New-York tribune., 1907-09-25
4 TODEL F4CTORY-
Heclfh and Happiness of Employees
Con&idcred by O7cners.

.,e Is a factory in Berlin. Ontario. ir which
- arc 20 strikes and 70 lockouts. the owners of
rich e bed at night in serene confidence 1hat
= tr0uble with their employees Is going 10 come.
- .3ve years ago there good deal of friction
:, rn1s very factory Five gears the employees
- working ten hours a day for SIX days in the
CO. and accomplishing, the owners declare. less
nan they DO now though now they work only nine
h.u-s 2 day and have q half-holiday every Satur-
sev in the year- Last year the 40 employees drew
ss az Fl wages-Tnore than vas paid the o. people
s-ho wee employed in the factory FIVE years ago.
Ard the owners say that in the course OF these
fxe years their business has increased ~ per
caz- which shows that something or other must
have done wonders for the efficiency OF the work
ing staff
tbet has made the magical change there is the
Introduction by the owners Of what they call well
fare work. though il has many features and
hss spread ogt SO in various directions that one
little name hardly seems big enough for Il all 4
member Of the company got the idea from factory
L. Ohio Hearing of the thlnSs tnat were nelng
done there for she mutual benefit of employees ard
enlplcy ers. he went to study the system and re-
turned 70 Berlin fun Of enthusiasm about it First
one innovation Eas brought about. then another.
and the whole factory Is reorganized on a
basis Of rautual helpfulness.
Perhaps the thing the women workers appreciate
most is the rest room furnished for their Use-a
b-g. sunny room. with rugs on the floor, large
rockers pots OF ferns and Towering plants and a
comfortable couch where any woman WoIkeT VINO
chances 70 feel indispOSed may come and liz down
Next this Is one that ought 10 he oUp-i-
Gated in every factory in the land II il We're
there would be less sickness among women than
there Is now. II Is JUST a little room. where In
stormy weather the girls and women may change
their wet clothes for dry ones There are slippers
and stockings and skirts. which they wear whle
Their opn ara being dried in dryer They pay q
rfffe for the use of these things. penny or Two
which money is used 10 keep ur the supply of the
clothing they rent
There are cIubrooms in the building for the men
and bathrooms for the men and for the women
Every 7voTker in the factory has the right To
twenty minutes Of the company's time for taking
& bath.
There IS 2 library too-the sort Of library that
IS most attractive tired worker. stocked WITH
three hundred volumes Of the best fiction. 5000
magazines and leading neE7spa peTs- II Is open
three evenings week and open every GaT for Inc
exchange Of books. little while both al noon anc
q > clock IN the afternoon. Employees who used
Il spend their evenings in the poolrooms u Is salu
go 70 the factory library now Why notE II i a
cheerful well lighted place. with the best OF
anusemeut-eTltertaiillDs books inere Is q -allt-i
room Oh the ground floor Of the building Where
for the extremely reasonable sum of eight cents
one NAV ge- a bowl Of good Rot soup, sandwiches
q bread anf butter cup Of tea or coffee. ana
some fruit IN this room lessons are given every
evening-gratis-in plain sewing dressn1a Al1lg.
faskerrv and domestic science. All the equipments
for teaching domestic science 1re there TneF are
provided b,- the frnl but the bread thus cast on
the waters has richly returned 70 the firm for @ IN
lessons Of course. Increase the efnciencE OF 'lS
Elrl workers .
The different departments where the work is
oone are a contrast TO the average iactory lhle-
,5ar rieassnr SUNNY with ferns and flowers IN
rbe windows The first department Is the one
bere ne hands of the shirts and the collars are
made by machine and II Is interesting TO see these
machines work; they seem positively lhte!Ilee'i''
All the machines run by power. and one OF 1hsiil
makes six bUtto1heles IN d minute ~ ~ -
5engrrrpent the shirts are put together. one SCI
of operators heunaing around the io"eF eiios. O. a.,
other set placing the sides together others
7.t-fr OF the fronts After leaving this room me
s.-rs are sent 10 the examiners and from them 10
-he laundry. Even the laundry room IS a hsnt
-,raeszrt place and the girl workers. all dresseo
alike in blue drill frocks and white kercie1s, sup
rlfei b. the company. look very neat and Tno!e-
ed hoy Ire j
= sea the cuickness with which they feed the
collars the ironing Tnachlne -.
F,ve-v nrecaution is taken 10 insure the safety
,,f the employees Every exposed wheel or Delt IN
-Ie machinery IS cased in, which, Of course meant
,e exnerse TO the company. but Whlch mas iet.iIl
MD The company in the end. because Il mas
-o,,sr1 down 70 a minimum the loss oi time IFol'.
arrider-s and il saves the company the ootheT "I
lega! Investigations -, -
Tss- Christmas the company presented eatl -
- crorfozas with a savings hank deposit uooh
--r an account opened. g deposited for eacn year
80 ar7rlove had served the company. mere ar
eee7l other very enlightened features apont ''ls
<s.-c-,--a-7d II any Of the workers 1hlnk OF aiis
,.s,e- changes thev believe would hetteT ine Plac
-, 80 ~ liberty 10 make the suggestion ana Il
a seer,s roo6 il will be adopted. In each oepai
-. +,e-e * q small box for suggestions anu
,o-,-,lz5--e and a premium is given Tor every suE
-, rhsr is adopted. and every tnI IAot''is
-5--zas are given for the three suggesuois J1uet
= - executive to be Of the greatest value 70 'iit
r-e5-r