The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-11-24
Geo, w. Perkins Tells About
Y. M. C. A. Industrial Movement

! StSAtS ~ u IA
ating q platform on which both can
meet with mutual respect and mutual
benefit. 1t uses expert leadership. un-
dertaking work only where trained
secretaries can be employed. The as
ISOLATION stands for all-around welfare
work physical, social, intellectual
and religious. Because it is religious
it is character building, and therefore
wins it's way with. business men.
A foreman in one Of the largest cot
ton mills in the south says: THE ben
eft to the boys alone Is worth all that
the association costs. Among the
many successful Y. M. c. A. homes in
the cotton industry are those in Kan
napolis, N. c.; Greenville, S. Geo
lumbia, S. c.; Spray, n. c.; Huntsville,
S. c.. n Greers, S. c.
Testimony as to the value of the
work Is given In this statement by a
Y. M. c. A. member: T had very poor
school advantages in the country and
none for a fellow of my age at the
mill, till l came under the influence of
the Y. M. c. A. This resulted in a
desire to do welfare work for cotton
mill people. So I am now at the
Southern Industrial institute prepar-
ing for work in a cotton mill Y. M. C.
A. I was about to give up in despair
when some one told me about the in
NNN"SN1 r|AAN "tio ~ odlu w ol11 q
doing for those, who wanted to do for
themselves. and l was interested at
once. My wife and / are both working
our way through the institute, and we
consider it a blessing to the working
class Of people,"
Y. Nj. G. A. i'm Lumber Camps.
Many of the lumber camps of Maine,
Mississippi, Albania and other states
have found it distinctly to their advan-
tage to establish Y. M. A. c. branches
In their camps. This is because the
employers realize that to get the best
results from their men they must look
after the social life Of the workers.
1t is not sufficient to pay men we'll
and house them comfortably, or guard
far as possible. If they are left to
their own resources, in their leisure
time, they will develop characteristics
that eventually will be sure to impair
Y. NJ. c. A. secretaries are welcome in
the cypress SWampS of the south and
the logging camps of the northern
states. Even employers who may not
of the associations work recognize the
associations industrial value, and hast
en- to cooperate with it.
Construction camp work has many
points of resemblance to the activity
of the association in other Industrial
divisions, and at the same time possess
es problems of it's own. To meet the
specific conditions the organization has
been as progressive as in other fields.
The Y. M. C. A. car is the keynote of
the solution applied to the difficulty
encountered in construction camps.
This branch of the industrial move
ment of the Young Mems Christian
association visited the big temporary
settlement of workmen who were en-
ployed in building the bridge over the
Missouri river for the Pacific coast eX-
| fnnGinn Of tho Chi0o prN i1uTo1t1En q.
St. Paul railroad. The secretary found
500 men CHARTERED in box cars and
b~unkhouses. Everything was being
done for the workers which was con-
sidered advisable under the industrial
conditions Of that period, but the men
were not as comfortable as the Y. M.
c. A. representative thought they
ought to be: So the secretary sug--
the plan which for thirty-f1ve years
the association had employed success
fully. among shopmen and trainmen
could be adopted in the construction
camp with benefit to the workers NOR
al and social condition.. The engineer
gave approval.
One Of the first things done in car.
rying out the associations idea at thi.
point was to equip a passenger coacf
with a postoffice, reading and writing
ables, a photograph, s~tereopticon, ant
electrically and the 500 men were in,
vited to make it their headquarters fol
all their leisure time, or as much of /
as each man might care to use in tina
way. Entertainments were provided b,
the secretary and the interest Of tn,
men In the Y. NJ. G. A. car developed
so speedily and thoroughly that in
short time there was little or no drunk
enesS where there had been much, an
saloons three miles away in the tow
of Mobridge put up their shutters TO
lack of patronage.
Similar experiences have been re
/ PnT6a6. nn0nno nfhnr on~n&r,,-k,~
amp Wherever the Y. NJ. C.. A. ca
or building has appeared the saloons
gambling houses, dance halls and othe
undesirable places have disappeared. II
/ many instances railway officials hav,
been so pleased with the patent an
practical results achieved by the asso
citation that they have given funds TO
the erection of association buildings
5 provided homes for the Y. M. C. A
secretaries and their families, and evel
/ gone so far as to pay the salaries .
the secretaries. This is practical proc
of the high value which big transpor
tat1on men place on the industrial
, movement.
) Equally valuable is the work of tn
association in the pulp and paper in
up for workers in this line of manu-
%facture in Berlin, N. H; M~ittineague
Mass; Greenville Junction, Me; an,
many other papermaking towns. Anon:
the ~copropatrois that Cooperate witt
the Y. NJ. G. A. industrial movemen
are the International Paper company
Berlin Mills company, Burgess Sulphit,
Fibre company, american WritinE
company, n Hollingsworth' & Whit
ney company. The benefits of the as
ISOLATION in the paper W are no
restricted to employees OF concern,
which contribute to their support
Woodsmen and other workers employ,
ed by neighboring companies tinC
hearty welcome.
upuoHrVEu~ RE,~~ e.. A. n-.-
The work in the mining communities
is one of the most interesting phaseI
of the Industrial movement. If Their
is any place where the Y. M. C. A
the rough it is in a mining camp. TIL,
very nature of the mems employment
makes for such conditions. When
man has to wedge himself deep into tn
dynamite far below the sunshine. he il
not likely to be the gentlest of ind
viduals. His leisure time probabl!
will be filled with pretty rough sport
if he Is left to himself. You can't han
die that sort of man with white sued
gloves. Boxing gloves are better. T,
humanize him, to make him realize tina
rough ways are not always the best, tn,
association worker has to meet him OF
his w ground. In order to do, any
thing with such a Ia you first mus
understand him. How thoroughly TIL
Y. M. c.. A. secretaries in the various
, understand and influence the worker
there is attested by the American
Smelling and Refining company, Ten
nessee Copper company, Bunker Hi
) company of Kellogg, Idaho, n a hund
red other big corporations.
The great industrial movement o
the Young Mems Christian association
! is long past the experimental stage. |
is a demonstrated success. 1t Will in
crease to gigantic proportions If tn.