The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-21

Giving of Presents That Be-
comes q Burden.
Gifts of Railroad Employees to
Officials.
A GIRLS EXPERIENCE.
Worked a Half Month at Santa
Fe Offices.
Had a Little Over Six Dollars
Left When She RebelIed.

! be allowed to accept Christmas pres
ents from patrons of the road this
/ year.
Many Of the employees of local rail-
roads are of the opinion that a rule
should be made forbidding heads Of
departments from receiving gifts from
/ the employees in their respective de-
partments.
The elemental principles that guide
/ the donors in one case are largely the
same in the other.
Big shippers in the east have made
a practice Of each year giving hand
some and valuable Christmas presents
/ to officials who were in a position to
extend favors that might not be
given to others. Sometimes the gifts
were in articles for home adornment
and sometimes in the form of drafts
! for amounts of money ranging up to
! one thousand dollars, according to the
/ importance of the official. the volume
of business of the donor. and the use
fulness of the recipient to the donor.
Although not stipulated in writing
the object of giving the present is al
ways for the purpose of securing
favors that would not be granted to
other shippers.
In the other case, the Christmas
gifts are in the nature of peace offer
ings, as it were. to keep the good will
of the official at the head of the de-
partment, and insure employment and
to insure the good Will of the employer
for the emDloye.
The subscriptions for such gifts are
usually solicited by the chief clerk of
the department official or some other
such parsonage who thereby hopes to
gain some prestige. or favors at the
hands of his superior, a the expense
of those under him who feel more or
less bound to contribute literally be-
cause the chief clerk or other per-
som might be able to cause the dis
missal of the person refusing to con-
tribute, from the service of the com
pany.
The Story of the. Boss Christmas
Present, II all the facts were known
would often reveal tragedies and wire
pullings of character possibly incom-
prehensible to the average intellect
In a certain Office of the auditing
department of one of the railroads
having general offices in Topeka.
where large number of clerks are
employed, an incident occurred dur
ing the present month that aptly illus
trates how the thing works.
girl was hired as a stenographer
to work temporarily on extra work.
with the alluring prospect held out
that possibly she might be hired reg
ularly later on.
She began her employment at this
office on the first Of December and
was given a salary of $40 per month
She went to work early and worked
late, sometimes staying at the office
TIL $50 and even 6 O'Clock Prac-
ucally every night she was asked to
return and work after supper. for
which extra work she received not
cent of compensation
This girl lived quite a distance from
the general office building by reason Of
which 1t became necessary to use the
street car She carried her luncheon
with her to work, but went home for
supper, thereby spending 20 cents a
day car fare.
Shortly after going to this office to
work the chief clerk was married and
one of the clerks. hoping to make
good with his superior went to all the
girls in his department of that partfc-
ular auditing office, and asked each
one for dollar to buy a wedding pres
emit He used the argument that the
chief clerk was the man to whom all
had to 60 to get their passes. and that
he also had considerable latitude in
hiring and discharging help. The girl
came through
A few days ago, the chief clerk
busted himself among the employees of
the department with a paper taking
up subscriptions Of one dollar each to
buy a Christmas present for THE boss
L ne girl reDelled- She resigned. Then
she reviewed her experience. She found
she had worked fully ten hours per dav
all the time that it wasn't y or 10
hours. for which she was receiving $50
per month. or not quite IS per week
She had paid out $3.50 in car fares.
another dollar In a contribution for the
chief clerk. and she found that after
nalf month she had been employed. the
sum Of rs cents had been deducted
from it for dues to one of the railway
organizations. Therefore she had 70
ceived 1925 net for her half months
Dor which would have been cut down
to S5-25 If she had stood for the chief
clerks levy all around for "the boss
Christmas present"
On account Of her brief length Of
service this girl escaped two other as
easements that would have been levied
had she remained in the service past
the beginning of another month
subscriptions are taken by one of the
men in the same office in which she
was employed for fund to buy flow
ers for the prospective dead" Instead
Of circulating a subscription paper to
buy flowers every time a death oc-
CURED IN the Office. a custom has been
inaugurated whereby q fund is main
tanned for this purpose At each paw
day, each person Is supposed to con |
tribute to this fund which is in charge !
OF one Of the head men in the depart
ment, and it seems to be left to this
individual to look after the expendi-
lures.
Likewise, if this girl had remained
had presented to her a subscription pa
per for a contribution from her to pay |
for her. share of the mineral water
tains in the building
This Is but one Of scores Of instances
Of this kind, each one different only
IN the variation of details.
Many clerks and stenogra pliers arc
working year after year on salaries Of |
from $50 to $40 per month
In the same office recently a number !
OF old timers, men grown gray in the |
service of the same Office for two or
three decades, were affected by the sal
airy reductions of from 20 to rs per cent.
The same office also released some Of
their clerks over 80 years OF age.
They were unable to retaliate. They
read in the papers almost every day of
increases OF TO- Is and even 20 per cent
in the salary Of the employees of almost
railroad 10 q. -