The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-08-30

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out into the fresh air.
As looked back upon the house, with
all its elegance, 1t seemed to me to have .
haunted air, as though the ghost of the
poor girl still lowered about Il.
"God only knows how many fearful Sc
crets such handsome homes may at times
shut in" said to myself, as I turned my
back upon it gladly.
have never seen the poor old lady since
that hour. Probably Margaret has kept
too close watch upon her.
Pensionfng Railroad Employees.
q scheme of the late William B. Ogden
for pensionine the employees Of the North
western Railroad which was never adopt.
ed, and noticing Mr.. Vanderbilt's prop0~
siti0n to make some permanent provision
for the w0rkmen on the roads which he
controls, suggested that the railroad man
ayers Of the country devise and mature
pension system for the railroad employees.
This morning we reprint an article from
the last number Of the Nation, which
gives an account of the workings of such
q system Ola an Austrian railroad, where
it has long been in operation under the
auspices and with the assistance of the
Company. The railroad in question is
known as the Stats Eisenbahn. Gesel.
schaft of Austria, operates about LOO
miles Of road, has acapital Of about $780,.
O00, 600 in gold, and employs more than
"a 500 persons. The Austrian system Of
caring for the employees is much broader
than would be desirable or feasible in
this country, a. it includes large tene.
ment houses and cottages which the Com.
pany rents or sells, stores for furnishing
provisions and clothes, rules for advancing
money to the employees to build houses
for themselves, churches, etc., etc. This
comprehensive scheme was necessary in
order to secure workmen for the construc-
ton of the road and the running of the.
shops which are largely located in remote
districts. 1t is to the pension system We
direct particular attention, as it will serve
as the basis for establishing similar sys-
tenn in this country, adapted to the differ.
ences in the management Of roads in
America.
The Tribune suggested In general way
that the railroad corporations. and espe-
cially the large ones, might stipulate that
all persons employed by them, after q
certain probation, should have permanent
employment during good behavior; that
the wages of all these persons should be
fixed by the Company after careful and
patient conference of representatives of
each class; that these wages should have
some degree Of cermanence. and not to be
changed except upon notice: that NO
change should be made except after con-
ference; that out of the wages of each
person employed there should be paid,
with the consent of the employed, to trus-
tees appointed by the workmen and the.
company, certain percentage, say ~ or
8 per cent, and the Company should pay
like sum, the whole to be invested, in
truss, in United States bonds, to pay all
workmen entitled to participate therein,
in CAGES Of permanent disability, or in
case of death to the widow, or children,
or personal representatives. The sum to
be paid to be proportional according to
the wages of the men when in service and
according to tie amount of the fund, all
of which is q matter of detail easily to be
adjusted" These are the principles
which underlie the Austrian system. On
the Austrian railroad the pension system
10 divided into three parts, viz: I. For
the officials of the road, who number
z. 1928 persons; 2. A Relief Fund collected
from those employees who are not regarded
as permanent, numbering 80 ,567 members;
aud, 8. The Pension Fund for permanent
employees, which number 9,O39 members,
and has now q value of about 500, 900
and annual contributions amounting to
about $65, 900. The Relief and Pension
Funds were established in 1850, and at the
close of 1876 the former had paid out
nearly $1,OOO,OOO for physicians fees,
medicines, hospitals, assistance furnished
members during illness, donations to wild.
ows, ETC.. and the Pension Fund $4O0, QUO
in pensions to n-out employees, and the
widows and orphans of deceased en-
ployes. Those permanently employed,
who sustain the Pension Fund, contribute
per cent. of their wages, and those tenn
porarilY employed per cent. of their
wages, while the Company contributes to
both funds 81 per cent. of the aggregate
amount paid by the employees. After ten
years of membership the pension is reck-
Oned at 80 per cent. of the average wages
of the last three years in case of death or
disability, and thereafter the amount of
| the pension increases at the rate of 3 per
cent. per annum, according to the term of
service, never to exceed, however, Is per
cent. of the wages.
There is NO reason why similar system
should not be adopted by the principal
American railways. It cannot be doubted
that it would encourage closer alliance
between the companies and their employees,
and that it would promote good conduct
by rewarding long service; it is certain
also that the employees will do better to con-
tribute their share to Pension Fund than
to set aside Us much or more, as they now
do in their Unions, to pay the expenses Of
strikes. The successful working of the
pension system ON the Austrian railway
for seventeen years, with noticeable effect
on the conduct and condition Of the work
men and the discipline of the road, should
encourage the experiment in this country.
Chicago Tribune.
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