Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-01-16
BENEFIT Departments
As They Are Run On Some Local
Railroads.
How the Interests of the Employees
Are Improved by Membership IN
These OrganizatiOns-How They
Are Run on the 3. & o. and Pan
Handle.

In recent years corporations employ
Ing a large number of men have CT
ganized as dsparments of their bust
1ss various classes Of mutua, benefit
facilities, with the end in view of re-
str.cting. if not entirely doing away
with. costs and payments by reason Of
litigation which they were often subject
to. and also for aiding the employee
Ly business systems. to better save MS
wages. TO become the owner Of his
home. 10 be sure Of assistance in SICK
ness or disability, and in some cases
assuring uhe payment as a pension OF
certain sums waere old age or injury IN
service have rendered Jhe employe IN
ht TO entirely provide for himself and
l3mily, and nGal.y in JAa event oil de1'A
IRON either accident or natural causes
an insurance benefit 10 as fanny OF
a5irs.
The railroad companies Of the country
probably have the most advanced al
jIncJs along these lines TO their man
business OK any other corporations or
companies in the country, and they are
ylrious.y known as Relief Dcplrt
meu,s. voluntary or compulsory, or
Employees Benefit Association, with d.
visions of the same fer insurance, sick
ness, l0Ining, saving ana pensions. All
such arrangements are to-day, however,
recognized and made a distinct depart
rs.tf L.
ness, managed directly by the COM
p3ny. But che particular way Of con-
ducCug the same outside OF salaries
paid the medical stan is carried along
with that OF the cost of service In such
other epar,mentso of the road as can car
~ the same along and keap proper charge
of It's business, so thaI no sa.3ry or
clerk hire charges are made against the
emplcye or Department of Relief or
Benefit direct, and the roads also allow
their employees 10 participate in the car
ryiug on of the department. and its
workings.
Tle b. 6; o. and Panhandle systems
probably have The mos. complete and
progre ssive Relief Departments, So
called. of any roads in the country. md
were about the first railroad corpora
tons, if not the frs, to inauguraJe me
system of this country. The r. & o.
have always, and do now, conduct what
is known as the compulsory, tnd the
Panhandle the voluntary systems.
The Register finds that the general
business public in Wheeling, and TO
some extent the railroad men them
selves, know only in a general way as
to the present workings and opec3tiOns
Of these Departments of the roads men
toned, those ines pass in and out
of MS city.
As minated before il would seem
that the departments We're organized to
save litigation. assist the railway en-
plCyes in the different ways suggested.
and also give him the opportunity to
make small payments where he could
ri least hope for returns instead of
having him subjected each time the
pay car appeared to contribute to de
mands made upon him by families Of
deceased or sick railroad men. where
those worthy gifts would be larger than
the cost to him Of the present Relief
Department and with less certainty Of
doing the proper good.
The features 20 be spoken of in this
article VII more or less completely
apply 10 beth of the railroad companies
mentioned, except that the B. e o.
requires all Of its men in the dangerous
branches Of its service 10 become mem
bers Of the department. while that of
the Panhandle S purely voluntary.
and the b. & 0. road has certain addi-
t.onal features in it's department of
relief that are not undertaken by the
Panhandle.
The relief fund for the payment of
sick. accident, death, natural or violent
and pension benefits, was. Of course.
started by the companies setting aside
a certain sum for that purpose. and this
same fund. which includes a saving and
borrowing one for the employees of the
b. & o., was originally started in this
way. and to it is added the dues paid
each month, interest and gifts. and the
companies also guarantee the fund and
payments entitled 10 be made there
from. The var Gus benefits of the do
partment are arranged in classes with
respect to those for sickness and insur-
a1ce with a limit fixed as to amount
Of monthly dues and benefits to be paid
in case Of accident, sickness or death.
and the emplOya may choose Ne classes
to great extent He Is also permitted
10 carry life Insurance IN addition 20
that provided IN other classes of acct
dental or violent death while in the
service. The employee under contain
regulations may also borrow money to
build or improve q home and pay the
same back by monthly dues In connec-
ton with additional dues paid for life
insurance. pension. sickness and acc,-
dent as provided for by the regulations
OF the different classes, his wages or
choice. 50 il would seem that railroad
employees are projected IN various ways.
and their families. and 20 an amount
they are able or choose to carry. for a
small monthly payment. no greater.
possibly. than wha. they formerly gave
away TO help disabled railroad men and
their families. The savings feature of
the 3. &c O. road has grown to great
proportions within the last few years.
Employees are allowed SO per cent. on
their deposits and up 70 January 1. '96.
there was 20 The credit of this feature
in the Department about 100000. and
the total amount loaned employees in
the year 1888 will reach about the sum
of 100000 The sum of about S36. 900
was paid durHg the year 1895 to pen
sioners under this department. and the
sum of about $4,000 was disbursed
during the year 1895 on account of the
relief feature. In each of these fea.
lures Of the department are correspond
ing large assets. The figures given
are for the whole B. 80. system. and are