The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-28
SOCIAL BEITERMENT
Practical Results Are Expected to
Follow the Employer and
Employe Convention.
secy. schaper Writes Of Some Of the
Social and Industrial Reforms
Already Effected.
To the Editor Of The journal.

Practical results are expected to follow
the coming national convention of en-
ployer and employees. The interchange Of
ideas by men and women deeply interested
In the welfare of the employed class and
who are working together for the estab-
lishment Of permanent cordial relations
between employer and employe will be the
Interesting feature Of this great conven-
tion for which preparations are about
completed. 81
Among the many projects started in re-
cent years to improve the social and In
dustrial condition and to elevate and en-
noble the life of the toiling masses. none
is more interesting or promising of good
results than that which is now becoming
widely, known under the caption of 80
cial and Industrial Betterment."
This movement which is to receive
much attention at the conference, is an
effort to bring about an improvement in
the environment of the factory districts
and to better the conditions in the stores,
factories, offices and shops where the toll
ers Of this busy industrial age spend most
of their waking hours. - ~!
1t embraces such improvements as the
cleaning and beautifying of the factory
yards and grounds, which too often are
eyesores, If not a positive nuisance, the
cleansing, decorating, vent1lating and
lighting CT the buildings on artistic and
|
sanitary toilet and wash rooms, lunch
rooms, library and reading rooms, hospital
accommodations; in short whatever is
needed to make the surroundings of the
toiers healthful, cheerful and elevating.
In some cases, evening lecture courses,
entertainments, garden schools for the
boys and girls, prizes for the best inven-
tion or the best kept house and lawn or
other improvement made by the opera
tives have been established.
The tendency is to go even further. One
large Boston concern, a department store,
Is trying a lf-government scheme by
which it is hoped to do away with the ira
ditional "employe" and the boss" ,Ahe
salespeople are practically left to manage
the labor part of the enterprise. They
may make their own rules and regulations
and see to it that the part which the sales
people perform in running the store is
done with the greatest possible efficiency
and dispatch. 1t is radical departure,
purely an experiment, and what the re-
suits will be remains to be seen. But it is
only by trying many schemes that ad-
vances are made. -
Siegel, Cooper & Co. have adopted most
liberal plans for the betterment' of the
conditions among their employees, includ-
Ing the establishment of a summer outing
place among the New Jersey hills, where
their hundreds of women salespeople' are
sent to recuperate when i'll; or to- spend
their vacation time. The Gorham Manu-
featuring company Of Providence, r. l..
has put up a commodious clubhouse at
Elmwood near the city for their employees
Everyone knows of the wonderful work
done by the National Cash Register com
pany of Dayton. Ohio in advance work OF
this sort. In fact so much has been done
along these lines within the last few years
that the League of Social Service was en-
abled to make an extended exhibit at the
Paris exposition in 1900-an exhibit that
| aroused the greatest interest and gave
| American employers first place in social
betterment-- work. DR.: William H:zelTol-
| man, secretary of the League. for Social
was given the medal Of the legion of honor
by the president of the French republic
for distinguished services rendered in the
interests of social economics.
After reading the accounts of this ad-
vance work in the periodicals like The
Counter, Social Service, and others, one
begins to ask what motive 1mpels en-
ployers to take such advanced ground? 1t
is. not difficult to find the answer. The
employer Is beginning to realize that his
human machines-his hands, as he calls
them-need attention, need rest, need the
best environment to render the most eff
cient services. Some employers have i'm
proved the conditions under which their
men work. because they felt that they
owed their operatives something more
| than wages; they felt that their employees
had done the labor share in the produc-
tion of wealth, and that recognition of
some kind was due them for that. 9th
| ers again improved the condition of their
operatives because it paid in actual dol
lars and cents, and another class has been
| Influenced by genuine altruism.
Whatever the immediate personal mo-
| tives of the different individual employ
ers may be, the fact remains that there is
a widespread interest in this advance
| work. as indicated by the organization OF
the National League for Social Service.
| This league maintains bureau of in
| formation on social and Industrial ques-
| tions from which employers are supplied
| with the latest information: A similar
work, on even a larger scale. is done by
| the Musee Social of Paris which has an
endowment Of over $1,000,0O0 and sends
| bulletins and articles on the labor ques-
tion to all industrial nations of the world
| free of charge. M. Mobleau, it's secre-
tary, was chosen by the French govern.
| ment to arrange with this goverhm ent
for the establishment of bureau at New
York with a Chicago branch for direct
ing the work Of young Frenchmen who
are to be sent over to study American
| business methods. -,. .-,- -
This advance work will be one of the
features Of the coming conference. Sew.
eral illustrated lectures will be delivered
by the firms and students interested ir
the work showing what has been accom-
plished by many of the eastern employers
r William A. Schaper, :.
| Secretary. Literature Committee.
|