The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-27
TO RECEIVE EXTRA PAY.
Employees Of the Vermont Tel. & Tel. Co
TO Benefit.

10 BENEFIT.
Practically all OF the employees of the
Vermont Tel. 4 Tel. Co., which is sub
sidiary company of the New England
Tel. 4 Tel. Co., and more than $4,000
employees Of that company, will each par.
ticipate next week Wednesday in the dis
tribution of an emergency payment 10
assist them in meeting unusual present
expenses.
Employees who have been In the service
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.SlT5, and no employee OF less
than three months service and no gen.
eral official will in any way share in the
payments.
While in no sense holiday present,
the fact that il comes most unexpectedly
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 distribution TO the
employees of the Vermont Tel. & Tel. CO.,
which represents substantial sum of
money, is in accord with the distribu-
ton made to the employees of the New
England Tel. & Tel. Co. amounting to
over 100000.
In connection with the announcement
of the payment to be made TO the en-
ployes of the New England company,
President Spalding OF that company is
quoted as saying.
''The revenues of the company depend
on the rates for service allowed by the
commissions, aud should provide for all
expenses, fair return to the owners OF
the property, and a surplus to care for
emergencies. Their sufliciency is judged
by the results pf period of years, for it
is not feasible to be constantly modify
ing rates on the one hand, and expenses
on the other, TO meet changes occurring
in general business conditions. In this
respect the telephone company is entirely
different from the manufacturer, who
from time TO time increases or decreases
his forces as the demand for his product
increases or decreases, and changes his
wage schedules TO conform to changes in
the selling price OF his goods and chang
ing profits of his business.
Employment in the telephone com.
pany is practically continuous, and, fur
thermore, special benefit fund has been
created to insure reasonable security of
the income of its employees against the
of sickness, accident or
death, and to provide pension for those
who have served the company faithfully
and grown Old in its service. Neverthe-
less, without trying to pry into the pri-
waite 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 diseommoding some of our en-
ployes.
Eve found that this affected no par
tieular employees, or even class OF en-
ployes. but that the burden OF increased
expenses was being felt generally by em
ployes receiving $4,000 and less, and es-
pecially by such as were heads of fam
lilies or had others dependent upon them.
We desire a high quality service from
all. and we desire also the feeling that
we are all one big business family and
that the welfare of each is he concern of
all, and especially is it the concern of
those having administrative duties. Aft
er gathering such facts as seemed neces-
sary for definite opinion on the subject,
recommended to our directors the plan
which they unanimously adopted to-day.
eve shall make the payments next
week Wednesday. They will represent
not charity, on the one hand, nor raise
Of wages on the other but ather If can
reduce the idea to phrase. messages of
goodwill, understanding and appreciation
On the part of the officers of the company |
for efficient and loyal employees in tenn
oorary time of stress"