(_System_)

WHY THE EMPLOYEES RUN OUR BUSINESS

A BUSINESS OF THE WORKERS, BY THE WORKERS, AND FOR THE WORKERS--HOW
IT SUCCEEDS.

BY EDWARD A. FILENE

"I know I am right. Leave it to any fair-minded person to decide."

"Good enough," I replied; "you name one, I will name another, and
let them select a third."

She agreed; we selected the umpires and they decided against the
store!

It had come about in this way. The store rule had been that cashiers
paid for shortages in their accounts as--in our view--a penalty for
carelessness; we did not care about the money. This girl had been
short in an account; the amount had been deducted from her pay, and,
not being afraid to speak out, she complained:

"If I am over in my accounts, it is a mistake; but if I am short, am
I a thief? Why should I pay back the money? Why can't a mistake be
made in either direction?"

This arbitration--although it had caused a decision against
us--seemed such a satisfactory way of ending disputes that we
continued the practice in an informal way. Out of it grew the