The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-05-18
RAISED THE WAGES
WIRE MATTRESS EMPLOYEES GIVEN
A PLEASANT SURPRISE.
AN INCREASE OF TEN PER CENT
The Managers of the Factory Were ordered
to Increase to Wages of all Employees
sterday-Generous Work of Mr..
simmons.

The $50 men employed at the North
Western Wire Mattress works are the
happiest men in town today, for last
evening when the work for the day had
been finished it was announced to
them that new scale of wages had
been made out and would go into effect
at once.
The orders for the change in the
scale were issued yesterday afternoon
and in this change the characteristic
generosity of 2. G.. Simmons, president
of the big factory, has again been
shown to the people of Kenosha and in
a way entirely different from the many
ways in which he has benefited the
city and it's citizens.
Although the Northwestern has for
some time been paying much higher
wages than their competitors, the new
scale which went into effect yesterday,
provides for an increase of 10per cent
for every man, woman and child work
ing as day laborer in the factory. In
some cases the increase will be large,
but in the most of the cases it will
amount to about Is cents day.
The advance in wages came as a
great surprise to the men who, recogniz
ing the fact that they were better paid
than any others in the same line of
work, had not thought of seeking
an increase. A representative of this
paper walked through the different
departments of the factory this morning
and found all the men jubilant, and it
was easy to see that the feeling exist
ing between the men and the employers
was stronger than the bonds of any
unionism. One of the f0remen, in
speaking of the advance, said that the
men could not express their feelings of
gratitude to Mr.. Simmons and the
managers of the factory. He said that
Mr.. Simmons and Mr.. Lance had
always shown a strong personal inter
est in the men employed by them and
this was only practical way they had
taken of expressing this interest.
Mr.. Lance, manager of the big fac
tory, was seen in his Office today, and,
in speaking of the increase, stated that
| it was the intention of Mr.. Simmons
and the management to advance the
men working by the day to a uniform
rate of $3.50. He said that in making
this change the pay roll would be
largely increased, which would amount
/ 70 %
company was aware of the fact that
the new scale was largely in advance
of wages paid by their competitors, but
that during the past few months
everything had been advancing and ii
now cost the laboring man more to live
than ever before. He said that it was
almost impossible for la boring man to
live and pay rent in Kenosha on sal
airy less than $1.50 day and the man
agement was in favor of making life as
easy as possible for their Workmen,
Mr.. Lance did not care to give the
amount of increase in the pay rolls un-
der the new scale, but one of the men
connected with the office stated that il
would cost the company nearly $50, OOC
a year.
The example set by the managers Of
the North Western factory in volun-
tarily increasing the wages of their
employees, is one well worthy of praise
and it shows the feeling of personal
interest in the welfare of the labore1
which should prove an example to al
the factories of the city.
With such men as Mr. Simmons and
Mr.. Lance defending the interests Of
the men employed by them, the settle
ment of the labor problem will become
an easy one.