The San Francisco call., 1901-11-13
PENSION PLAN
FINDING FAVOR
Southern Pacific May
Aid Project Of It's
Employees.
Committee Is Much Pleased
by the Progress That
Has Been Made.

SACRAMENTO, Nov. R-Employes of
the Southern Pacific Company say that
the prospects for the voluntary pension
department of the Southern Pacific Com
pany are more hopeful than in the past.
A ]. Gardiner of the Southern Pacific
pipe department in Sacramento, has re-
turned from a trip to San Francisco,
where he has been in conference with III.
l.. Sanborn and other members of the
committee of employees interested in the
proposed voluntary benefit and pension
department for employees of the Southern
Pacific Company. Mr.. Gardiner says that
the conference of the committee was held
to consider minor changes in the proposed
regulations which seem to the committee
to be desirable, relating principally to the
scale of contributions and benefits.
1t appears that former President
Charles M Hays of the Southern Pacific
Company, in acknowledging the receipt
of the petition of the employees, took oc-
casion to say that the subject was one
Of great interest to him, and that such
project, with rules and conditions fair
to the company and to the employees,
would have his sympathy and support.
This statement of Mr.. Hays the commit
of what might be taken as the views or
opinion of the management on the sub
ject and the committee therefore feels
much encouraged in the work it has un-
dertaken.
Mr.. Gardiner draws attention to the
fact that the United Traction and Elec-
trio Company of Providence, R. l., has
recently inaugurated a benefit and pen
sion system on much the same lines as
that asked for by a large number of the
employees Of the Southern Pacific Com
pany. 1t appears that many of the rules
and regulations and features adopted by
the United Traction and Electric Com
pany have been copied almost verbatim
from those formulated by the employees
of the Southern Pacific Company.
The committee realizes that it is work
ing on big proposition and has big men
to deal with. Hence its desires to have
the proposition in as nearly perfect form
as possible for consideration by the board
of directors of the company. Owing to
the very unsettled conditions which have
prevailed regarding the management of
the Southern Pacific Company the COM
pany deemed it wise to make haste
slowly! realizing that a settled condition
of affairs is essential to insure proper
consideration of the subject.
In the meantime the committee, under
the leadership of Mr.. Sanborn, has been
engaged ii in g gathering statistics from
that certain notifications appear to be
absolutely necessary to insure the Stabil-
| ity of the proposed plan
A persion department was recently es-
| tablished on the Illinois Central Railroad
which is one of the lines controlled by
the Hartman syndicate, to which depart
ment the Illinois Central has contributed
| $4,000 annually. This tact, Mr.. Gardiner
| says, has encouraged the committee to
ask for a similar sum from the Southern
! Pacific Company for the pension feature
| Of the proposed new organization. This
| does not include the contribution of $600(
each to the death and disability feature.
| The employe may select either the
death. disability or pension feature, OF
| all of them. Everything is purely volun.
! tary and then men are at liberty to be.
| come members not, just as they may
choose. 1t is a purely democratic, volun
| tary association of the employees, in ali
OF which it is asked that the company
/ contribute.
Mr.. Gardiner says the committee is anX
| ious for the completion and adoption o.
! the plan and sanguine of it's success.