Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-06-21

employees on the Santa Fe system. The
one is denominated a Y. M. G. A. build
ing, n is in charge OF the interna-
tional C, mmittee Y. M. G. A. at New
York; the other is called a reading
room, and is in charge of a superin-
tendent of reading rooms. whose duty
it is 20 establish, organize, operate and
inspect them.
The Y. M. c. A. buildings are located
at Argentine, Kan; Topeka, Kan;
Cleburne, Texas; and Temple, Texas.
Each OF these is in charge of a general
secretary, who has supreme control,
and Is on duty in the day time, and
In assistant general secretary, who
officiates at night time. The member
ship is not confined to railroad en-
ployes. but includes town boys. Their
revenue is derived from a membership
fee of from SO to So a year, and from
donations by the company. They are
well organized, well appointed, and
are doing efficient work alonA the line
of providing physical comforts and re-
ligious influence.
The reading rooms, of which this ar.
ticle is a synopsis, are located at EN-.
poria, Newton and Dodge City, Kan;
Purcell, |. t.; Woodward, Okla; La
Junta, Colo; Ration, San Marcial, and
Albuquerque, N. M, Winslow and
Seligman, Ariz., Needles, Barstow and
East Yards, Cal.
In some cases they are separate
structures; in others they are extern
sions of depots and Office buildings.
Their cost ranges from 81 900 to So 5000
each. The general plan contemplates
having one large room for a reading
room in which are placed all the peri
odicals of the day, and a library of
choice books in circulation, a smaller
room for cards and amusements, a
large room for billiards, also bath
rooms, toilet and wash rooms. Recent
ly we have added sleeping rooms and
bowling alleys. The use of these priv
ileges is absolutely free to all en-
ployes regularly on the pay roll of the
company. If the employee furnishes
his towel and soap, the baths are free.
If the attendant furnishes them, he is
charged 10 cents to pay the cost of
laundry. A charge of 10 cents an hour
is made for the use of the billiard
table. This goes into a fund for the
repair of the table. Any employe may
draw a book and keep it out two
weeks, and on reporting to the librar-
ian may keep it two weeks longer. In
order to enjoy the privileges of the
library he must sign an agreement to
replace the book if lost or damaged.
Each of these reading rooms is in
charge of a librarian, who receives a
salary from the company, and is gener-
ally some n who has been In the ser
vice of the company a long time, and
is incapacitated for outside work. He
is selected on the points of being com
petent intellectually, of high charac-
ter, and a wide acquaintance among
the men on that division.
Considered as important adjuncts to
the operating department of the rail.
road, these reading rooms will be best
understood by the following analyses
Their origin and fundamental princi'
pies. The method of operation. The
attendance and their influence on the
men. Their cost as an item of oper
ating expense.
Their Origin and Fundamental Prin'
ciples.
The progressive and philanthropio
policy OF President E. p. Ripley in
dealing with his employees is the germ
out of which sprang the Santa Fe
Route reading rooms. The theory OF
his action was: the more intelligent
an employee the better service he will
render for the company. He reasoned
if | can interest every employee in the
prosperity of the road, If | can concen'
trate their energy and brain power on
the roadbed, the track, the machinery
the traffic and the business of the
Santa Fe system; if | can reduce to a
minimum the destructive forces by
combating them with constructive
agencies; if in any way | can close the
gap between the executive official and
the enploye en- the line, a fair and
reasonable expense will be warranted.
A gseat big, master motive may there.
fore be said to be underneath these
reading rooms. They are not in any
sense charitable or religious enter
prises. They are not agencies of con-
citation. They do not represent the
goodish sentiment of making employees
feel good in order to press more work
out of them at lower wages. In the
motive of their origin they constitute
purely and simply a business PROPOSE
ton, but the motto of this proposition
is the grandest and broadcast n OF
the age, being expressed in the words,
give every one a chance"
The laDOring men of this period dc
not ask to be treated religiously. They
have had enough of that pious twaddle
which is spent in praying for them
and doing nothing for them. Labor
doesn't ask for affairs, hut for homes
The humanity of God and the divinity
of man is a maxim of the souls need
they can appreciate. In the estahnsn-
ment of these reading rooms the Santa
Fe management had in view several
things:
To aid the employees and their fami-
lies in acknowledgment.
To surround them with influences
by which their lives would be brighter
and more hopeful.
To give them an opportunity OF max
ing themselves worthy of promotion to
higher spheres.
To put a new value on a mans life,
and emphasize brain and conscience
power as a factor IN railroad opera
ton.
incidentally the origin of these read
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