The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-29

administrative affairs the Steel corpora
ton employs upwards of 100000 men, and
IL Is safe to say that at least three times
| as many more are dependent upon them.
Inc S5'5Oo,U0O that the company pays for
welfare work benefits not only the men
themselves but their families OF course
some 0f this money is spent in making the
work around mills and mines less hazard
Gus and for the prevention of accidents,
! but other sums go for the care of en-
| pioyes, to pension superannuated en-
ployes; and for stock sharing schemes to
benefit the man at work. Then there are
| cfdldren's Fairgrounds, special schools
and number of other activities designed
to improve the workers condition, both
in the mills and in their homes
Making steel is a dangerous occupation
and accidents will happen. Some catch
in the machinery, the fitting of a crucible
filled with molten metal or the least
| carelessness on the part of an employe
may mean the killing and manning of
many men. One third of the sum yearly
| spent by the company goes toward the
| care of these injured employees. but it
| also spent in 1912 81, $4,000 for the SANTA
ton and improvement of mill communl-
| ties, for the children, for flower seeds, i'm
proved hygienic conditions, and schools
! for statesmen.
1t is predicted that the expenditure for
esanitation, etc." will reach s2,0ooooo an
nually before long,
Philanthropic and Economic
Col. II. b. Pope, first vice president
| of the Carnegie Steel company, said:
"rhe welfare work is something both
| philanthropic and economic. 1t isn't
| charity, but we hope it's neighborly. IT
is in line with the growing social re-.
| spor sibility of the present day. 1t also
tends to build up stronger and more ef-
/ ficient, as well as loyal set, of workers.
AT least Is per cent of the employees of
| our corporation are stockholders.
In a recent interview C. L. Close, man
| ager of the corporations welfare bureau,
| told of the progress that had been made
| in accident prevention since 1906. No
| systematic work had been done by the
| corporation a whole before that time,
but a meeting of the casulty managers
| of all the companies was held in May,
| 1906. and from this and subsequent meet
| inss was evolved a committee of safety.
| Its work was to devise the best method
| of preventing accidents. 1t employed eX-
| pert investigators, whose training enabled
| them to detect sources of danger. These
| men made full reports calling attention
| to every possible defect in the plants
| which might cause accidents. such as
worn floors. careessly piled material and
/ the like. Weekly meetings are held and
a committee of the workmen themselves
| is selected to look for defects either in
| buildings or equipment, to watch out for
| unsafe practices by the workmen and to
report any other conditions which might
lead to an accident. These committees
are frequently changed and new ones en-
| ployed in order to get new suggestions.
1 All possible sources of danger are thus
| pointed out and guarded against.
THE first thing we did was to look for
the obvious safeguarding of the machin-
| cry" said Mr.. Close. I'VE put guards
| over all parts Of the gear wheels. covered
| all the chains and machines, planes and
| box saws are so covered that it Is prac-
tically impossible for man to cut his
| hand in one of them. Our men have
masks and screens and safety goggles
We have spent s4000,O0O in safety de-
vices in six years. Prizes have been
given to the men for good suggestions
| that promote safety. AS the result of this
| work of safeguarding men, the serious
| and fatal accidents in the corporation $
mills ard mines have been reduced by
| 43 per cent since 1906. This means that
| there are something over 2300 employees
at work today who have been seriously
| hurt or killed under the normal condi-
| lions n eiy