The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-14
UNION PENSIONS.

OF the many labor organizations in
existence through the world, one of
the very strongest is the International
Typographical union. And the rea-
son for its strength is not hard to
find. 1t is derived in the main from
the loyalty of its members which is
secured through their own intelligent
loyalty which has been encouraged
and developed by the fact that this
union does things for its members be-
sides providing them with benefit
fund in the case that any number of
them feel a necessity for going on a
strike. In this it is good deal differ
ent from most of the labor unions and
there can be no other reason for it's
great success.
For many years it has maintained
an adequate home for it's INDECENT and
disabled members at Colorado
Springs. As an annex to it is modern
sanatarium for the treatment Of those
of its members who are afflicted with
tuberculosis. And after sixteen years
of existence this Institution stands to-
day the only one of its kind in the
great organization.
But more recently this union has
broadened its scope in extending aid
to its worthy members. 1t has adopted
an old age pension system. In this,
| too, it ia a pioneer among labor I'M
ions. This system has been in active
operation for six months and has been
great success from every view point.
Not only have the members of the
union whose advancing years have en-
| titled them to a well earned rest from
daily labor been amply provided for,
but the fund which is derived for this
purpose from minimum tax on the
earnings OF the individual members of
the union has proved to be more than
sufficient for it's purposes. During
the ten months of the collection of the
| assessment which has averaged but
81 AS cents a month from each
working member the amount received
for the fund was $155, 200. During the
six months that the pensions have
been paid to total of 504 pensioners
| the disbursements from the fund have
amounted to 1884. 1t is expected,
\ naturally. that the expenditures from
the fund will constantly grow, but
| there will not likely be any necessity
| to increase the tax on the working
members to keep the fund up to nee
essary figures.
| An analysis of the ages of the pen
sion applicants develops the notable
| fact that the average age of the 566
applicants is 6S.5 years. OF the total
number 5s.3 per cent are between SO
| and 10 years; a35.6 per cent are sept
uagenarians; Al per cent are octo-
genarians, while one is nonagena-
rian. There is one woman on the pen
sion roll. Miss E. Louise Bryant, of
! New Haven, Conn. She is 81 years of
| age and has been a member of the
International union for thirty-two
consecutive years.
The great work that is being done
by the International Typographical
union of such immeasurable benefit
to its members and the successes
which have been achieved by II, should
1 be an incentive to other of the big
labor unions to follow in its footsteps.
\ If they do, the profit to their organ
izations and their members, will be
without limits. The more that a la
Dor union does for it's members, the
stronger will be their loyalty to it and
| the greater it will become in all of
the better ways for the uplifting of
humanity. Labor unions have a mag
nificent opportunity to do good if they
are properly managed, just as they
have an enormous chance to do ill if
they are wrongly conducted, if they
are conducted not for the interests of
their members but for the selfish ends
| of the men who have secured control