The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-31
r,sToR ON RAILWAY INSURANCE
nov A. NJ. Williams Views Express
ed in II Letter.

+ba Labor Department OF the Ohi'
s.o+es 20 contains an interesting arti
I'm DR.. Johnson Of the University
p.r,svlvania on Railway Relief Depa
..s,.s These are hospital, insurance, a
-,,-.on features added to the legitima
business of transportation of these c.
,.,.,.ions. There are six such depa
r,so+s in this country. All of them und'
.oks TO aid their employees in one way
oro+ber. Three of them are voluntary, t
pennsvIvania, the western lines of t
parnsvlvania. and Burlington system
r,trae are compulsory, the Baltimore a
obio. the Reading, and the Plant system
In the voluntary systems it is stated t
o,m78nj5s pay larger per cent. of +
totai funds than is done by the compr
sory departments.
several weeks ago Rev. A. M. Williar
Of Wesley Monumental church, alluded
the Plant relief department in sermo
sneaking of it as a dangerous invasion
rbe rights of employees, and calling
corporation paternalism." Some one 70
uarjed to him the article in the Bullet
of the Labor Department, and Mr.. w
liams has sent criticism of the paper
its author and also to Mr.. Wright, Il
sble commissioner of labor. He wrote SUI
stantialy as follows:
savannah, Ga, Jan. 2S, 1S97.-My De
Sir. l have read the article in Bullet
of the Department of Labor No. s.
"Relief Departments of Railways" ,
attention has been specially directed
the system as adopted by the Plant s.
TEN. / know many of its employees, a.
have a knowledge of the opinion of L.
public in our section. My observatio
do not agree with those of the artic
Indeed, I think there should be legisl
ton in Georgia prohibiting many of I
features of the system.
It is very hard for an investigator
find the real opinion of the employees
those roads that compel their employ
10 spend their wages, or a part of the,
to suit the views of the managers. Gel
Jobs are not very plentiful, and many nm
submit to the demands made on ;Fm
while at heart they hate the system Yich
they are compelled to indorse. 1 Vuld
not be able to give names, but l d,not
believe / per cent. of the employees the
Plant system have gone volunJarilJinto
the relief association, Your article lays;
"Ninety-live per cent of employesnaVe
joined the department."
What right has any person to irect
the private affairs of an employee Has
not man the right to dispose 0 his
earnings as he pleases? Ii corpQtion
has the right to require its EMPLOYS to
spend a portion of their earningsn in
surance or give up the job, why as it
not the right to erect a church. nploy
a preacher, tax its employees somany
cents per month for his support seek
work elsewhere? No doubt regularserv-
ice make a higher standard of efficiency
in which both the public and the rail-
road companies would share; sure the
helpfulness would result from preehing
the doctrines of the brotherhood OF man.
the beauties Of peace and love. Sch q
system would call down the anahemas
Of all classes. 1t is strange, as We turn
away from the cOmpulsion of religion, the
world is so ready to indorse al other
forms of force If man is aheito take
care of his soul, why is he Ibt able to
care for his evil day? The compulsory
feature of the system is clerly an in
lnngtment on the personal rights of man.
Inc tendency of this system isalso clearly
socialsuc. 1t is corporation baternalism.
IL Is sure TO raise the question If corpora
ions take care per force 4 a part of
the community. why should hot the state
take care of all? Are we prepared to al
low that paternalism is best? The aver
age man is not able to take Gre of him.
sell, therefore we appoint ourselves his
guardian, if he will not accepfour guard
lanshlp, we will not accept lis services.
IL the assumption is true, The people as
whole may conclude that Mr.. Plant
needs guardian and use its authority to
take nm and his properly under its pro-
lect.ng wing. 1t would bave much ground
TO 90 on, as his life has not, in many re-
Spects been a broad one
Another objection tothe compulsory re-
hel system il that it breaks the unity of
lhe community. 1t separates the people
INTO little sections who meet together
nave their separate doctors, their insur-
dNce orders, etc. The Old plan seeks to
provide for the future by bringing the
uleH OF all classes, occupations and roads
mo maternal association. Nothing makes
harmony like knowledge of each other.
rms plan is like the old feudal plan: The
abroad owner Is the lord and the en-
pioyes are his vassels, the whole affair
Inc impression the department makes
va our people Is that it is a manifesto
nvH oil coVetonsness on the part of the
anus 1t looks like he was trying 10
IaAe money by an indirect reduction of
we wages Of his men. The contract he
lures OF his men provides that all
,'iu 10 damages from accident while
| Ie employment of the company or
ro, go iesuIIlng therefrom shall be sur.
1 ~ ttI Gu IN lieu Of this the members
ms society receive the accident bena-
us and death insurance. You can see
oNee the advantage the road gains.
oppose an employee is injured while on
S through the fault of another emnlova
ny no. nus own. Suppose he belongs to
4 ng 4, 5s pdia labor of the system, receiv>
,s 10 per day, and that his disability
I'm, S'@ months. According to his legai
4 eynsr.. ne would be entitled to surgical
/ hi -, ana 500. Under the relief policy
| nlo, "ou'u get $3.50, paid by his fellow en-.
I'M me road would be the gamer at
tbs IVY least calculation at the rate OF
d,y inference between $3.50 and s4.25 per
ssr AZ case of death the road would
%bvtioea 0ou1 The total Of it's alleged contri-
&eules 10 the department.. Under the
/|nstar VI u oeneYolence the wiry money
N enplaydss saving all legal liabilities to its
Eelie T| ~. a9t familiar with the rates of ac-
tass az ""u me insurance in this particular
III M 'ISKs' but comparing the cost
khst 'eA's given in your article with
in regular. Insurance cue nerra same
aa.. am inclined to think the raiias
esr''lent does not give as much 10 is
lbis,.' offer these thoughts on he
M snl, Noplng that you will investl Re
ism iiscl from the standpoint OF crltl,
0lg ~ o assuring you that / am any
'' 10 get at the truth. "a" INA
A. M William.