New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-03-07
PENSION FOR NJ. S. R. MEN |
ANNOUNCEMENT MADE BY
PRESIDENT VREELAND.
THE FUND FOR ITS PAYMENT TO BE
APPROPRIATED YEARLY BY THE
COMP ANY-NO CONTRIBUTIONS
I-DnNt
FROM EMPLOYEES,

There was posted last night in the twenty
six barns. stables and power houses OF the
Metropolitan Street Railway Company through
out Manhattan a notice from President Nree-
land 10 all employees, announcing the establish
ment of a pension system for the superannu-
ated employees of the concern. This is said -
be the first pension system ever established for
street railway employees in this country. II was
described last evening by an official OF the road
as the final step in the system begun by
President Vreeland when he took charge of tho
Metropolitan, for steadying and elevattng the
status Of its fifteen thousand employees"
The notice. signed by Mr. Vreeand as pr"st-
dent and general manager which sets forth the
main features OF the system, is as follows
New-York. March t. 1902
To All Employees The plan have long had
In mind of establishing pension system Tor the
relief Of the superanuuated employees OF this
company. members of the Metropolitan Street
Railway Association whose annual maximum
wages have not exceeded $l2oo per annum, has
finally been perfected. and will he put into ef-
feet on or before July |. The specific reguia
tions are now being drafted, and will. in due
course. be distributed for your further tnforma-
This pensfon system provides for voluntary
and Involuntary retirement OF all employees SO
Included between the ages Of siXty-1ve and
seventy after twenty-five years service in the
Metropolitan Street Railway Company, or any
Of its constituent companies Employees bene-
fitted bv the system will be Of two classes
First-AU employees who hay" attained the
age Of seventy years, Who have been continu-
ouslv i'm such service for twenty five years or
more preceding such date of maturity and
Second-AH employees from sixty five 10 sixty
nine years old who have been twenty-five years
more in such service, VINO. IN the OPINION
of the trustees of the pension. have become
physically disqualified.
An EMPLOYEES Of seventy years will be
sdered TO have attained miXimum age al
lowed for active service and viii be retired by
age limit. while those whose ages range from
min
be retired under pension If found incapable
The pension allowance TO such retired en-
ployes shall be upon the following basis.
(al If service has been continuous for thirty
five years or more. 10 per cent Of the average
annual wages for the ten previous years
Cb) If service has been continuous for thirty
Years 80 per cent of the average annual wages
for the ten previous years.
(cD If service has been continuous'fo twenty.
five wears - per cent Of the average annual
wages for the ten previous years.
The fund from which payments viii he mad"
will he appropriated each wear by the com j.
pany. and employees will not bo required 20 con
tribute to it. -
to preserve the future welfare of aged and I'm.
ffrn1 employees, and to recognize efficient and
loyal service.
In speaking Of the matter last night. President
Vreeland said This plan has been in contem
oIation for a long time. in fact mad II in mini
when I took charge of the twenty odd street
railways making UP the present Metropolitan
system I then found that there a singular
lack Of unity Of interests among the men en-
Moved on the various lines throughout the city
due 10 the slipshod manner In which this force
was recruited, and to the lack of any means
of social intercourse.
TT was apparent that among men brought to-
rether by the recruiting methods then in exist
4rce social intercourse for mutual benefit and
Improvement was practically Impossible
count of the brevity and uncertainty of the ten
ure of employment. and my first efforts We're
directed TO correcting this insta ability. l found
that men employed in majority of in
stances through political influences. and with
ability TO the work they were expected to per
form, with the natural result that discharges
among four thousand men amounted TO about
three hundred month. Immediately reforma
ton in the recruiting methods inaugura ted
and the Metropolitan began to select its labor
in the open market where II secured the best
that was offered. making character. health and
intelligence the only qualifications necessary in
order 10 enter the ranks
within year the results Of this reform
began 10 manifest themselves In all directions
and while the number of operative vas rapidly
increased, the number of discharges steadily de-
creased until they diminished 10 a many
in month as had previously occurred in a sin
gle day
"Coincident 10 the reform In recruiting there
was developed a system of discipline at once
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