The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-17
BUSINESS AND PHILANTHROPY.
How Social Work II Conducted ~ the
Knapp Foundries.

How Social work Il Conducted Ut th,
Knapp Foundries.
That interesting Asld Of social expert
menl. the Krupp foundries At Essen, Ger
many, which. BY The way. have got bsyont
the point Of experimentation, 10 slaboFately
described in the surrsnt issue OF ths anAals
Of The American Academy Of Political and
Social Science. "The total number Of nsn
employed BY the Kruppa and aasosss
BY their social experiments WAS. &C
coydius 10 the csnsua taken In this year
25, zoo, and with their families amountsd t.
$500 peSsvns." says that journal. "ani.
puubsr was much smaller when the mrs.
experiments were began. but We nave nefs
an opportunity TO = series =. *,
century, and directly affecting : humble!
Of employees rising from 5000 to 25.OOO. and
. number of psrsons varying from oH:uo
to over So, 900. So huge ana unaef-
takin z on the part OF the Rrsatsss INDUS
of the greatest In the world. Ia deserving OF
more than passing attention. The ccrror-
alton Dulles and rents all the dwellings for
its workmsn, provides co-opsratiye stores
aad boaeding accommodations for unmaf-
ried men. attends to the prevention OF sick.
meas and disease by methods worthy OF
inros confederation. The death rate In the
vofkippmen's quarter OF the City of Essen
before the Knapp buildings were con-
structed was over i've per csht. since we
beginning Of tho Krupp social acheme ths
highest death rate has been IL per cent,
for the period only 1.23 per cent. The lives
of all their employees are required by law to
be insured, and in addition Mr.. Krupp pro
yides a pension and relief funds for the in
jured and bsseaved.
In order to raise the standard OF family
life and maintain efficiency aud content
msnt among the employee something more
was needed than cheap, sanitary dwellings,.
md MIR. Krupp soon gave careful consider
alton TO plans for educational Advantages,
especially for the ohildrsa, and to tho
schemes for providing amusement n rec
reation. Tn arm. owing to the OYER,
crowdinp of the Sistrictschools, established
private common schools. and now the
larger part of the children in all the colo
niea recsiye their education in the hrn's
schools. Instruction Is free. and the
tire cost Of buildings. salaries and admin
lstrat,on. together with o school library
md a botanical garden, is paid by the hrm.
The advanced schools in Essen and In
Alendorf are partially supported BY, and
are, bv special arrangement. open free TO
apprentices of the works. The instruction
il elective, and courses in drawing, Ger
man, French, natural sciences. mAthsmat-
Its, mechanics. history, sss; are offered; a
Ye2IlY UCUOOl y va ASSS
Alendorf, and Of $3.50 IN Essen. Over 600
of the pupils In these schools belong to
families connected with the Krupp works.
The industrial schools arc divided into
two classes-one fox women ana girls ovst
IA. and the other for children. They teach
sewing. knitting and eTochettink. a roo OF
remains Ave months the full amount paid,
2b cents, 10 placed TO the child's credit in
the savings fund. The education OF az
prentiOes also receives special attention.
The length of the working day is from
six q. No.. TO six p. M, with thee dltterent
intervals of rest aggregatine a minimum OF
two hours per day. Night and day wotk is
90 arranged that it is equally. divided
among ali; tho length of time for night
work is from six p. m. to 4:30 q. m, with a
half hour pause. Excluding pauses,
therefore, the actual working time
is ten hours a, day; ormerly
Per day, and. including pauses. thiiteen
hours. Lateness in arriving ut work Is
punished by a fine, and promptness. to the
extent of only one lateness in q year. IL
rewarded by q small money payment added
to the wages at the end of the year. About
81 per cent Of the employes are entitled at TO
dren are not employed In the works..
The religious teaching ia left completely
in the hands of the Catholic and Protestant
%clsreymsn, the salaries of several being
paid by the Krupp firm. For the care of
the sick. Evangelical and Catholic sisters
have been supported. and w%orkingmen's
associations. libraries, kindergarten schools
and various other forms of work affecting
the laboring people have been done, in
part, or at the sole cost of the firm, which
has publicly announced itself willing to
materially assist any and every practicable
movement and effort on the part OF third
parties to improve the moral. physical. and
intellectual condition of their employees.
The Krupp firm considers that it has boon
able. through its social work. to SO fully
center the interests of its employees in the
n~eiqhborhood in which they live. and SO
unite them with the interests of the firm,
and they have exhibited less desire to
change employment, have been less affected
by labor disturbances in other parts of the
country. and have been held at lower wagea
than would have otherwise been possible.
Herein consist the advantages and the
money return.