves, who are very quick and intelligent in developing schemes which have been proposed. And although they like to see us among them, and always count upon us at their committee meetings, where we are expected to speak and criticise freely, they do not hang upon the principals, but are thoroughly independent. need hardly say that it is our principle to cultivate a spirit of

I

amongst them to the fullest possible extent. We find it not only to their but to our interest that they should judge and act for themselves wherever possible. Let me give you an instance of the independence which I may say is characteristic of their general doings. Some time ago a couple of men were on a visit to a sick comrade at a charitable institution, and while there were struck with the idea of giving a concert for the benefit of the charity. They did so, arranging everything amongst themselves, and were enabled by the proceeds to purchase a life governorship of the asylum; nor would they be satisfied but that the donation should be entered in the name of a principal of the firm."

My friend spoke of his chaplain, and I remembered to have been told that a number of religious guilds were amongst the features of his establishment. I put the question, and inquired whether religious influence was brought to bear upon the men?

"It is, to this extent: a chaplain is permanently engaged, who goes amongst the men at his pleasure, converses with them on all topics of interest to them, secular and religious, and is the personal friend of many of them."

With the memory of some not altogether wise attempts on the part of a few commercial firms to introduce clericalism amongst their employes, I suggested that, although clerical counsel might be of the best, it might also be other than good, and might even proceed to spiritual tyranny.

"Of course it might'; but I do not think there is any spiritual tyranny in our establishment. We should not countenance it in the first place; and the men would not stand it in the second. Our late

chaplain was with us for fifteen years, and in illustration of the relation in which he stood to the men, I may say that they came to him to be married, and brought their babies to him to be christened. There are many ways, too, in which a clergyman may get at the men, where the principals would have no chance. We are known to be Churchmen here, but we do not obtrude our religion upon our men, and they are of all denominations. The chaplain presides over a Communicants' Union held periodically on the premises, attendance at which is open to all who choose to come. Several Nonconformists come to to the meetings without communing, and from top to bottom of the establishment no one has a mark set on him for his religious faith."

"Do you," I next asked, "find it possible to exercise any personal influence over individual members of your staff?"

"With a staff numbering between two and three thousand, it is, of course, impossible to touch the units to any great extent. But we do endeavour, and with some success, I believe, to reach them through their own chiefs. I, for instance, talk with a foreman on any subject of interest to the men, and he, I trust, translates such of my observations as he considers expedient into the vernacular, and causes them to be spread through the workshops. But there are many times when I do see men in my own room. They are encouraged to bring any matter of moment to themselves direct to the principals."

"I know that your men are liberally waged; but do you take upon yourselves any responsibility as to their disposal of their earnings ?"

"To make any rules in that direction would amount to inter

ference on our part; but we do this much, we endeavour to cultivate habits of thrift in our men by providing a savings bank, which all are encouraged to use; it is largely used, the more readily, I daresay, because we pay the depositors interest at the rate of 5 per cent. for their money, which becomes in a small way part of the capital of the concern. But I should not omit to say that we do more than merely take care of men's savings-we make them actual partners in the firm by sharing profits."

"Indeed! Then you are practically carrying out cally carrying out a theory of philosophy which the author himself styled Utopian at the time that

he uttered it."

"Yes, I am aware whose the theory is. As regards its application here, the result, I may truly say, has been wonderful. We make no great pretence about the matter, and see that we ourselves are well taken care of first. But after the principals have been provided for, a certain sum is shared amongst all men whose wages amount to 27s. a week; and last year the sum divided was very considerable. This then you see is our principle. We do our utmost to provide for the welfare of our men, and at the same time stimulate them to stand on a footing of honest independence. We are glad when they get a little money of their own, for a man with something in reserve and a house of his own is a rational being, and quite independent of the Union. By the way, we don't allow our men to belong to the Union, but neither do we ourselves join the Masters' Union, and so the contract is fair and open on both sides. We are, in fact, a family, a little world of our own. There are many here whose connection with the firm is as old as my own, and for the most part we see none of that restlessness amongst

our hands which is the worst possible characteristic of the working man. The men trust us, and we trust them."

If we pronounce this, in its perfect organisation, in the number of its social institutions, in the spirit of loyalty and contentedness which appears to reign supreme, to be a model firm, we shall scarcely be accused of rating its excellent features at too high a mark. Its government is a true radicalism; its internal arrangements and their evident beneficial effect show "the educative power of wise laws." The most remarkable lesson we draw from it, however, is the practicability, nay, the thorough utility, of Mill's scheme of the division of profits. This, it will be remembered, he put forward as the final means to the great end of identifying as far as possible the interests of masters and men. Nor can it be doubted that this indeed is the solution of the problem. Prove to a man that upon his own personal endeavours depends the full profit he is to reap, that upon the successful conduct of the enterprise as contributed to, in however small degree, by himself, his ultimate gain rests, and you give him at once the most practical reason for putting forth his best energy. And, as all other relations grow out of and depend upon the commercial relation, the path is smoothed towards unity and harmony of feeling.

