The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-19
RELIEF DEPARTMENTS WORK.
DIR. : r. BARR TO AID DIR. r. II.
CALDWELL IN ORGANIZATION.

He Has been superintendent OF the
baltimore and OhIO's Relief De-
partment for Twelve Yeaes-He
VIII Go over the Plant System
With DR.. CaIdweII-What He Says
OF the Benefits and Plans OF Re
lief and Hospital Departments.
How IL Works With the b. and o.
Does Not Take Away the En-
ploye's Right to Sue for Damages.
Dr. s. r Barr, superintendent Of the
relief and hospital department OF the Bal
timore and Ohio railroad, arrived in ahe
city yesterday. and after spending some
time with General Superintendent Dun
ham Of the Plant system. left the city
last night to join DR.. +. H. Caldwell at
Waycross.
The Baltimore and Ohio railroad was
the first railroad in the country to inaug-
urate department of this kind. DR.. Barr
was with it when it was begun. and has
been at the head Of it since 1884. Since
that time the Pennsylvania railroad has
organized two such departments. one for
the lines east of Pittsburg and the other
for the lines west Of that city, and the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, the Phil
adelphia and Reading and the West Vir-
ginia Central and Pittsburg have adopted
practically the same plan as that in op-
Grafton by the Baltimore and Ohio. Tine
Grand Trunk line Of Canada has some
thing on the same order, though not ex-
actly like it, and several other lines have
hospital systems though not on the order
of this department.
The Plant system starts with sixteen
years experience, and practically ahead
of all other" DR.. Barr said yesterday,
when seen by a representative of the
Morning News. "Our department on the
Baltimore and Ohio has now about 1900
members, and there is no question about
its being most favorably thought of both
by the company and the employees. We
only require those in the operating depart
ment to become members of this depart
ment but it is so favOrably thought of
that the majority Of those in the clerical
department have also become members of
1t.
A.. The Plant system has made some i'm
'proVements on the plan of the Baltimore
and Ohio, and was in a position to do so
as II has had the benefit of the experience
or other lines, which have such depart
ments. We have some features, however,
which the Plant system has not intro
duced, namely, a savings bank feature,
building and loan feature and a pension
feature. The Plant system may add these
features TO its plan later on, however.
Il shall join DR.. Caldwell and go over
the system with him to render whatever
assistance I can. It Is necessary in many
Instances to explain the plan in detail to
the employees, and there are other feat
ures besides to be looked after.
There ia no question about the sue
cess Of these plans, and the employees
know It whenever they understand fits de
tails It Is far better for the men than
any other assessment institution they can
go into, because the company pays a
large part Of the expense and agrees to
make good any deficit which may exist
at the end Of any fiscal year. Under
these circumstances the assessments do
not Increase, but are Il fixed amount as
stated
DR. Barr was asked whether member
ship in this department precluded any
claim or suit for damages on the part Of
an employee who was injured, or by his
family II he was killed.
mo" he replied, 1T does not interfere
at all with their rights in that respect.
The courts have decided that question in
several instances. An employee can elect
himself whether he WIN claim or sue for
damages. or take the benefits offered by
this department He cannot however do
both, 1t is a question, however In most
instances at least whether he would gain
more by an action against the road than
by the benefits from the relief and hospi-
tai department In cases of total disa-
bility the department pays the employe
a regular amount every year besides the
benefit at death, carrying his Insurance.
without expense to him, all of which IN
doubtedly amounts to more in the long
run than he would ordinarily receive by
a suit for damages. We have
one employe on our list now we have
been paying a yearly amount for total
disability every year since 1882 and bv
our calculations we estimate that we will
have to pay him this stated amount for
thirty-six years more, besides the death
benefit when he dies"
DR.. Barr explained that the men have
the right, also, to take a larger amount Of
insurance than the maximum provided for
in their class, UP to $1,000. by paying the
monthly assessments for the class thew
desire to take. DR.. Caldwell has been
over the Charleston and Savannah divis-
ion of the system, and is now on the Sa
vannah, Florida and Western. Practical
ly all of the employees of the system are
becoming members of the department and
they realize as soon as 1t is fully explain-
ed to them, that it is decidedly to their
advantage and benefit.