Huntsville gazette., 1889-04-27
RELIEF SOCIETIES.
One Way OF Preventing Labor Troubles ON
Great Railroad Systems.

One Way of Preventing Labor Troubles ON
Great Railroad Systems.
Seeing as we do the many lines in
the country grouped into large sys-
TENS whose ownership will no doubt
remain stable in years to come, per-
manence of employment and stability
of position is easy to be guaranteed
and the corporations can now better
secure their own rights and strengthen
themselves against the encroachments
of the public by drawing their en-
ployes more closely to them, showing
that paternal care and solicitude for
them which tend to establish good
feeling ard community OF interest.
Relief associations under the guild
ance of the companies will do this.
They are flourishing on the Baltimore
& Ohio and the Pennsylvania railroads.
The organization on those roads may
be taken as the type of what other
companies should do. On the former,
the scheme originated with the elder
Garrett nearly ten years ago. AT its
organization all employees could join
without regard to age. After short
period those over forty-five years and
those who could not pass a medical
examination were not allowed to join.
All persons employed regularly by the
company are required to pass medi-
cal examination, must be under forty
five years of age, and must join the
relief association. Thus it will be
seen that nearly all their employees are
members. The compulsory feature
looks to an outsider like hardship,
but the obligation is on him only who
seeks employment.
The employees are divided into two
classes-hazardous and nOn-hazardous;
and these two classes are divided
into five others who pay into a
fund certain fixed sums each month,
according to the amount Of wages
regularly received. Benefits are
paid in weekly indemnities in
cases of sickness and disablements and
a gross sum to the beneficiary when
death occurs. They vary according to
the amount contributed. Free medical
and surgical attendance is given;
hospitals are established; physicians
are appointed at convenient places
along the line. The company has con-
tributed 100000, the interest of which
at six per cent. goes into the fund
yearly. 1t also puts $25, 900 a year
into a superannuation fund. A build
ing loan association has also become
quite popular.
There are many other liberal features
of which limited space will not permit
an enumeration.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company
has also adopted system of relief
similar to that of the Baltimore e.
Ohio, but not so extensive. 1t is en-
tirely voluntary and numbers over
10000. 1t rapidly increases in popu-
larity as its benefits become more ap-
preciated.
In both companies the employees are
rapidly leaving the local benevolent
associations; they find they can insure
themselves with the aid OF solvent
and powerful company for much less
money than in the thousand and one
local lodges whose solvency depends
on the honesty of a secretary or q
treasurer.
Other systems Of relief, but to a
minor extent, have been adopted by
the railway companies-notably free
hospital service for the sick and dis
abled upon the Santa Fe and Missouri
Pacific, all of which materially lessons
the number of claims for damages and
subsequent costly trials and judgments
in the courts.-L. o. Goddard, in
Century.