Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-02-26
PENSIONS FOR EMPLOYEES.

The New York World has an item
stating that the Delaware and Lacka.
wana railroad system Is about to COM
mcnce paying pensions TO ts employees,
who have been with the road for TWEEN
ty.nye years The plan Is to give the
employees who retire after quarter
OF a century's faithful service a MONTH
| ly allowance for the remainder Of their
lie. And the funds Tor these pensions
win not be- drawn from the wages OF
the Vorkingmen, but from the general
earnings of the road, The laborerH,
then, viii In this way receive a por-
lion Of the profits It IS sort Of profit
sharing system that VIII be inaugural
ed. ana IN this II In different from the
European systems that require the la
borcr yo lay by so much OF his wages
every week toward an old age pension
The road has already appropriated $50
900 toward pensions FOR the present
year.
The amount " pension viii be fixed
according to tRe number Of years the
laborer has been employed and upon
the amour, ~ monthly wages at the
time OF retirement It, FOR instance
the average monthly pay for the ten
years preceding retirement has been
So per month and tie employee has
been IN the oompany's service thirty
years, his pension win be SIS per MONTH
an amount equal TO per cent per year
for thirty years Of an average monthly
salary Of $50 Employees that have been
Injured In the service wll also be the
benehciaros OF the pension system,
even II they have not been In the en-
ploy of the company the prescribed
time.
II cannot be doubted that this sens-
bic arrangement viii greatly benefit
both the railroad ana the employees.
And the example set wll probably be
followed by other interests that require
a large force Of laborers. Were the
plan generally adopted there would be
few labor troubles. when workingmen
need to have no fears for the future, they
viii feel more contentcd with the pres.
ent and furnish no material
for agltators, They will view
With less alarm the cut.
ting down Of wages, when such step
e necessary They win work faithfully
ana make It a point 10 keep their record
with the company good The pension
system should draw to the company
that adopts i the most efficient service,
and II Is "A question whether this fact
alone win not save the management
rore than It's extra outlay IN pensions.
since efficiency In railroad service,
dnd the faithful performance of duty
may prevent many costly accidents. In
jury to passengers and subsequent law.
suits II Is wise plan that deserves
general adoption
There IL no good reason why a rail-
road hand who for twenty-five years
has risked life and limbs in the service.
ana done faithful work, should not be
taken care Of for the remainder Of his
Hfe. The same can be said Of all la
borers A faithful workIngman, who
deyotes his life to the building up Of
the industries Of the country, and in
addition gives It his children TO CON
iinue the work, II as much entitled to
recognition as one who for some time
has rlsked his life on field OF battle.
Az least, he Is as useful as any soldier
can be, The real essence in most labor
troubles Is this that workingmen do
not receive enough of the profits OF
labor to secure their old age against
wants. A system that remedies this
defect does away with discomfort, and
lays the foundation for harmony be-
tween two classes that never should be
disunited-between employers and em-
poycS
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