Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-12-22
TELEPHONE co. BONUS.
Employees to Be Especially Remembered
in This Season of Special Demands
Upon Their Income


More than 1900 employees of the
New England Telephone and Telegraph
company will each participate, next
week Wednesday, in the distribution of
an emergency payment to assist them
in meeting unusual present expenses.
Employees who have been in the ser
vice one year or more will receive
three.weeks' pay. Employees who have
been in the service less than one year,
but not less than three months, will
receive two-weeks pay. No employee
will receive more than $175 and no en-
ploye of less than three. months ser
vice and no general official will in any
way share in the payments.
While in no sense holiday present,
the fact that it comes most unexpected
ly at this time of the year makes il a
most timely evidence of the continued
concern of the company's officers for
the welfare of its employees. This distri-
button to employees, amounting to over
100000, was decided by the directors
Of the New England Telephone and
Telegraph company at their meeting in
Boston Wednesday. Naturally, the
"voice with the smile is particularly
in evidence among telephone employees,
without regard to sex or relative rank.
In connection with this announce
ment President Spalding said:
"The revenues of the company de-
pend on the rates for service allowed
by the commissions, and should provide
for all expenses, fair return to the
owners of the property, and a surplus
to care for emergencies. Their sufficien-
cv is judged by the results of period
OF years, for it is not feasible TO be
constantly modifying rates on the one
hand, and expenses on the other, to
meet changes occurring in general bust
ness conditions. In this respect the tele-
phone company is entirely different
from the manufacturer, who from time
to time increases or decreases his
forces as the demand for his product in
creases or decreases, and changes his
wage schedules to conform to changes
in the selling price of his goods and
changing profit Of his business.
Employment in the telephone com
pany is practically continuous, and fur
thermore, a special benefit fund has
been created to insure reasonable secur-
itv of the income of its employees
against the emergencies of sickness, ac-
cident or death, and to provide a pen
sion for those who have served the
company faithfully and grown old in
it's service. Nevertheless, without try
ing to pry into the private affairs of
our people, we have been impressed
with knowledge, gained from many
sources, that the present increase in
the cost of the necessities of life was
seriously dscommoding some of our en-
ployes
awe found that this affected no par
ticular employees, or even class of en-.
ploycs. but that the burden of in
creased expenses was being felt gen
orally by employees receiving $4,000 and
less, and especially by such as were
heads of families or had others depend
cnt upon them. We desire a high quail
ty service from all. and WI desire also
the feeling that we are all one big
family and that the welfare of each is
the concern of all, and especially is it
the concern of those having administra'
tive duties. After gathering such facts
as seemed necessary for a definite opin-
ion on the subject, recommended to
our directors the plan which they unan-
imously adopted today.
owe shall make the payments next
Wednesday, They will represent, not
charity, on the one ham,. nor raise
of wages, on the other, but rather, if
can reduce tbs, idea to a phrase, mes
sages of goodwill, understanding and
appreciation on the part of the officers
Of the company for efficient and loyal
employees in a temporary time OF
stress"