Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-10

showed the couple where their estimates
were too high, and helped them make new
ones which were well within their means,
and the marriage took place without delay.
It was a social secretary In that estab-
lishanent who suggested that the women
should be released i've minutes earlier than
the men. so that they could get seats In the
trolley cars without too much crowding. 1t
was also a. social secretary who urged the
president Of the company to insist on
real metropolitan trolley service in the
rush hours. that the employees might get
to and from their work quickly and CONF
fortably. The resulting improvement In the
car service made her popular both with
the employees of the works and the resi-
dents Of the town generally.
1t was a social secretary, too. who
originated the notion of suggestion box
In each department. every empl0ye being
privileged to drop slips OF paper with sug-
gestions about the work. their personal
comfort, or whatever they had In mind.
written upon them. These slips are gath
cred daily, carefully examined and acted
upon when of value in any direction. It is
worth while that some of the suggestions
concerning the business have led to really
profitable improvements.
Machinery Committee.
Canadian manufacturer who has drawn
heavily upon the accumulated stores OF in
dustrial betterment information at the In
stitute for Social Service said when he made
his first visit there that his greatest desire
was to find out how TO enable his employees.
many Of whom do piece work, to earn more
money. He is practically his own social
secretary. and apparently, from the results
he has obtained, very good one
When he bought the factory the lower
sashes Of the windows in the wonen's de-
partment were fitted with ground glass. SO
that the girls could not see out and be dis
tracted from their work by what was going
on In the street. The women didn't like the
ground glass; and he substituted clear glass
This was his first step toward winning their
confidence, and 1t was followed oy many
others, most of which have been successes,
rendering good financial returns on their
cost, besides undoubtedly preventing
strike on more than one occasion.
The most unusual thing reported by this
manufacturer was his decision to appoint
number Of his best men to serve on what
he calls his INA chinery committee. Tne
members thereof are encouraged to- keep
any new machinery which they hear of and
think good, as we'll any improvements
in the machinery In use.
New Machines Installed.
A year and half ago they suggested the
substitution Of lot of new machines for
the Anticipated ones then used in a certain
department. The latter were not worn out
and they did good work. but. as the COM
mittee said, the product OF the department
could be doubled by the proposed change.
Satisfying himself that the committee was
right the manufacturer called the girfs en-
ployed in the department before him, toid
them about the new machines and their
product. and added that by the time they
had learned to use them the piece-work
price would have to be cut.
But" he added, "I'll give you six months
to learn them before cutting the piece price,
and I believe you'll earn more week than
ever then at the reduced scale. Shall we
try II on that baSis?
The girls agreed with enthusiasm. for,
though an exacting employer, he was
comfortable" man to work for AT the
end of the six months trial of the new ma
as great as before. while the girls, at the
new piece-work rate, were earning a third
more than they ever had in the past.
What Employees Think.
It must be stated. though, that the en-
ployes often look upon industrial better
ment schemes with suspicion. One en-
ployer, a pioneer in the movement, nearly
wrecked all his plans by arranging that
his employees should be allowed to attend
a certain lecture at half rates.
The lecturer was famous man. and
the employer happened to know that some
of his people were very anxious to hear
him, so he told the lecture committee to
sell tickets to any one from his works at
the reduced price and he would make up
rangement was posted up IN the works and
the employer expected that the audience
would be made up largely of his people.
But. as 1t turned out. not one of them at
tended the lecture Their personal pride
was so badly hurt at the notion that they
weren't able to pay as much for lecture
tickets as their townspeople that they
wouldn't have heard that particular lecture
If pay had been offered them to attend.
I'VE don't want any charity In ours
said one of them; land IL the boss doesn't
think we can afford to pay full price for
our instruction or our amusement why
doesn't he give US better wages?
This is the sort of protest not infrequent-
" heard when the workmen in some big es-
Establishment whose heads believe in social
betterment' schemes get to talking to-
gether Generally 1t be overcome; but
in some Instances this has proved difficult
task. Krupps, the big German steel estab-
lishment. may be as paternal as 1T likes,
and the German workmen will put up with
IT. but American workmen are not of the
same pattern. In many instances, though,
they accept whatever is offered as all in
the days work." and are glad to get II, par
ticularly when 1t is made clear that the
wages and spent by them in small lots
could not possibly be made to serve as good
a purpose as 1t will when spent in the lump
by the employer.
Objections Often Disappear.
Their objections to industrial betterment
expenditures often disappear, however,
when 1t is pointed out that. were the en-
ploYers to increase wages, other employers
would raise a great row with him because
OF the dissatisfaction their own employees
would show unless their wages were raised,
too In the long run. whatever the feeling
may be at first, intelligent social better
rnent does bring about a better feeling.
The establishment of gymnasiums and
other facilities for physical culture has
ayceptinpally line nr
Industrial betterment work among men en-
ployes. A middle-aged employe of GER
tain millionaire corporation showed intense
hostility to all the president of the cor
pcration could do in the industrial better
ment line until after the influence of the
boxing class established for the young men
employees began to be felt in their personal
improvement. The once disgruntled man
said to the writer one day that the boxing
class had made the boys all over"
Go and watch Them" he pleaded, land
see how clean and strong they are. See 'em
box and see 'em under the shower bath.
and then see 'em after they've rubbed each
other down and got into their clothes again