Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-10-04
Union Scale Paid by Meredith to
His Employees.
HIS WORKERS HAPPY FAMILY
Healthy Working Conditions, Modern
ConvenienCcs and an Interest
Taken i'm Their Welfare, ut
Successful Farming"

in construction work, not one cent
of which. has gone to non-union men
Few, If any, candidates for office
have such record and that union
labor will support him almost unan-
imously is evidenced by the stand
taken at the Des Moines Trades and
Labor Assembly, when he was intro
duced by President H. H. Breach as
''the friend of organized labor"
President Breach declared that la
Dor has an opportunity this fall to
elect a governor of Iowa who has
proved his friendship by his treat
ment of labor, the kind of governor
the state has never had before. He
urged those who are inclined to op-
pose Meredith because he is "dry" to
forget that question and support him
for his relation to their common
cause.
Harding Called "Slippery."
Harding was condemned by Presi-
dent Breach as "slick and slippery
straddler who makes wet speech
where it is wet and a dry speech
where it is dry"
Meredith in his speech, which was
roundly cheered, told the laboring
men why he was dry, because where
there are saloons the children do not
go to school. In the wet section of
Illinois he said only Sc per cent of
ha oh RI Ia ia
the dry section the number is 80 per
cent.
Turning to the road question
Meredith said, eve must have good
roads that we may be in closer touch
with each other, that we may have
our community life in the rural dis
tricts as we'll as in the cities, that
the farmers and their families may
be in close touch with each other
the farmer with the city, and the city
with the farmer"
Makes Labor Relations Philosophy.
Meredith's relations to labor is a
philosophy, not philanthropy; it is
good business not charity, it has be-
hind it true understanding of the
psychology of the best relations of
capital and labor, and if all employ
ers followed his example, as demon
strated by the conduct of his publica-
ton, Successful Farming, there
would be no strikes and little reasons
for having labor unions.
Since he started In the publication
business before he was old enough
to vote, he has employed union labor.
Other employers do this, but Mere
dith does much more. He makes of
his big force happy family, without
internal division or strife. His big
plant was designed as much for the
comfort and health of his employees,
as it was for the easy facility of
issuing his publication. 1t is well
ventilated and lighted and equipped
with modern toilets and lavatories.
Shower baths and lockers are at the
disposal of all employees.
On the second floor are kitchens
and dining room where employees
are served hot dishes for lunch at
less than cost. With the exception
of meat orders, which are five cents,
the charge for every dish is three
cents. 1t costs Meredith about $50
a month more to operate the lunch
room than the revenue received, but
his employees reap the benefit.
On the third floor is reception
room with player piano and plrono-
graph, where company parties are
held at least three times year, al
ways on Halloween and Christmas.
Farmer employees always
get Christmas presents from their en-
ployer and each year those who have
worked over a year and less than two
get a weeks vacation on full pay,
those who have been employed over
two years receive two weeks vaca-
ton on full pay and on Christmas
every employee who has been with
the company five years is presented
with gold watch and joins the Sue
,essful Farming Five Year Watch
Club.
Close Relations with Workers.
Employees furnish the copy" for
a little publication for circulation
among themselves, called "Amons
Ourselves" which Successful Farm
ing publishes free Of cost.
But Meredith and his executives
do not confne their efforts to work
during office hours. They keep
track of their people at their homes.
When one is sick they are visited |
and are cheered and comforted. If
in financial need the company keeps
them from the grasp of the loan
sharks by making loans which are
paid later, a few dollars a week and |
all this brings employer and en-
ployees close together, knits the Or
ganigation into fighting force which |
can not help but succeed.
1t is not philanthropy nor char
ity, but hard headed business sense
VIII Oh wins loyalty and cooperation
and puts into the work of every man
and woman a vitality and energy
that money could not buy.