The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-04-07
What Y. N. c. 4. Associations
Are Doing in Country
Benefit TO EMPLOYERS OF MEN
SPLENDID RESULTS BEEN &C.
coMPLlsHED IN ROCHESTER
AND MILWAUKEE.

The managers of the street railways
centering at Birmingham, Ala, at a
recent meeting waived the usual dis
cussions concerning take-the- next car
suits, transfer slips, the grievances OF
the suburbanite and service to the
travelling public, and took welfare work
for employees.
Six months ago Y. M. c. A. had
been opened by the men of Memphis.
1t soon had 700 men on its roll and the
register at the door rang up 10000
visits in one month. The public has
shown it's appreciation of the better
service of the men "whO have taken
a BRACE" and one conductor reported
a gift Of twenty silver dollars at Chist-
mas time, another a five dollar gold
piece, because they had been nice to
the families of the men on their run.
The "step lively accelerator had lost
it's aggravating tone and peace reigned.
The showing of what the Y. M. c.
A. had done for the services better
ment so impressed the superintendent
that they spent the entire forenoon
in discussing it's general introduction.
One of their number who had prepar-
ed a study of six clubs for welfare
work, withdrew the paper he was
scheduled to read, saying that he had
found nothing which compared with
the association and it's effects.
The association club has been run
by a committee of the men, the cam
pany equipping the rooms, supplying
books for the libraries, the periodicals
for the reading rooms, bath rooms, bill
lard tables, etc., at a cost of $1,000.
The street railway men in Memphis
had been regarded by some business
men of the town as down at the heel
and a no-account set because of the
| habits of a few OF them. Since these
! recreation rooms with baths, and pool
and billiards, have been introduced
| ten saloons in the vicinity of the cal
barns have suffered in the competition
and some have had to take out theil
pool rooms and baths for lack of pat.
ronage. Tho men have stepped onto
their cars In better condition to serve
| the public Some have saved money
! which otherwise they would have spen
| in saloons and pool rooms, and some
have bought homes. The long wait:
between morning and evening runs art
spent in study and reading and OF
Sunday in religious services. Mel
who have not attended church in year
or have not had an opportunity to OF
account of Sunday work, attend bibl
class between runs. and church partie
are organized for Sunday evening ser
vices.
This Street Railway Young Men
Christian association has been foun,
so satisfactory in Memphis that tn
company will back the men in organ
izing branches in Birmingham an
other southern cities. The branch O
the Virginia Passenger and Powe
company, at Richmond, Va, has nearl
200 members now enrolled and a ne1
branch will be opened by that com
pany at Petersburg.
At Rochester, N. Y, the association
has put in cots and a lunch counter
so that the men who come off thei
runs late at night and go on at
o'clock in the morning can be accom-
modated. Bowling is the popular off
time game here. When the compan
opened a new car barn it proposed t
provide club rooms for the men, an
by the action of the men these wer
placed under the management Of tn
Y. NJ C. A
At the Cleveland car barns severa
hundred motormen and conductor
meet at early morning, between tn
hours of 4 and o'clock, at the "bul
pen." to take their runs. Here
bible class is held while they are com
ing and going which has put the me-
in a better frame of mind for wor
with the cantankerous travelling pub
lie.