Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-10
COMFORTOF EMPLOYEES
Industrial Betterment Expendi-
ga lures Here. a~
RAILROAD PENSION FUNDS
Model Houses, Boxes for Suggestions
and Lunch Rooms.
MOVEMENT GROWING RAPIDLY
America in the Lead-Y. M. G A.
Work and Hospital Maintenance
Factory Decorations.
RAILROAD PENSION FUNDS
MOVEMENT GROWING RAPIDLY

Millions OF dollars are now being spent
yearly by the big employers of the United
States-corporations. firms and individuals
engaged in transportation. mining, indus
trial, mercantile and financial operations
for what is called the Industrial better
ment" of their employees.
This is entirely outside and above the
large sums given now as always to their
help at Christmas time, by many employ
ers. 1t is outside and above any form of
charity. 1t is an expenditure planned solely
by the men who pay wages for the purpose
of making the lives of the men who earn
them more comfortable. Compared with the
total number of wage earners In the whole
country, II may seem small, though its ag-
gregate is imressive considered by itself,
and its growth from year to year gives
promise Of a relatively much greater ex-
penditure for this purpose in this country
than in any other Even now, in fact, the
United States probably leads the world in
this sort OF thing.
Situation Ten Years Ago.
Ten years ago not a 1.-THE as much was SO
expended by American employers. George
NJ. Pullman did pioneer work along this line,
when he built his model city near Chicago
al heavy original outlay, but he expected
that once built. 1t would be self-supporting.
For many reasons, easy to perceive now,
the enterprise was not a complete success,
and nothing OF the sort on any such scale
is now being done But while he was then
the one conspicuous example of an employer
striving to improve the social condition of
the men who earned wages, there are now
hundreds OF them.
Pullman's notion was that improved sur
roundings would make the employees more
efficient and so add to his profits. Most of
the EMPLOYERS now devoting money to in
A TIT hot aavat
for mixed reasons. They believe II pays or
will pay, In the long run. not only in direct
money returns. but also in better feeling to-
ward them on the part OF the wage Garner.
They think II Will lessen the number of
strikes, and perhaps they are right in this,
despite the fact that the employees of one
man who has spent more than almost any
other for Industrial betterment in the entire
country went on general strike a few
years ago. which cost both themselves and
their employer vast sum of money. Many
employers doubtless are also impelled by
higher motives. But after all 1t isn't the
motives. but the concrete facts that are
OF real importance.
Forms of Betterment
Having in mind the comparative failure
OF Pullman's plan, those now having the
industrial betterment movement at heart
have directed their energies mostly In less
ambitious. less expensive directions The
establishment of gymnasiums. assembly
halls, employees outings, special and gem
erai lectures; prize giving in many direc-
uonsi monthly entertainments; the employ
ment of social secretaries: the establish
ment or club houses for employees and kim
dergartens for their children: the employ-
ment OF resident physicians at the works
the factory or the store; the publication
OF newspapers and periodicals devoted to
the interests of the employees: the building
and furnishing OF model houses for the
hn httiIf
furnishing homes of their own; pensioninR
on old employes-these are a few of the
things that have been tried to date some
times successfully, sometimes without
good result.
There Is no way OF gathering complete
and accurate figures showing how much
money is now being spent yearly In these
ways. but here are some significant figures.
During the year 1903 one great railroad
organization paid out In relief to employees
SOL, S0lS2; In pensions. S794 OH 10; in hos
pital service, $50, 557 80; in railroad Y NJ.
c. A. work, sci ,6o2 As. a total of $3.50, So so;
almost a cool million from this one con-
Germ. The total expenditure on railroad Y
M. c. A. work by ten great railroad sys-
TENS In one year amounted, according to
the figures for 1903-the latest available-to
S3ls6J and by this time the annual ex-
penditures Of these railroads in this direc-
ton probably approach a round half mill
Hon dollars
Stock Held by Employees
One railroad reports Sill coo of stock held
~ employees. Another big railroad reports
Benefit disbursements for several years of
IN annual average OF S375,1a3T5 This
Dame road has paid out $3.50 GOO in pensions
Since the establishment of the pension sys-
tem a few years ago. Another reports
$4,000 annual relief payments. another,
s35,5O0 Another road has loaned to its
employees on mortgage within the last few
years the big sum of 81 2O7 O7S OR With
this money 605 homes have been built
1892 have been bought. 443 have been i'm
proved, and liens on lbs properties have
been released.
Seventy-seven smaller business organiza-
tons than the railroads mentioned report
Industrial betterment expenditures last
year OF $685.. 500; only a fraction of the
total, FOR several hundred firms and cor
porauous are known 10 be interested In this
sort of work among their employees. These
figures are furnished by the Institute for
Social Service The headquarters OF this
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES in New York because
New York though on "a eastern al ~