El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-07
The MERIT SYS-
TEN ON THE G. H.
Three Years Experience Has
Proved 1t a Success.

IuI CO C0I y INpOi iOHSS ''~S
Proved 1t a Success.
THE NEW BULLETINS
For October Just Issued-An Offic
iars Explanation of the Way IL
Works.
Three new record bulletins, Nos.
JOG, IOT, 1O3, dated Oct. l, 1899, have
been issued by Superintendent Martin
of the G. H., an posted in the term1n-
al Office of the company. These bull
letins are issued at intervals of not less
than two weeks, and are eagerly read
oy the roads employees. They form an
integral part of the discipline by
Record" for permanent employees OF
the transportation department, put in
to effect three years ago, when suspen-
sion from duty was superseded by bull
letin-suspensiOn and reprimsnd.
The merit system has passed the ex
perimenta! stage and has been 80 sue
cessful in operation that an explana-
tion of its operation by local G.. h.
official may not be malapropos.
s'Tne theory of this system" said the
Official, lis that if an employe at fault
is given only q nominal or bulletin"
suspension, instead of summary lay
of with consequent loss OF time and
wages, aud if be is told how his mis-
takes might have been avoided, he
viii De loyal to the company, and
doubly Jealous to guard against these
mistskes.
$50 then q ledger account OF good
and bad credits is opened with each
man, and every month these bullet
ms are issued with statements OF cases
and the number of days bulletin pu n
ishment assessed against each man at
fault.
"Here is brief example taken
from Record Bulletin No. 108:
Two engineers and two fremen
have each received ten days bulletin
suspension for burning CRATES on en-
gines they were handling"
SIT will be seen that no names are
mentioned. That is because the bull
letins are intended to be not punitive
but educational. They don't seek to
humiiiate the delinquent, but to show
other employees what mistakes to
avoid. But the suspension is entered
against the individual in the superin-
intendent's book just the same, and
when these bulletin suspensions ex-
coed q Certain number of days, the en-
ploye is liable to dismissal.
Here Is 3 more serious case.
"a section foreman has been given
thirty DAYS bulletin suspension for
paying cards with the Mexican labor
er under him aud for cursing and abus-
ing the operator at his station.
Any further such conduct on his part
will lead to his dismissal"
Thirty days is q pretty severe SEN
tence, for sixty days is the limit. On
the other band, ten days Is the light
mo nd
man need not suffer discredit always
for one mistake, however, for there is
Q credit as we'll as q debt lit side to the
system. For instance, 6 months per-
feet record will cancel ten-dsys' sus-
pension. aud so on up to go days sus-
pension which is cancelled by year
and half's good record.
"And OF course II a man does mer-
itOrious or brave deed. he is credited.
''FOr instance, here's credit:
''A journal was burned OFF the sew
enth car from engine on freight
train. fortunately resulting is no seri-
Oas damage as the rear brakeman saw
the box drop off and Immediately ap-
piled the air. He is given fifteen days
credits for his careful watchfulness on
this occasion. The head brakeman,
whose duty. it was to look after the
part of the train having this car, IS
given fifteen days bulletin suspension
for not discovering this hot journal in
time to prevent it's being burned
off,
ACTS of disloyalsy and the like
which formerly were punished by sum-
mary dismissal, are still so punished:
but otherwise no man is punished with
out being given abundant opportunity
to state his case. The system is an I'M
ubted success, and approved by Off
ciais and employees.
Here is a final example from one OF
these last bulletins, rather interesting
in that it shows the status of Mexican
Oh the line.
"An assistant foreman of steel
gang when passing from the siding to
main line with his hand car, depended
on Mexican to set and lock the
switch for main line. The Mexican
says that he threw the switch, but if
he did be failed to lock it and left the
lock lying on the ground and serious
derailment resulted to passing
freight train in few minutes after the
switch was used by the Mexican. The
sngioe and seven cars passed over
the switch in safety; the
next eight cars were con
siderably broken up, some of
the trucks running on side track lead
and some on main line. Sixty days
bulletin suspension Is recorded against
this assistant foreman. Mexicans must
never be depended upon to set and lock
. switches"
The total suspensions on these last
three bulletins amount to 300 days: the
total credits to Is days.
CHANGE OE TIME