The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1920-08-04
ZIG FIRMS TAKE Up
! MITTEN'S PLAN OF
Winning WORKERS
Packing Interests Seek for
Traction Mans Secret in
Gaining Loyalty of Labor.
MILLIONS IN SAVINGS.
Sension Fund Another Feature,
OF "Union" Not Affiliated
With the A. f. of L.
Hrom q staff Correspondent Of The
EVENING WORLDLY

from Staff Correspondent Of Tho
49,. Evening World.)
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 4.-The ex-
ample which Thomas e. Mitten, Pres
ident and Chairman Of the Executive
Committee OF the Philadelphia Rapid
Transit Company, has set in winning,
over many obstacles, the complete
confidence and loyalty of his men, has
attracted the attention of great cor
poratons throughout the country,
These great concerns want to know
how he has won labor to such fidelity.
One OF them Is determined to learn
the secret, II 1t may be called that, at
FIRST hand. This is the great packing
hrn1 of Swift & Co. OF Chicago, and
It has sent a representative to this
city to study. not only the methods Of
Thomas f. Mitten, but Mitten him
self, because the men Of the traction
company say that his personality had
great deal to do with all the good
that has been accomplished. Mitten,
on the other hand, says that the men
themselves did It all, which makes it
a very happy deadlock, to say the
least Of 1t.
Ihe Philadelphia traction situation
=, recognized as one of the most in
teresting. in its financial, transporta-
ton and labor aspects, that the
country presents to-day. Thomas e.
MItten has shown the way by which
TO Induce labor TO work heart and
soui with the management. He has
shown the tremendous value Of CO.
operation, with good will on both
sides, getween employer and en-
ployee, And, not least, he has dem
onstrated that a scent fare suficss
for his company, that 1t is content
with Il.
When Mr.. Mitten took hold OF the
Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company
it was physically and financially
sick" the carmen were underpaid,
OBSCURE | and rebellious. Within a
short TIM he had two strikes. The
public was heartily disguised. because
wretched is a weak word to describe
the company's service.
And then Mr.. Mitch began his
task Since those two old strikes
there have been no others. The COM
pany has now between 900 and
1000 employees These are not at-
bliated with the American Fedora
ton of Labor or any other such body.
They have a union" to be sure, but
1t Is their own. 1t is one which pen
sions the men who are compelled by
reason of ailment or age to retire,
which insures the lives of members
%, provides aid for those who re-
Iiire it.
II The company pays It's traction men
IS cents an hour and there are few
cities in America in which traction
men are receiving higher pay. ASna-
jorlty of the company's employees are
saving on an average Of $40 a month.
At one meeting of the Cooperative
Beneficial Association of the company
Gov. Sproul OF Pennsylvania was
present to hear the President of the
association report thaJ S50l per cent.
Of the company employees were
members OF the organization, that 60
per cent. had Joined the savings fund
and that deposits totalling ambition
dollars were expected in 1920.
The men pay 81 per month to the
association toward its benefit fund.
Mr.. Mittsp announced that when the
membership in the savings fund
reached So per cent. the company
would give 81 for every 81 of benefit
dues paid by the men. This means
that the company will give 500, 90 or
more every month.
It was Mr.. Mtten who started or
suggested the savings fund, asIing
the men as a personal favor to him
10 put the amount of their last in
crease in pay IN their cooperative
bank regularly.