The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-05-27

Commencing June the Milwaukee
Electric Railway and Light company
owners Of the Kenosha Electric Rail
way will inaugurate for the benefit of
the employees of the transportation de-
partment system Of bonuses and will
pay them for the individual efficiency
attained in the operation of cars, free
dom from accidents and improvement
in speed. The notice posted is rather
technical. President Mortimer issued
the following statement regarding the
plan:
"The employees Of the transporta-
ton department of our company, of
which motormen and conductors form
q large part, have control over the
earnings Of our railway system in sew
eral important particulars. In the first
place the company is spending substan-
tial amounts of money each year for
the settlement of injuries and damages
arising out of accidents which are in
large part within the control of the
trainmen. While the public safety move
ment and the excellent control of street
traffic by the traffic policemen have
contributed to reduce the number of
street accidents there is still opportun-
ity for further reductions through the
exercise of care on the part of the pas
sengers, pedestrians, motorists and our
trainmen. To the extent that our train
,f..sIN ~ hn n
safety of the public and their pas
sengers, we wish to encourage them
by holding out a reward for the care
full operators and to provide for the
automatic elimination of careless en-
ployees. 1t is accordingly planned to
lay aside a fixed percentage of the OPP
Grating receipts from the street rail
way business to cover the expenses of
damages and after deducting an esti-
mated amount for additional expense
involved in the maintenance of indi-
vidual records, to divide the saving
equally between the employees and the
company.
In the second place. the company
spends something in excess Of % per
cent of it's operating revenues for the
compensation of motormen and con-
ductors. The trainmen are paid by
the hour while the amount of service
rendered is measured by the mileage
operated. If the speed of the cars can
be increased through faster schedules,
while preserving the safe operation and
Roadway between cars, we feel that the
trainmen are entitled to some benefit
ON account of this economy. In order
to attain this end a standard APP
preparation for wages per car mile is
made and the difference between the
tactual wages and the allowed amounts
us divided, as stated in the first in
pstance.
SIN the third place, trainmen have
an opportunity of effecting savings in
the maintenance of cars by avoiding
collisions with vehicles and other cars
and by the exercise of care in the
handling of the electrical equipment.
Amy savings effected in this regard will
he likewise divided.
''In the fourth place, trainmen might
be successful in operating cars at rel
atively high schedule speed with prop
er safety and at the same time produce
relatively small earnings. We have
accordingly set figure for the stand
ard revenues per car mile operated and
any excess over this amount will be di-
vided This may prove to be an import
increased density of business, improve
ment in the rates of fare or revival Of
business activity.
In the fifth place, all the first four
items might be properly taken care Of
but at the same time the service might
be regarded as unsatisfactory by our
patrons on account of lack of court
eous treatment on the part of the train
men. In order to encourage the court
eous treatment of passengers, all en-
ployees engaged in this work will be
graded monthly from the records of
complaints, attractions Of the rules and
records in respect to accidents. This
system of grading, while encourag ing
courtesy, also affords the basis of APP
portioning the bonus earnings for the
group as between the individual en-
ployees.
The trainmen also have control ov-
en- the consumption of electric power re-
CURED for the operation of cars, and
since Kenosha and interurban cars are
equipped for measuring economies in
power consumption, this feature has
been made part of the bonus plan.
just what the bonus may amount
to in the way of earnings cannot be
forecasted with any accuracy. Based,
however, on our experience with some
what similar plans in other depart
ments of the company business, we
anticipate that the bonus earnings will
for the more careful men soon reach