Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-26

children, Fairgrounds and gymnasiums for
all ages, window gardens, flower gardens
struction in cooking, sewing, dressmaking
and other domestic sciences for the women.
manual training schools for the young men,
night schools for those who are employed
during the day, choral societies, glee clubs,
orchestras, bands and other musical organi-
cations, reading rooms, libraries, lecture
courses, concerts amateur dramatic per-
formances, debating and literary societies
are conducted and partially paid for by
the employees, under the supervision OF
school teachers, surgeons and other agents
of the company.
Bulletins discussing questions of imme-
date value to the families of employees
are issued frequently in several Ian
guages They cover subjects vital to
health and morals. One which have be-
fore me tells how to bake bread, and an
other how to treat milk. Both stories are
told in simple, everyday language which
the girls and women of the miners fami-
lies can understand.
There are also industrial homes for
aged, MANNED and invalid employees who
have become i'll or injured in the service
of the company. They are given food and
shelter and every comfort necessary, and
light employment which occupies their
time and enables them to earn something
to pay their expenses. None of these in
stitutions Is self-Supporting, but several
are very nearly so. Every person who
derives any benefit from them is expected
to share in the cost. That is the funda-
mental principle upon which all the be-
nevolent work is done. Nothing Is given
away to anybody who is able to pay for
it,
In camps where there are no churches
the company provides non-sectarian serv-
ices every Sunday morning and assists in
organizing and maintaining Sunday
schools and Y. M c. A. work.
The Liquor Problem.
Perhaps the most important and per-
picking problem Of the sociological de-
partment is the liquor traffic. The COM
pany will not permit a saloon to stand
upon Its property or upon any property
that 1t can control, but at the same time
it has tried prohibition by various meth
DDS and has always failed. Men who
have thirst for drink will obtain liquor
somehow or another, and 1t has been the
experience Of the company that the more
obstacles 1t places in their way the more
determined they are to get 1t.
Hence it has abandoned all attempts to
prohibit and Is now using its best efforts to
reduce the evil to a minimum. Thus far the
most effective method is the organization
of clubs at which the employee may find
rest recreation and social diversions after
his days labor, with pure liquors and soft
drfnks-coffee, tea, chocolate and hot bou-
illon.
These institutions are run like any. or
ulnary cup, Dy the men themselves under
certain restrictions. Members have to be
formally proposed and elected, and may be
expelled or suspended from the privileges
OF the club for intoxication, profanity and
other conduct unbecoming gentleman. A
Few explosions and suspensions have done
more good than all of the temperance lee
lures that could be delivered. Treating is
forbldden; the house committees have a
right to refuse liquor to men who show
signs OF 1ntoxication; and every member of
club is on his good behayio whenever he
enters the building. The experiment thus
FAR has been remarkably successful Pri-
Vate saloons have been compelled to close
Tor lack of patronage. Incorporate men,
who are always found in manufacturing
towns and mining communities, are re-
strained by the influence of their own COM
panions. and there is no opportunity for a
payday carouse.