Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-05-29
TO HELP EIMPL0YES
Benefit Association Fostered by !
 Rapid Transit Company.

During the sixty days ending June
 10 concession will be made to the employees of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit company who have not yet al.
 lied themselves with the Brooklyn Rap.
 i'd Transit Employees Benefit associn. ton. This organization, founded in 1902. has today a membership of 5,65O
 men, about one-half the whole number
 employed by the company. The ad-
 vantages or membership are such that
 the officers of the company expect ouly
 short time t, e'apse Defore practical
 ly all of the company employees arg
 enrolled in an association organised
 and governed by their fellow em.
 ployees.
 At recent meeting of the board of
 trustees of the benefit association it
 was decided to suspend the usual ini-
 tiation fee of $1 for period of sixty
 days as an inducement to nonmembers.
 The only expense will be the payment
 of months dues of 90 cents, to be de-
 ducted from the salary of the new
 member on the last week of each
 month. In return for 50 cents month
 an engraved certificate of membership
 in the Benefit association. will be is-
 sued, entitling the holder to club house privileges at the nearest club building,
 including the use of billiard tables, bowling alleys, gymnasium, shower baths, reading room, musical entertain ments, band instruction and educa tion- al classes in many practical branches. Membership also permits of participa- tion in summer excursions to Coney Island and Rockaway Beach.
 But the benefit association Is as tru- ly mutual insurance society as any fraternal organization in the country. The associations physician is paid liberal salary to give his services ex- clusively to the members who receive free medical attendance during any period of sickness. Any member who has been incapacitated from his work by illness for as many as fourteen con- secutive days is entitled to benefit of $1 per day. commencing with the eighth day of sickness. He profits also from a reduction in prices on medi- cines from some thirty druggists who fill the association physician's prescrip- tions. Tn the event of death benefit of $50 is paid to the members family, and this sum has often sufficed to bridge over period of special ex. penses.
 During the year ending March 31, | 1906, the Brooklyn Rapid Transit En- ployees' Benefit association paid out l over S22. .000 to members or their fami- lies in sick and death benefits. During 1905, 525 members received sick and | death benefits amounting to $14,777. Of this amount $7,050 was paid to the families of forty-seven members who had died. These figures do not ade luately represent the protection afford ed by the association's medical pro- visions, for the 525 members amount 10 only 9 per cent of the number of members given free medical treatment by the associations physician duringat he year. Notwithstanding these dis )ursements, it had on hand on March '1 over $25,0O0 in cash to meet Its ob- igations.
 The officials of the company are so convinced of the advan- ages to their men of the association. which they have fostered through the years of infancy to Its pres mt assured position, that they recent y issued circular letter urging their 'mployees to accept the special terms D force for sixty days. The response o this by the employees who have not 'et joined will probably add another members to the roll. thus en- bling the association to provide more of which there are now line scattered over the borough of Brooklyn. The headquarters at Ja- naica avenue, known as the Railroad ien's building, is center of radiating influences