The Detroit times., 1915-07-17
Studebaker Corpora
ton Gives Paid-Up
Policies Free
RELIEVES MEN
OF MENTAL STRAIN
N ew Welfare Plan
Makes for Greater
Efficiency

Taking the worry Of the family
future In case | die" of the shout
ders OF workingmen is the latest
step in welfare work for workers.
Employers are doing II now
by takiag out life insurance for
their workingmen and In at
least one instance for working
women.
This instance is in the case OF
The Studebaker Corporation, the
mammoth wagon and automobile
manufacturing concern of Detroit
and South Bend, Ind, which has just
inaugurated the new insurance plan
for their 5000 employees about 300
of whom are women.
Concerns all over the country are
rapidly taking to the idea in vari.
Gus forms, among them The Edison
company. National Lead company,
The Michigan Stove Works and
Montgomery Ward and company.
The plan as adopted by The
Studebaker Corporation for EN-.
ployes in the automobile plant In
Detroit and the wagon workers In
South Bend is simple one and has
mo strings" attached to 1t.
All employees, excepting the ONCE
workers and minors are given a
straight life policy for amounts vary
ing from $500 10 81 900.
The cost to the company when
the plan Is in full operation will
be several millions. for the pol
icy when II ir handed to the en-
ploye Is paid up for life.
I'm addition to the fact that EN-
ployes get paid up life insuran. -
in a good company absolutely free
there is the second and almost
equally important point that abou
40 per cent of the men are middle
aged and could not pass the sever
physical examination they woult
have to II they applied Individual,
to the insurance company" says J
z. Spencer, the Studebaker officia
who has charge of the new insur
ance plan. I'm making our con
tract the insurance company agreed
to accept our physical test for tn,
men. That is not nearly so sc
vere."
New employees are investigated be
fore given insurance. II their home
conditions or conduct while ava.
from work is found to be unsatis
factory they are not threatened Of
warned. On the contrary II is point
ed out to them that n they wish
they will find themselves the gamer.
by rectifying conditions. when the,
show an Improvement in their per
sonal affairs then their life is insur
ed without further quibbling.
II a worker quits or Is discharged
the policy Is automatically forfeited
but aside from that he has full con
troll over the policy. It is his and
his beneficiary or can change 1t as
often as necessary. or as he de
sires.
The insurance plan Is one OF the
important new ideas put into effect
by the new Studebaker atministra
ton Of which Albert r. Erskine has
but recently been made president
II is expected to help put the
drive" into the organization that Is
SO necessary In modern day manu-
featuring plants.
Worry" declares one Stude-
baker official. wears down
mans efficiency far quicker than
hard work. This insurance idea
will take the everlasting worry
about the "family's future" from
the shoulders Of the man-even
one with good job. It's going
TO make our men better work
ingmen."
II has always been the pride OF
the Studebaker company that their
men struck and II Is expected thai
the insurance plan will foster tina,
idea with the new generation o.
workers.
]. M. Studebaker, the last OF the
Studebaker brothers who started
the original wagon shop in Soutf
Bend more than so years ago Is ar
advocate Of sticking"
Now honorary president Of the
corporation he has practically giver
up active work but he visits the
works In South Bend almost daily.
All the old men know him as "Olt
J. NJ" and one man always gets q
CHEEKY smile from him. This mar
has run q shaping machine for Is
years. II Ia considered one OF the
most DANGEROUS machines in the
works.
Every time -. NJ" enters tie shoI
this men srios and holds up boil
bants fngtr- spread wide apart.
lie Just WIZ q TO shov ~. NJ
that he hasn't lest . finge" and Il