The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-14
FOLK BACK HOME
PAYROLL Problem COnfrOntS Big
Industrial Concerns.
Providing for Soldiers Family
a Patriotic Study.

New York, April 14.-Leading
manufacturers in the United States
are seeking to discover the wisest and
most patriotic way of dealing with the
problem of industrial payrolls during
war time and making provision for
dependent families of men who en-
list in any branch of the national serv-
ice. A definite effort is to be made,
it was learned today, to urge the gov
eminent ito provide subsistence al
lowances' in the United States to de-
pendent families of soldiers on a SINH
lar basis to that adopted by the gov
ernments of Great Britain and Can
ada. The creation of a national pa
triotic fund will be urged. An enor-
nous fund would have to be raised
in this country, it is said. Even If
only 100000 families should be in
volved, it would mean $20,0O0,000
month or $240,0OO,O00 a year for
separation allowances alone.
Information obtained from authori-
tative sources in Great Britain and
Canada as to how the problem was
handled there disclosed what are de-
scribed as the most staggering kind
of experiences" 1t appeared that be-
cause the war was sudden, prominent
firms and corporations in a burst of
patriotism, publicly announced that
they would give full pay during the
war to every man who bore arms.
This was intended, it was explained,
to encourage enlistment. Something
like ruinous confusion and chaos
threatened many of the industries of
Great Britain and Canada after a year
or more of this drain upon business
the American manufacturers were in
formed.
Employers Promises Failed.
Among Canada's chief difficulties
was the system by which individual
firms permitted their employees to go
to the front on full or part pay,Ihere-
by esta blishing an "undemocratic or
der of things in the trenches. En-
llstmentS, moreover were encouraged
without regard to skilled or unskilled
labor, with the result that production
was severely handicapped
Employers who had promised their
employees to give them back their own
jobs, found it impossible to fulfill their
promises. Many came back manned
and injured and after two years of
war vast army of temporary help
had been created in the factories. The
problem of getting rid of this tenn
porary help on the return of the SOL
diers proved a difficult one. The en-
ployer in Great Britain and Canada
would first. it was explained, provide
for "selective conservation" taking
young unmarried men and even from
tories every man who was a skilled
workman.
Several Allowance Funds.
The British and Canadian govern
ments have decided, the American
manufacturers were informed, to pay
a Subsistence allowance" to each de-
pendent family, representing a figure
sufficient for food and rent alone.
That has been figured to be $51.6S a
month for family of two adults
and three children paid by the gov
eminent direct to the dependent fam
lly- Then there is the separate al
lowance" of $50 per month per fam
lily for moderate comforts, clothes,
etc, and the compassionate allow
ance" made at the discretion of a CEN
trail agency distributing the fund in
exceptional cases. These separate"
| and compassionate" allowances are
not paid by the government but come
| out of a national patriotic fund raised
by voluntary public subscription and
distributed thru some central agency.