The Detroit times., 1910-10-03
Il + Manufactured and
Member Q. Reform League

NEW YORK, Oct. l.--John A. DIX,
who was yesterday nominated for
| governor on the Democratic ticket, ID
| : man comparatively new to politics
| In this state. He n . prominent man
| ufacturer, connected with the bank
Mag interests and owes hin riae In
politics In large measure TO his con
nection with the Reform Democratic
| league.
He was born ON Dec. Is, 1860, al
0lens Falls, on the upper Hudson
river. Mr.. Dixs father was James
Lawton Dix. son Of Samuel DIX, OF
Vermont His mother was Miss Laura
Stevens before she married James
Lawton Dix. Their son was sent to
Glens Falls academy and graduated
In 1879. After he graduated from Cor
nell In 1883 his father advised him
TO enter practical life at once. and he
entered the machine shops at Glens
Ealls.
He presently became associated In
the lumber business with the Hon.
Lemon Thomson. OF Albany, N. Y. In
1889 he married Mr.. Thomson's
daughter Gertrude In course Of time
extended the lumber business into pa
per mills at Thomson, Washington
county, just south of the Adirondack
region, and within the forest zone.
is Exponent of Conservation.
He gradually built up what hes be-
come the largest factory OF wall pa
pers in the world, a factory. more
over, where some OF the hardest labor
problems have found solution. Mr..
Dix further gave his mind to the side
of his business which affects not only
himself and his workmen, but the citi-
zens of his state and country. As
maker OF paper and q consumer OF pa
per pulp on a large scale, he Is one
OF those who are most active in the
III eservation of forests, and he has
himself established a large forest pre-
serve.
The second side OF Mr.. Dix's prac-
teal work is his treatment OF the la
Dor problems. His ambition was %
be IAN employer of contented labor,
and he had the advantage OF know
ing, by his own early experience, just
what the difficulties and hardships OF
the manual laborer are. So his fac
tories are comfortably warmed In
winter, and cooled by a forced
draught of pure air in summer. His
vorkmen enjoy half holidays every
week through the hot months Of July
and August But II was in handling
the strike problem that his real orig
inality as an employer Of labor came
cut Two years ago his men asked
for an increase of pay. Mr.. Dix agreed
TO receive a committee representing
the workmen, of whom he employs a
thousand, chiefly highly skilled men.
Meeting the committee, Mr.. Dix told
them, in his genial and sincere way,
that he had been thinking the whole
matter over, that he realized their
difficulties, and that he had decided
to- giye them the 10 per cent raise III
wages they asked for. Then came in
the native sense of Vermont. This in
crease, said Mr.. Dix. would be sub
ject to a condition-the wages which
they actually received should 40 IN
IA before. and at The end OF every
three months they should receive
checks for the added 10 per cent, pro-
vided that during this time, they In
creased the output of the mill In the
same ratio of 10 per cent. This, 1t
seems. they were perfectly willing to
do, without working overtime, and
the hands felt that they had an In
terest in this added output.
Mr.. Dix first took active interest In
politics when his friend, Judge Park
or. desired him to be delegate at
the ST. Louis convention.
Succeeded Chairman Corners.
There he made the acquaintance Of
the leading men OF the Democratic
party, and especially OF the closer
friends of Judge Parker: the very
men, therefore, who have been the
driving power in the Democratic re-
vival In New York. At Rochester he
met many OF the local leaders; and
when the time came, year ago, TO
form the Democratic league, Mr.. Dix
was, naturally, one of the leading
men upstate TO lend a hand.
In June last Mr.. Dix succeeded Will
liam ]. Corners, of Buffalo. az chair
man Of the Democratic state conven-
ton. Since that time and almost up
to convention time he had been tour
ing the state in the interests OF the
party, interviewing county leaders
and ascertaining the sentiment for
governor. Returning to New York
not long ago, he spoke OF decided
Gaynor sentiment and with this utter
ance was one OF the first offlcial Gay
nor boomers.
In 1872 John A. Dix. cousin OF the
present nominees father, was COVER