The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-03-19

the Elevation of Its Employees.
Gave Them Shorter Hours and Ad-
vantages for Education and Social
Diversions--Topic of Mr.. Shank
Inns Lecture Was "a New Era in
Life.'--What He Said.
Arnold Shanklin. of the National
Cash Register company, Of Dayton,
Ohio. last night delivered an interest
ing lecture on "A New Era in Life"
at st. Luke's Parish House. The ad-
dress was given under the auspices of
the Scranton Engineers club and the
attendance was large, many ladies
being present
Mr.. Shanklin is "A bright entertaining
speaker and commanded the intense
interest of his audience throughout. a
feature OF the address was the many
different stereopticOn views thrown on
the canvass during the course of hi.
remarks. Mr. Shankln was introduced
by II. w. Rowley, president of the
Scranton Engineers club.
The lecture was n history of the be-
ginning and growth of the peculiar
methods which have been adopted and
carried on so successfully by John II.
and +. j. Patterson in the National
cash register factory at Dayton. ~.
The history Of the movement was
shown by go colorod lantern photo
graphs.
WAY IT GREW.
The busiress began in 1SS- with but
one man, hoy ana a lathe. in small
room, but grew 10 such an extent that
in 1855 IL was found necessary to build
factory This building was erected
on the farm land where the Patter-
sons had played and plowed as boys
In 1890 the building was doubled. The
business has so increased that addi-
items have been made to the plant
from time ia time, until now the door
space under the roof covers more than
thirteen and half acres and the en-
ployes in and about the factory num-
ber 2.59G. to which are added more
than l100 sales agents, aalcsmen and
office force in the cities of the United
states and foreign countries, making
a force OF more than 500 people.
The business was successful until
lS92. Then. realizing that something
was wrong, ana investigation revealed
the fact that there was lack of the
best organization, lack OF knowledge
of the business and lack of sympathy
on the part of the employees. TO
overcome all these difficulties, an Old
building down town was bought and
arranged as Il lecture hall, with IL per-
manent Stereopticon and screen. The
factory people, their families and
friends, Y ere invited TO the lectures,
which were given one evening OF each
week. BY means of crude slides, the
employees attention was called to the
waste in the way of washing their
hands with benZine and putting too
much oil ON tho machinery. Soon this
was stopped.
LECTURES ON HEALTH
Lectures We're given or health and
ON system. 1t was found that the peo-
pie responded very readily to this. and
| it. was decided to carry the matter
further ON. By degrees clubs and So
Cieties for the girls and the men. cx-
tending to the boys and girls of tho
neighborlOOd, We're established. Then
the mothers had placed at their dis
posal. under the charge Of Il deacOness,
the ON G. Il. House OF Usefulness -
stGated just across from the street
from the factory. These various or
ganiZations meet here during the at
tcrnoOns and evenings of the week.
Here was established the first kinder
garten in Dayton. the Patterson broth
. ers having tried in vain TO induce the
public schools to adopt the kindergar-
ten work.
Now that Kindergarten has been
! established in several public schools
and in the school nearest the factory,
the company has built a little house
tvc blocks further on. south Of the
factory, and in the edge of the city Of
Dayton, where there l. no school uf
any kind, and has there established
its kindergarten. In this same little
house. boys and girls and young peo-
plc of the nelghborhool are allowed to
meet. They are taught singing and
dancing; and the girls are tauGht sew
ing and the ludiments o. cooking. \
= domestic economy teacher. a graduate
Of Pratt university, Is In charge of this
branch of the work
Tho girls have organized themselves
into a Women's Century club. the first
federated womcn's club In the United
, states which is made up Of factory
: girls. Mr.. Shanklin said:
ARRANGEMENT or HOT rs
Aftcr many OF these methods had been adopted
: lie management had time 10 t'n0l; Of the com,
: ioyt OF the people, aud one winter morning an
+. of the men and women were noticed coming In
. together AT $50 O'clock. Il WAS soon decided
that they would be allowed to come later; aud
now our men come az o'clock, while our girls
do not report until 5. The men are paid Tor ten
lu,us work, and do but nine and one'haf hour,
: while the girls are paid Ior ten hours work
and do hut eight houlS each day. Under the
old system our people all lett the factory al The
same time, the men and women croNdug ON 10
the street cars or hanging on as best they could,
Ehut now our girls leave at $50 o'clock and ar,
rlnccmcntS have been made with the street
ear volnplny by which a sufficient number Of
cars will b, waiting on tho track to accommodate
: our girls; ard the men leave at $50, Some OF
the girls ride bcyclcs to and from the factory,
, | while more than zoo OF our men como and go by
the use Of whccls-thc company having prepared
sheds for .tabling the wheels, gratis, and fur
ui,h free oi charge compressed aid for the tires.
The material is furnished, aprons and sleeve.
LET'S made hundred and kept repaired, gratis,
,0r the girls while the men have aprons aud
jumpers furnished at actual cost
| one DAY, in going through the factory, one o'
, | the Messrs Patterson saw a Young girl holding
| a tin bucket on the radiator He supposed she
| was hcatinG paste, but on inquiry found that she
| was heating coffee for her lunch. In going on
through he found other girls sitting on nigh
stool; and old chairs and eating thcr lunches
as best they could II was not long until ar