We shall not stay to consider how far the pleasant and healthful relations which prevail in this firm are due to exceptional qualities in the principals; it is sufficient that the possibility is proved of zeal and loyalty as characteristics of the attitude of labour towards capital.

The well-known firm of Messrs. Cassell, Petter, and Galpin presents us with another form of the system of division of profits amongst the staff. We find here,

amongst many other excellent institutions for the social and intellectual welfare of the employés, a scheme, emanating directly from the firm whereby, with the view of benefiting those who have already given, or who may hereafter give, long and faithful service to the firm in the various departments of their business, there is set aside, from year to year, a fixed proportion of the profits to form a fund out of which certain benefits may at the discretion of the firm be paid.

The scheme provides for the payment of a sum of money, varying according to length of service, to the family or representative of any person who may die in their employment after seven, fourteen, or twenty-one years' service; or, as the case may be, for the payment of a bonus of similar amount to those who, having served at least seven years, may be incapacitated by old age, after the age of sixty-five, or who may before that age be totally unable to perform any labour, owing to accident or to incapacitating disease, such as blindness, paralysis, insanity, &c. It further provides for paying an addition to the amount payable by the sick fund on the death of a member. The addition intended is £5 if the member shall have been in the employment of the firm for less than seven years; and £10 if for upwards of seven years. There is, moreover, a sum allotted to meet cases of extreme emergency or unforeseen calamity occurring to individuals, whether their term of employment has been under or over seven years. Thus, anyone who may have died, or who may die, whilst in Messrs. Cassell, Petter, and Galpin's employment after having been seven years with the firm, will have at once secured to his family one of the following amounts, according

Overseer or

to his rank: If an managing clerk, £50; if a clicker, sub-foreman, or first clerk, £37 10s.; if a workman, workwoman, or clerk, £25; and so on in increasing amounts when the length of service has extended to fourteen or twenty-one years.

These benefactions are distinctly understood as free gifts, and are intended as rewards for good service and faithful attachment of which those of the firm itself are the sole and absolute judges. It is clearly set out therefore that the benefit arrangements are purely voluntary on Messrs. Cassell's part, and may be withdrawn should they see fit reason; nor is the scheme in anyway allowed to hamper them in engaging or discharging their employés, or in giving effect to regulations for the proper carrying

out of their business.

Let us turn and view the domestic aspect of our subject. And in considering this, we should far exceed all reasonable limits of a magazine article were we to attempt to adduce one-half of the examples which might be quoted to prove the efforts that are being made on all sides to readjust on a permanent and salutary basis the relationships between employers and employed. We should have to describe in detail the arrangements of that great colony of wholesale houses in Wood-street in the City; to turn, then, to certain famous establishments in St. Paul's Churchyard, and, having exhausted the City, we should be compelled to travel westward and make our readers acquainted with the internal organisations of the vast wholesale and retail houses of Regent-street and Oxford-street. All this it would be obviously impossible to do, nor would it be in any way necessary for our present purpose. All that we shall attemptis, therefore, without selecting

any

one establishment, to summarise from facts that we have gathered, the leading customs and institutions of the representative amongst them.

It is a feature of the principal London trading houses to board their employés. In many of the quiet squares of the City two or three entire buildings are rented by a single firm for the accommodation of their staff of assistants. The male and female hands occupy separate dwellings. Some firms provide houses for their clerks in the suburbs, and a few such carry them by conveyance to the place of business. With regard to this prac tice of boarding the workpeople, we are not to be led into considering as wholly a kindness or consideration for the employés what is merely sanctioned by custom, and is moreover commercially beneficial to the firm. With all the staff under one

or more semi-official roofs, punctuality of attendance is insured, and an amount of personal surveillance able to be exercised which would not be otherwise possible: in the case of an outbreak of fire, too, or of an attempted burglary, such an arrangement would not be without its advantages. It is in the special and extra arrangements made for the personal comfort of the residents that we find the evidences of interest or neglect on the part of employers. Looking, for instance, to the question of freedom from restraint after the hours of work, one notes the regulation in such or such a house which allows the young male clerks to remain out till a late hour of the evening. But, entering another establishment, one's feelings undergo a change, for one finds here such comfortable indoor appliances that, though the liberty is the same, there is little inducement to seek the means of amusement outside. Here may be seen