The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1917-02-03
Actively Aid Welfare Plans Of
Every Description For
Employees.
PHILANTHROPY NOT INTENT.
Comfort and Contentment of the
Workers Considered Paramount.

Hundreds of millions Of dollars have
hoon expended during the past decade
;, American manufacturers for those
forms of industrial betterment, in be-
half of employees, that are generally
c,assed as philanthropic or beyond the
mere requirements Of laws and con-
tracts.
Oncent manufacturers-a they are
IN tbe vast ma jority-as are the decent
noonle of other classes-are opposed to
grinding child labor, and they strive to
nov q living wage to all Of their en-
nloyees. They go much farther than
that as a study Of American industry
will show. They devote time, money
end effort to provide every possible
sunnlementary means for promoting
tbe convenience, the comfort, the
health, contentment and happiness Of
their workers and of the families of
omplovees. Very few manufacturers
consider such work or expenditure to
he philanthropy, but, rather, a neces-
sarv feature of their business. While
their motives may be as altruistic as
those of the average Of mankind, they
find that it is good, from the business
noint of view, to promote as far as
possible the welfare of their employees.
Industrial betterment pays.
Industrial betterment means an at
tempt to provide the best kind Of work
ing and living conditions, and it i'm
plies the cooperative responsibility Of
the wage Garner and the employer in
bringing those conditions about and in
improving them from time to time. 1t
Is not a dole to be handed to the wage
Garner, but is q token of that spirit Of
mutually which, under right condi-
tons, should permeate industry.
thorough description Of Industrial
bettermeEt activities in the United
States would require more space than
is contained in the most voluminous
encyclopedias to be found in the IL
braries. Indeed, volumes might be
written about the welfare work Of
single corporation alone-the National
Cash Register Company. for instance,
or the International Harvester Com
pany, the United States Steel Corpora
ton, Cheney Brothers, the Curtis Pub
fishing Company, the Bethlehem Steel
Company, the American Telephone and
Telegraph Company, the Eastman Ko-
dak Company, any one Of the leading
railroad companies, the principal banks,
Wanamaker's, or any Of host of other
concerns which has developed activities
Of the sort. There is hardly concern
in the country doing business on fair
ly extensive scale that has not initiated
some form of industrial betterment for
its employees. The honors do not 60 to
the larger companies exclusively either,
for many Of the smaller business units
have developed this side of their &C
tiVities to remarkable extent Natu-
rally it is easier for the larger corpora
tons TO put highly trained specialists
In charge Of the various branches OF
Industrial betterment work.
The fundamentals Of industrial bet
terment are observed in furnishing
pleasant, sanitary, safe working condi-
lions. Educational and entertainment
features, facilities for study and recre-
auon, special opportunities for the ex-
erciSe of thrift and provisions tending
10 remove the dread of and to mitigate
Inc sufferingS Occasioned by sickness,
disability or invalidity are matters
winch next receive attention. Well
hshted, well ventilated and otherwise
peasant and safe working places, res
'aUantS, reading rooms and libraries.
rest rooms. emergency kits and hospi
talS, Club rooms. assembly rooms, gym,
uaSlumS, lockers and bathing facilities.
recreation grounds. bonus and profit
SnarlnS plans. special housing accom-
uouatlonS, facilities for the purchase
VI homes on easy payments. discounts
IN the purchase Of goods. industrial
and other educational classes, lectures
tVr entertainment or instruction, NOV.
aus PICTURES. excursions, field days,
.ueulcal attendance. safety committees
.Ot accident and fire prevention. sick
nesS' disability and invalidity funds,
INSURANCE. or benefit associations and
teuSiOhS are some Of the customary
tL Of Industrial betterment work.
NJ variety q! which has no limit.
ienS Of thousands of lives are saved
Ioa year and hundreds of thousands of
ns svr accidents are prevented annually
na; OuSA tie accident prevention cam
ment =
ro r-e Eastman Kodak Company in five
nlon Mas reduced the accidents in its
tb,a a.S 'y over - per cent per annum
tn Ign Progressive safety campaign.
mo-, pennsylvania Railroad in ten
Off,, ,"> decreased the serious injuries
Cent ~ 81 shop employees over 6S per
r,co. W The Installation Of safety de-
ha "'u 10y the constant instruction of
As. '"iren in exercising due caution.
CpitossV SuIt Of its safety campaign the
sroUi STATES Steel Corporation reduced
Isn,a ana fatal accidents in its various