Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-10-05

was in its infancy, each worked in
his own way irregardless of the ad-
vancement, or set backs of the
other. Today, with modern meth
DDS and machinery, cooperation in
business is not only important, but
in order to obtain the proper team
work, absolutely essential This of
course has a tendency to bring to
the foreground the fact that en-
ployer and employe must work in
harmony, each with the other.
In figuring the cost of production
the employer, or purchaser of labor,
(whether skilled or unskilled) must
fix a standard of workmanship and
quality for his product in order to
make a proper place for it in his
line. He must also, very properly,
figure a given output, from each
individual, as a standard days work.
In 1866, at Clinton, Iowa, Mr.. G..
NJ. C. F., G. S. Curtis and j. E.
Carpenter, organized, what is today,
one of the largest factories (for out
put of their particular products) in
this country. At that time, their
methods, while slightly in advance
of their day, lacked the present
efficiency, under which their differ
ent plants at Wausau, Clinton,
Iowa, Chicago, Detroit, Lincoln,
Oklahoma City, Minneapolis, Sioux
City and Pittsburg are now con-
Quoted. The business at Clinton,
Ia, was started in a small way and
by 1881 had developed to such an
extent that they were justified in
opening a branch factory at Wau-
sau, which eventually crept onward
and upward until today it has
reached position of leadership.
Proper methods were used at all
times, looking after the small con-
Germ, as well as the customer who
bought in quantity, using nothing
but the best material obtainable,
accepting and searching for new
ideas, catering to the slightest de-
sire of the customers in every pos
sible way, placing distribution sta
tions wherever the conditions war
ranted, all of which were big factors
in helping to bring to the fore
ground this mammoth institution
of which Wausau feels justly
proud.
The name of the Curtis family
implies advancement" and sue
cess, and from the year 1881, when
c. S. Curtis, now president of the
Wausau company, and S. M. Yale,
at that time his assistant, (nOw in
charge of the Minneapolis branch)
came to WauSau and started a
branch with surplus capital from
the Clinton, Ia, concern, anything
that was beneficial to either the
firm or its employees was at once
given a trial. In line with this pro-
gressive policy, the Emerson Eff
cheney System" was installed. This
system is not one to drive men to
give more work for less or the same
money, it is cooperation, which
teaches and helps men to develop
better results for themselves, and
it shows up to their advantage in
larger returns for their effort. For
an example by a careful analysis, it
is determined that a certain man
should, without crowding himself,
turn out 1000 pieces of a given
article. This man, for example,
receives $500 per day. If he reach
es this STANDARD" he is given a
voluntary bonus of 20 per cent, in
consequence increasing his wages to
81 40 for the day. And further
more, should he go beyond the
standard set, he receives in addi-
ton a bonus percentage equivalent
to one per cent of his salary on each
per cent increase in output. This
system, to our forefathers, would
indeed seem unique, as it absolutely
obliterates the old plan of "driv-
ing" men which was in vogue in
DAYS gone by, and in its place makes
the employee want to work for his
own financial gain.
There is another plan which
brings the Curtis companies to the
foreground, and exhibits once again
the spirit existing between the firm
and its employees, as an example
that we should be, "our brother S
keeper We will divide this in two
PARASITIC first, the "Old Age Pen
sion Fund" which guarantees to all
men in their employ, in any capac-
ity, that at the age of seventy years
they will be retired on pension for
the remaining days of their lives.
The amount to be granted in this
instance is figured on the basis of
one per cent of the mans wages for
each year of service. For purpose
of Illustration, let US say, that John
Jones, foreman, who at the age of
seventy, received a salary of one
hundred dollars per month, and had
been with the firm forty years,
would receive, in recognition of his
lengthy and faithful service, FAC. 90
per month until death. This brings
forth the protective hand extended
in another form to the Curtis en-
ployees. About two years ago. the
companies offered to establish a
benefit department at each of the
plants, to which each employee was
given the privilege of subscribing if