The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-14
06Hu O6S0
City Railway Employees Club
Soon Ready.
Will Have Billiard and Pool
Tables.
NOT THE Y. nj. C. A.
Their Proposition for Control
Is Turned Down.
It Will Be Managed by the
Company.

Employees of the Topeka Railway
company, at a meeting held Saturday
night. voted to reject the plan for Y.
n. c. A. control of the new club rooms
for the employees. which have been pro-
vided by the management, and which
will be opened by April 1.
The Y. NJ. c. A. proposed to the city
railway management that it takes en-
tire charge of the rooms, and pay the
company $3.50 a year for the privilege.
It then proposed to charge a small fee
for the use of the baths, lockers, ETC.,
and it stipulated that billiard. pool. ana
card games should not be allowed in
the building 1t is probable that this
last condition went a long ways toward
defeating the Y. NJ. c. A. plan. At
any rate, the employees were almost
unanimously opposed to the proposition
and turned it down cold.
The management of the road propos-
ed another plan for the control of the
rooms. which met with the hearty APP
prevail of the men, The company will
put in a billiard and pool table, will
allow the men to play a social game OF
cards, Will sell tobacco in the room,
and allow the use of that article. 1t
will also charge a small fee for the use
of the billiard tables, baths, etc, but at
the end of the year, If there is any sur
plus, it will be turned in to the En-
ployes' Benefit association. If there is
8 deficit, the company will make it up.
The fees for the privileges of the as
ISOLATION will be merely nominal. 1t
was at first thought that the rooms
should be entirely free to the men, but
il was decided that it would be fairer
to all if a small fee should be charged.
This would prevent one or two men
trying to monopolize the conveniences.
Club rooms for street railway en-
ployes is a decided novelty in any city
the size of Topeka. In some of the
largest cities of the country, such con-
Veniences have been provided, but To-
peka is the only city of it's size which
has such provision. Statistics also
show that the Topeka employees are
now getting better pay than street car
men in most cities similarly situated
The employees here have benefit as
ISOLATION which is backed by fund
subscribed by the company If an en-
ploye is off duty because of sickness for
more than two weeks. he gets 81 a
week; If off duty because Of injury for
more than two weeks. he gets $40 a
week. When any money is withdrawn
from the fund to pay benefits. the fund
is reimbursed by equal contributions
from the men and from the company.
Such liberal provisions as these for the
welfare of it's employees is giving the
city railway great prestige with its
men, and they are giving it loyal
service in return.
L. E. Myers said today: Our new
Office building and club rooms will be
ready for occupancy April 1. We have
given up our lease on our Eighth street
Office. and so we will have to move on
that date. The first floor of the build
ing at Twelfth and Jackson will be
used as an Office room. All the up
stairs is for the men. There will be
both shower and plunge baths in
these rooms, and ventilated steel lock-
eFs. We will also have a billiard table,
pool table. chess, checkers. and all
kinds of games. all the latest period
icals. and couches upon which the
men can lie down and take a nap if
they desire. while waiting to go out
on their run. We submitted to the men
at their meeting Saturday night a
schedule of prices for the use of the
rooms, and it suited them perfectly.
The prices are merely nominal. Our
first idea was to make the cOnveniences
absolutely Free but it was our opinion,
and the opinion of the men, that a
small charge would be better. If there
IS any profit from the rooms at the
end of the year it will go into the
benefit fund The company will make
up any deficit, and there is pretty
liable to be a deficit"