Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 2.djvu/344

 330 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

Proudhon and the Principles of the Exchange Bank. Proudhon thought cial question one of the distribution and circulation of wealth which were one and inseparable. Under the present system there is a surplus over the cost of produc-
 * . tied) which goes to the capitalist class, to the manufacturers, land-

owners, and usurers. This makes two classes in society, the laborers and the capital- c interests of each class being opposed to those of the other class. The problem nd how these two classes may be reduced to one, all having the same interests, all enjoying and exercising the functions of laborer and capitalist. His solution was to do away with" i, v in exchange, and to issue "labor-checks "for articles pro-

duced M the tinu- required for their production. These checks should be full

legal-tender. He recognizes the elements of skill and industry in production saying that they should enter into the calculation of the time required for production. With ,-u-m of " labor-checks " the laborer would get all he produced. The question of the distribution of wealth would be solved. Being issued for goods already produced there would be no occasion for interest. Wealth distributed to each according to his production and tribute no longer paid to one class, the two classes of society would become one. But later Proudhon saw it was necessary for a man in business to have credit, so he also demanded that a government bank should be established, which should make loans upon good security. As a result of Proudhon's agitation many cooperative societies were formed in Paris and the Provinces in which his system of " labor-checks " was used. Proudhon, however, was soon imprisoned for agitating and this broke up these societies. His system never had a fair trial but it probably would have done good. H. DENIS in Zeitschrift fur Volkswirtschaft, Socialpolitik und Verwaltung.

The Matriarchal Family System. The matriarchal family system is not, as was thought by MacLennan and his followers, based upon a loose sexual relation. Succession in the female line did not take place because the father was unknown or in doubt. Such ignorance in regard to parents is not found among the animals from which man springs. The maternal system developed out of the paternal at a later stage of development. It came with exogamous marriage which does not develop until two tribes see the benefits of mutual help and seek to bring it about through closer relations obtained by intermarriage between them. In such marriages the hus- band may go to the wife's tribe, or the wife may go to the husbands tribe. In the former case the family is maternal, in the latter paternal. Self-interest is the cause of the maternal system. The tribe wants to get more men into it in order to strengthen it. This is the reason for the prevalence of the matriarchal system in a certain type of communities. The maternal family does not persist, however, because there is always the tendency to revert back to the paternal form found in lower life, and because the man, owing to his strength, is the natural head of the family. E. B. TVLOR in Nineteenth Century, July 1896.

The Miners of Mariemont, Belgium. It is of interest to us to see how this mining company at Mariemont has settled the labor question for its 6500 employe's. It is all the more interesting owing to the fact that the solution has been very satis- factory for twenty-five years. The plan of the company was r to build up patronage .n.-titutions and voluntary organizations on the part of the employes so as to solve the question of poverty and to make the men more "business-like" and economical. So these institutions are of two kinds, those introduced by the company (patronage insti- tutions), and those organized by the workmen themselves. Nearly all of the institutions have been in successful operation for twenty-five years.

The patronage institutions are a "precautionary fund," a "maturity fund," an " aid fund," and "medical help." These funds are all managed by commissions, the majority of their members representing the employe's. The " precautionary fund " pro- vides in case of accident or sickness. It is obtained by putting away .75 of one per cent, of the amount of wages, and the fines. One half of this .75 of one percent, is deducted from the wages, the other half is given by the company. In case of injury the employ^ for three months receives a sum equal to thirty per cent, of his wages, and