The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-25

mailed to them. Price, eo Genus pe'
month.
ANINTERESTING EXPERIMENT
1t was announced in the Associated
Fress dispatches the other day that Presi-
dent Dickson, of the Cuyahoga Telephone
COMPANY, OF Cleveland, O., woulo as an
experiment distribute one-ffth of the sur
n,us earnings Of the company among It's
employees In proportion to their saiaries'
dating from July LIST. Since the announce
ment was made, we have received
COPY OF Mr.. Dickson's circular. and II is
so interesting that we reproduce II IN
full. The circular is as follows:
To the Employees of the Cuyahoga Tele-
phone Company:
NY Dear People, am not quite satis-
fed with your work. ! do not thinK II Is
very bad. but am sure it Is not as 5000
as q could be, and, therefore. 1t is not
&c rood as it ought to be. You are doing
nrettv we'll but you are not doing your
very best.
You know this business was started so
that It might earn money Tor those VINO
invested money In 1t.
Now, money can be made out OF tnls
business If good service is rendered to our
customers, but the character OF our SER
vice will depend upon the character OF
your work. If your work is good, me scr
vice will be good. If you are patient, ro-
lite. prompt and skilfu, you can give
very good service with second rate equip
ment. but If you are petulant, rude, dl!a-
tory and careless, the service Will be poor.
even II we have the best equipment IN inc
world A good workman can build sa1e
and comfortable house in a. few hours,
with no tool but his axe
am not talking to the operators alone.
but to every man and woman, BOY ana
Girl in the company Polteness. prompt
ness patience and skill! are just as ne
cessary for the Office boy, the collector
and the nernan as they are for the OPP
orator There Is no excuse for Impotence
in any official, high or low, who tries to
serve the public. If there were excuse
for any It would be for the operator.
but those who are most tried must be
most on their guard.
Now, want all of you to feel that each
of YOU have real interest IN the sue
cess of this company. I want every one
OF you to smile when you hear the COM
pany praised for the character of Its SER
vice, and to take to yourselves part OF
the credit for making the service good.
Remember, If we have careless employees,
1t will reduce our profits. II we have
any employees who shirk their full duty,
1t will reduce our profits. II calls are not
answered promptly. our subscribers VIII
leave US. and there Will be no profits.
If our solicitors are not active, we can
not increase our business. II our collec-
tors are negligent or show want OF tact
we will not get paid..even for the service
we have rendered. We are bound close
together, whether w like 1t or not, and
the failure of on etc do his full duty rem
ders worthless the honest labors of others.
Whether we make good profits or none at
all, Will depend upon the way your work
Is done therefore, feel that II you hon
estly help us to earn money, YOU should
honestly share in the money earned. just
as you have shared In the labor. Now,
this is what l propose:
Beginning on July LIST. after paying all
expenses taxes and the interest on ouI
bonds, we will set aside one-fitth OF the
surplus remaining, and, during January
next we will distribute this amongst al
of you who are in the employ OF the com
pany on December 81, 1903, In proportion
to the salary OF each, Any one who leaves
our employ before December 3lst vii
have no share In this fund. Any one goint
on strike shall forfeit his share. An.
one who comes with us at a later date
will only receive his fair proportion II
other words, the distribution will be based
upon the total amount of salary pait
between July J, 1903, and January ], 1904
Now, what can you DO for yourselves ant
for us on such a. basis? II you do no
earn surplus for the company OF $500
month during the rest of this year.
viii! be both disappointed and surprised
If the surplus averages 5000 month
would make a total of 900 for the hal
year. One-ffth OF this would be $500. !
June. 1858, we paid out total OF sn 1891
IN salaries, Distributing such sum 0
such basis would give every one OF 20
an interest in the profits equal to MOI
than half months salary. Is this wort
striving for? Are you willing TO do Il
best there is In you to get six and
half months pay for six months WORK
Don't you think II you try, you cou
even earn seven months pay for S
months work? think SO. II did not
would not make this offer to you.
Remember, the easiest way TO NAL
money IS not TO spend IT,. Do you real
that all OF you are spending money (
us? II you inture any part Of our a
paratus. you have spent the money
costs to repair IT, II You cut wire
waste. you have spent the difference
value between good copper wire and jun
II you use good sheet OF paper
figure on, where the hack of an @
envelope would serve as well. you ha
added to the cost of operating this plan
Understand clearly, THE is an expe
ment. and its success or failure depen
wholly upon ypu, Il YOU are not able
increase our surplus By more than I
sum we pay you, the experiment Will
failure. and, will not. CT course be
peated,
Let US mako it success. We can do
by doing the best We can and saving
We can. :.
Very sincerely yours,
FREDERICK s. DICKSON. Presiden,
Cleveland. O.. jury q. 1903.