, 1905-01-06
AGREEMENT IN BLANK SUBMIT
TED TO THE EMPLOYEES
OF THE SYSTEM FOR
THEIR APPROVAL.
Provides Medical and Surgical Treat
ment Not Alone for Employees, but
for Members of Their Families,
With Two Hospitals in State of
Wyoming-Believed It Will Be
Adopted.

There is a likelihood that the hos
pital system on the Union Pacific vii.
be revived and the old regime again
become a certainty. Engineer Farley
Mathison u this city, chief engineer
of the Rocky Mountain division of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen
and n of the principal members OF
that order on the Union Pacific. this
morning received from George w.
Vrooman of North Platte a copy of
the agreement sent out by the man,
agement Of the system for the ap-
prevail of the employees, which will
likely be adopted and the payment of
hospital dues become a part of the
plan.
For twenty or twenty-five years
there was maintained by the company
and employees a sort of mutual fund
for the relief of the sick, the employees
paying a certain amount each month
and receiving the attention of the ply,
sicians of the company in time of
leed. Some dozen or so years ago the
Order of Railway T~elegraphers, be.
coming dissatisfied with the arrange
ment. took the matter into court and
the plan was abolished. The tele
sraphers charged mismanagement.
The money on hand was distributed
equitably n the employees were at
liberty to go where they pleased for
medical attention and medicines.
A few years ago the matter of re-
establishment was taken up with Pres
ldent Burt of the Union Pacific, but so
angry had he been at the te~legraphers
that he would not entertain the prop
osition for a moment, and not until he
retired and was succeeded by Mr.. L.
II. Hartman was it again preached.
The receipt of the present agreement
is the result of the negotiations with
the later officials, and Mr.. Mathison
says he has no reason to believe that
the plan will not meet with the ap-
prevail of the engineers, iremen, con
ductors and brakemen of the system
and become a part of the regime.
The agreement provides that there
shall be established a hospital fund,
the management of which shall be I'M
der the executive charge of the chief
surgeon, whose directions in the car
rying out of its rules and regulations
are to be complied with. The object
of the fund is to provide for the care
of the sick and injured employees, but
without gain or profit to the company.
For this purpose there is established,
under the control and management of
he company, a fund to be known as
the hospital fund.
The hospital fund is a trust fund,
raised by the monthly contributions of
the employees, together with such sums
as the company may contribute there
to. The current expenses of the hospital
fund, after applying the contributions
of the employees, will be provided by
the company, either by contributions
or temporary advances, as the com
pany may elect. The company will,
at its cost, collect and disburse all
funds raised for the said hospital fund.
The management of the fund will en-
deavor to ecure the services of a
competent staff of physicians and sur.
geons in all cities and towns on the
rnrnn ny'c limo anl nrry-iIa
dations in modern hospitals for the
sick and injured employees so as to
provide for them the best treatment
and care obtainable."
All contributions to the hospital
fund, according to the agreement, shall
be entitled to medical or surgical
treatment at their homes or at the of.
fees of the department, medicines and
surgical dressings, artificial limbs and
surgical appliances, accommodations
at actual cost at designated hospitals
for dependent members Of employees
families and burial allowances in case
of death in a company hospital.
Hospital accommodations for sick
and injured employees and others
have been provided at St. Joseph's
hospital. Omaha. for the Omaha di.
vision: st. Margaret's hospital, Kan.
sas City. Kas., for the Kansas City
division; st. Anthony's hospital, Den
yer. for the Denver division; St. Johns
hospital, Cheyenne, for the Cheyenne
division. and the Wyoming genera
hospital at Rock Springs for the Rocl
Springs division"
The agreement provides regulations
concerning all hospital cases, medi