University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-05-17

that city as it is possible for cold type
TO reproduce. 1t grew into the hearts
of the people and came to be one
essentially home paper of the city, for
IpeOple placed abiding faith in its cOun
Isel and direction.
Material is not easy of access which
takes up in detail just why the Ledger
lmade the success that was its share
under the direction of Mr. Childs. The
Ledger seems 10 have been largely q
means toward enabling its editor to
lgive play TO his benevolent instinct,
and this ife-characteristic Oversha-
dows his editorial achievements from
the viewpoints Of his biographers.
In striking contrast TO the long bat
tie OF a Los Angeles editor with the
Typographical Union is the record OF
the attitude toward that union of Mr..
Childs in The thirty years in which he
was an employer of union printers. Al
has been stated, Mr.. Childs made of
the Ledger a financial success; as a
Iplain business enterprise, the paper
was classed as one of the best-paying
newspapers in the world But Mr..
Childs did not look upon the great
profits that came into the business
department of the paper as entirely
due to his own efforts. In a general
way he treated it as result, i'm part.
of the loyalty and industry of his en-
lployes; and so, when he had provided
literally for the investment CT his can
ital and his own masterful direction
he felt that his employees should re-
ceive recognition beyond stipulated
wages or salaries for the part thev
played in bringing success TO the Led
ger.
In conformity with this view. il was
Mr. Child's custom, annually, at Christ |
mas time to declare a profit sharing
dividend. AZ which gifts of cash rang |
ing, it is said. from $1,000 downward, |
were made 10 his employees. from the |
highest -salaried editor to the office |
boy. Yet Mr.. Childs did not besrow |
these gift in the way of personal bene. |
factions. but rather as rewards that
had been justly earned in making the |
Ledger business success.
With his printers Mr.. Childs was
always on especially friendly terms
and during the thirty years of his
association with them there never
was disagre ement over union rules.
And when one considers that Mr.
Childs subscribed to the identical rule
which the Los Angeles editor has spent
twenty years of warfare to destroy.
there seems some cause for belief
that perhaps there is something in the
personality of the Western editor which
is essentially out of harmony with
Mr.. Childs paid his printers ) cents
a thousand ems above the union scale
of wages. More than this, he main
tained a system of pensions for these
printers. One printer was on this pen
sion roll for twenty-siy years. When
the linotype came to the daily news
papers of the land; Mr. Childs deferred
their introduction into the Ledger Of
flee for year, to give his compositors
TO adapt themselves to new
by finding work in other
lines, where necessary. He then re-
fained all of the married men who were
capable Of mastering the machines.
One of Mr. Child's biographers |,
states that in no one thing has he made i,
a name that stands out with particular
iistinctness-his charitable and bene- |,
1olent nature being so universal that A.,
all appeals were met with equally uni !
'Orm and genuinely sympathetic re-
'ponse. Yet there is one monument to /
his benevolent spirit which seems to :,
this opinion.
Twenty-Five years ago, Mr.. Childs ,
md his friend, A. J. Drexel, made a =,
,ift of $4,000 to the International Ty- p
biographical Union, for the purpose of :,
Ounding a home for superannuated l.
md disabled union printers. This