The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-21
Typographical Union Was Pre-.
pared fer Epidemic.
Paid Its Members Who Were
Unable To Work. =.
RELIEF COMMITTEE m CHARGE
Each Printer Contributes One
Fifth of 1 Per Cent.
Nearly $500 Has Been Paid Out
Since November 4, 1917.

The Topeka printer who goes to bel
with the FLU" knows when Monday
comes it is pay day for the boys at
the shop, but for him it is Just the
beginning Of another week. No work,
ing business. But because Of that,
the printer will not drag his Tortured
body down to his job while he In q
menace to himself and all he meets.
Nor will he add worry to his other
troubles as he remembers that his
grocery bill doesn't stop simultans-
ously with his earning capacity.
When the printer has been unable
to work for a week he notifies the
relief committee Of his union Gall To-
peka printers are members Of tbs
typographical union) and out comes a
check for IS. When he has been out
another week along comes another
check. this time for $40. Six more
/. times he may call and be answered
= by a ten-spot. II still unable to work
. at the end of the ninth week he is
probably ready for the union printers
; home, the magazines t institution at
: Colorado Springs. there to avail HIM
: self of its bounty until health and
strength come again. This home is
: owned and maintained by the $4,000
: union printers in America at q cost to
: each of 20 cents a month.
: Established a Year Ago.
The Topeka Typographical union
!. sick benefit fund was esta blished No
> vember /, 1917, without capital. On
: that date each printer began to pay
into the fund one-fifth of one per cent
of what he earned, plus 16 cents per
x.-it1 afe rafurdad n r i'm
If he attended the unions monthly
meeting. No claim for benefit was
made until May. Sinls its inception
the fund has received s619 and paid
out 1895. Twenty-three claims have
been made by nineteen members. The
Influenza epidemic laid it's maligne mt
hand on the fund for the first time
November 5. and ten times since has
the union paid it's solid comfort to
stu victims.
Pass On All Claims.
8 The committee which passes on all
claims is composed of Otto L. Rain,
chairman. Ernest A. Wright and J. ].
Mcconville, who serve without pay,
and that. the committee Gays, is the
secret of low-prioed insurance. A
! low-price sick and accident insurance
! scheme which pays $40 a week, start
! Ing without capital and laying by for
reserve more than SO cents for each
demic. naturally gives qualification to
its originators and administrators. Its
features have been so attractive to the
committee that, like the reporters
i who wrote flu stories, they them
selves succumbed, and while not one
out of eight of the total membership
has made claim for benefit two Of
the three members of the administra-
! tive committee have received the
unions check during their own illness.
Union Gives Pension.
Printers who reach the age of 80
and are unable to secure sustaining
. employment at the trade are PEN
stoned by the International Typo
I graphical union. Six Topeka printers
I receive pensions. Three hundred
: members of the international live at
the Colorado Springs home. The
printer going there travels in a Pull
man at union expense and is met at
the station by a union auto, for he
goes (paradox tho it be) as an hon
ored guest to his own home.
While not even Topeka printer
can pretend to keep even with his
bills on $40 a week, he knows that
when he gets we'll he can pay. II he
doesn't get well the union will pay
his people $500. In more than one
instance has a Topeka printer been
saved embarrassment by this union
benefit, and the plan has worked out
so successfully that the typographical
union 10 urging the adoption of SIM
liar insurance schemes by the other
organized crafts