The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-05-12
SOCIALIST QUIZZES
GENERAL ELECTRIC
Mrs. krucsi. u Stockholders
Asks About Welfare Of It's
10000 Employees.
ARE TAXES FULLY PAID.
Daughter Of FOrlucr Manager
Awaits Answers at An
muaI Meeting.

Mis- Waiter Edison kruosi whose
| in the Socialist administration of Schc-
ncctady, has written this letter "to the
officers and directors of the General
Electric Compar " addressed to NJ. +.
! W"stovcr. secretary of tho company:
DEAR SIEs As owners Of the COMPANY
we have coinun interest all OF IA de
,ii" the largest dividends upon our invest
lnrrt coinpatibl" w!th business honor and
IN" laws Of our country. AS citizens Of
this country wc also hav" common in
tcrcsts "" desire that our well being shell
be set upon iirni national foundation.
ana that tn" flow Of our peace and pros
p.ritN may not h." checked by inequalities
of condition between the producers and
consumers of goods.
1t Is on this common ground OF self
, interest a. Stockholders IN the General
| Electric Company aud as benehcarics OF
! American democracy that ! address YOU
dt tho annual meeting Of this corporation.
! In determining for III" next year tn"
! labor conditions under which our large
/ inCOni" is earned "" HfteCt In the grayest
| manner tn" freedom bv which our cm-
ulOyees. fellow citizens. though not fellow
stockholders, ar. able to cNcrcis" the con-
sttutional rights of life. liberty ana the
pursuits uf happiness
We have a. profound responsib.lity to
! those 10000 persons, unr"presentcd here
hv voice or vote and therefore the fol-
| lowing questions are submitted. ! shall
be present AZ the meeting Of MAY l3 to re-
4 celtc replies.
! Has the right of lif- been fully safe
! guarded
! What IS the total number of lives lost
during the last decade in the various
plants, and the number Of disabling ac-
! cidents" What is the sum of money paid
! IN r"comrcnsc for accident and death
| rs II true that employees are exposed
TO the poisonous dust of copper oxide. and
that their petitions for redress OF this
grievance remain unsettled by shop
! managers
"Do YOU agree with medical and social
| investigators that overtime and night
work are harmful and therefore inter
fer" with the free pursuit Of happiness
as defined by the Constitution?
! What per cent OF einploysos worked
ovcrtim" in each plant in 1922 What
was the ratio "f night shift to dav work
In 1912?
| do YOU believe that the employment;
OF women a, heavy manual work In fac
| tories l. advantageous 70 the American
! family, and therefore to tho state?
| Does III" increasing number 81 women
employees represent an intentional trans
| Ter of labor power from men to women or
| merely an Increase In tho long established
sales Of wonen's products?
| do YOU believe II is dcsi bile 10 earn
dividends and accnmulat. surplus by the
| devices of overtime and night shift. or
do you plan 80 en!aJgc factory facilities
| 81 that goods may ID" produced only dur
Ing eight hours of daylight?
| is IL tr-i", as large numbers OF EN-
ployees allege. that blacklist IL In
Operation I" destroy theu labor and
political ORGANIZATIONS. ana that the moulC-
ers of Pttsheld. who have been attempt
Ing for yrar to orSaoizn under iheir
conS,,ut!onnl rights, have been officially
opposed
| What IS YOUR UositiOn on the strike
which has been going on at this factory
Tor alDut one YEAR
| The 1879 report says: For the purpose
! Of rocouping the stock holders in part
Tor dividends passed or reduced during
1929 10 1902. the board OF directors on
October II, 1912. declared stock div.
dend of 40 per cent. OF surplus
Has the company shown an equal con-
| Germ about the pa yInent OF its fun share ol
the taxes Of III" cities where its plants
are located The. report for 1911 gives
the conpanNs notably conservative book
| value Of the Schenectady plant at So
l25.720c4. Rut officers protested TO the
city assessors against an assessed value
Of more than $4,000 900. or 40 plus per
| cent for 1912.
In the same year the Lynn works were
given book value of $4,2s3.7s3.29. while an
Assessed value for taxation purposes of
H.as3,l5o, or ~ plus per cent. was ac-
ccptod.
| The corresponding figures for Harrison
were sl.3l%,s7l,S2. and S7l2,300.
Has the surplus been accumulated par
TALLY at the expense OF the cities which
are composed isGge!y OF our employees
| CHARLOTTE n NRrEsr.
May 5. 1913
1907 Campbell avenue, Schenectady,
IS. Y,
Mr. kruesis father, the late John
Kruesi. was general manager OF the
Edison Electric Company. now the Gen
eral Electric Company He was heavy
stockholder and II IL understood that
he left some OF his shares to his son.
Walter Edison Kruesi and his wife
are arden, socialists and both were
active at the time OF Mayor Lunn's
|