54 
II. — PRIVATE FIRMS AND COMPANIES. 
time in sympathy with the general * labour unrest ’ through 
out the country. They returned to work on practically the 
same terms as we offered them before they went out, and 
we have reason to believe that a large majority of them were 
led by a few, and kept from work by ‘ peaceful pickets,’ 
thus causing the whole of them to lose three or more weeks’ 
wages unnecessarily. We are giving our scheme a further 
trial, as it is certainly appreciated by the employees generally, 
and it has always been our wish to maintain harmonious rela 
tions with them. It has the effect of inducing them to take 
an interest in their work and teaching them to avoid waste; 
hut as the speed at which a great deal of our work is done 
cannot be accelerated through any effort of the employees, it 
is doubtful whether we are recouped for the extra expen 
diture, excepting through small savings made by care on the 
employees’ part to avoid waste.” 
Profit-Sharing in Gasworks. 
Out of the total of 106,189 persons employed by all the 133 
firms known to the Department to have profit-sharing schemes in 
operation, no less than 28,246 are in the employment of Gas 
Companies. A short account of the scheme in operation in 
relation to the employees of the South Metropolitan Gas Company 
of London, the pioneer of this form of Profit-sharing, will he 
of interest. 
South Metropolitan Gas Company. 
At the beginning of November, 1889, the South Metropolitan 
Gas Company, which had already been giving its officers and 
foremen an annual bonus dependent upon its profits since 1886, 
adopted a scheme of general participation. In March, 1889, 
“ The National Union of Gas Workers and General Labourers of 
11 Great Britain and Ireland ” was formed, and shortly afterwards 
succeeded in obtaining very considerable concessions in favour of 
men employed in gasworks. In August-September, 1889, the 
London dock strike took place; and a general movement was 
started for securing better terms of employment for the 
v/orking-classes, and especially for labourers doing heavy work 
demanding a minimum of technical skill, such as the work 
required in gas making. In the course of the autumn the Gas 
Workers’ Union made certain demands upon the South Metro 
politan Gas Company; these were not resisted, hut the company’s 
officials became convinced that further concessions wdiich the 
company would feel unable to grant would probably be put 
forward by the Union, and that “ a strike was likely to take place 
“ at any moment without any warning.” In order to avert this 
contingency, Mr. (afterwards Sir) George Livesey, the chairman 
of the company, induced the directors to assent to the adoption 
of a special system of Profit-sharing. The company employs a 
large number of workmen, some all the year round regularly, the 
others in winter only. The offer made (on November 6, 1889) to 
all the regular staff in the service of the company was as follows. 
The shareholders (as the law then stood) were allowed to receive a