23 DECEMBER 1871, Page 21

DEPUTY GODIN'S SOCIAL REFORMS.*

Tux great defect of this book, as of so many French writings of the second order, is its verbiage and superfluity of matter. The author, who appears to have laboured sincerely and with entire fel- low-feeling for the amelioration of the condition of his workmen, over- loads an interesting and instructive account of himself and his achievements with quasi-philosophical observations on Fourierism, St. Simonism, and other social theories that would have been much better left in the limbo of failure to which they have long been con- signed by practical men. He boasts indeed of having raised the first work palace, in spite of the obstacles which new ideas always encounter. He has made the preparations needed for " integral association " among men, whatever that may mean, and has brought together " the elements which ought to combine for the equitable repartition of the fruits of prod uction,—between labour, capacity, and capital." Can one imagine Sir Titus Salt, Mr. Akroyd, Alderman Waterlow, or any of the builders of our work palaces talking or writing in such a strain ? But M. Godin, now Deputy in the French Chamber, has boon an enthusiast from infancy. " When sitting from the age of eight to ten on the bench of the village school, surrounded by a hundred and forty children, heaped one upon another in a poisoned air, and passing their time in play under the ferule of the master, instead of getting regular and profitable instruction, it often occurred to me that better methods might be adopted, and that I possibly was destined to be a teacher. But then another thought would arise, that I must devote myself to manual arts, in which I could give a great example to the world." This ambitious thought was pretty well for a delicate child that had to begin working at a forge at the age of eleven, and M. Godin represents it as a curious psycho- logical fact, which was repeated in every phase of his life, and exhibited an intuitive perception on his part of the line of duty that was cut out for him, and that in which he was destined to succeed. On quitting his father's country forge, young Godin sought employment and better knowledge of his craft among the workmen of the towns, whom he expected to find acting upon well-considered principles of scientific development. Hard daily labour from five in the morning till eight at night soon dissipated his illusions, and exhibited artizan life as little better than that of the beast of burden. Even then, in the midst of poverty and misery, he encouraged himself with the hope of being able some day to ameliorate the condition of workmeu and to raise labour from its degradation. The question of wages was " in a state of anarchy ; there was no rule of equity in the divi- sion of the fruits of labour ; supply and demand were the economic rule, without bowels or heart, which, when I had accomplished a task that brought exaggerated profits to the master, left me a salary insufficient for my wants, while, on the other hand, labour that was not very profitable to the contractor brought me higher pay. I believed in justice, but saw it nowhere in application. Was humanity condemned to gain a glimpse of the just and the good and never make a rational use of it ? Several years of this kind of existence and much reflection gave me confidence at length to start in business myself unaided and alone." M. Godin's business, the manufacture of iron stoves, prospered. He gathered workmen round him, and became what he calls " un chef d'indus- trie," or, as the English euphuism has it, an employer of labour. The business was toilsome, and the long days of eleven, twelve, even thirteen hours' duration was little better than slavery. The practice of the trade was to break the day into thirds or fourths, with intervals of an hour or half an hour for rest and food. When a workman was behind time in the shop he lost pay for the section of the day he had broken into, so that not unfrequently it would happen that a man lost the third of a day's wage for being a few minutes too late. Bad feeling, disputes, strike were too often the result of this severe discipline. M. Godin abolished the old system in his workshop, and engaged his * Solutions Sociales. Par M. Godin, Foudatour du Familistere do Chien, Chet d'Industrio on Franco of on Bolgiquo. 1871. Paris : A lo Ohovalior and Guillaumin ot. Co. Bruxelles : Ottlee do Publiciti5. men literally by the hour and introduced piece-work, which, from the flourish of fine phrases with which he accompanies his statement of the fact, he appears to think was a grand discovery. Equally wonderful is his plan of paying his men in sections, the wages of a fortnight being distributed every Tuesday and Friday severally to four different sets of men, in order to save them from that temptation to be jolly which springs from the general posses- sion of money. Fines are levied in the workshop for infraction of the rules, and the basis of a fund for the sick is thus laid. A. savings'-bank is established, and every encouragement given to the men to amass a little capital. The first three chapters of the volume before us refer to what our readers we think will care most to know. The sixteen which follow, consisting of more than four hundred pages, the author might well have left to other hands. His opinions on democracy, communism, association, public morality, pauperism, and many other branches of social philosophy possess no further interest than that which they derive from his application of them in practice. The history of this is to be found in the twentieth chapter, which gives a history of the " Social Palace," or Fundlistiwe, of Guise. A lithographic print gives the observer a bird's-eye view of this imposing structure, or series of structures. The factory is of enormous size, and contains foundries, warehouses, rooms for designing, moulding, enamelling and carpentry, besides counting-houses. These stand on one side of the river OW, on the other are three vast edifices, four to five stories high, flanked by smaller buildings, which make up the social palace. They contain lodgings for 1,200 to 1,500 persons, the rooms being ten feet high or thereabouts, and wide in proportion. In addition, there are schools, a theatre, a cafd, billiard•room, baths and warehouses, gymnasium, a nursery and " pouponnat," where, if the picture may be trusted, the children are as happy as French children always seem to be. There are shops, too, for provisions, a bakery, " boucherie," and grocery ; stables, coach-houses, and poultry-yards, not to omit the gasometer. The formation of this magnificent establishment re- flects infinite credit upon M. Godin, who has taken especial care that due attention shall be paid to cleanliness, ventilation, and those natural laws of health which men often show so much reluctance to adopt. The lovers of sweet repose will rejoice to learn that ;fleas are not permitted to live in the Familiatere. " After the first winter of occupation," says the author, " fleas made a rapid appear-

ance, beginning in the bedrooms of stranger workmen. In eight days they were gone. A powder made of coal-tar mixed with sawdust was sprinkled for two or three days in the courtyards and at the foot of the ventilating shafts, and the enemies of man's repose were scattered."

All the details of this wonderful place are given in M. Godiu's book, but it is wearisome in the extreme to read them. What can exceed the priggishness—we know of no better term—of the following passage :-

" The social palace must create for all, the means of an easy, economical, and progressive life ; it must give to the lodging and to all the institu- tions a character calculated to accomplish the primordial laws : for pre- serving and sustaining human life ; for the development and progress of human life ; for the equilibrium and harmony of human life ; in order to open to all the ways of [tight, of Duty, and of Justice."

After a page or two more that would astonish even Mr. Ruskin, the object of the builder of a model lodging-house is said to be, "'To seek as model in everything the True, the Good, the Well- being, the Beautiful, the Just."

Ah! M. Godin, we like your practice better than your precepts, and would rather go to Guise and look over your establishment than read through your book once more.