The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-02-29
INDUSTRIAL REL ATOMS
OF THE BALLARD MILLS

three equal partS-one part to surplus
to strengthen the business against
possible adversely, one part to the
stockholders as a return on capital
invested, and one part to the employees
or workers, pro-rated according to the
individual earning capacity, as their
rightful share Of the annual profits
accruing from their own labor, eff
cheney and loyalty.
Welfare Work.
The very words, Welfare Work"
are enticing. They imply that you are
helping others to help themselves.
Business, industry, or whatever you
may please to call II, has borrowed
Welfare Work in the laudable effort
to strengthen the relationship between
capital and labor Welfare Work may
be so employed advantageously pro-
'vided there is no paternalism, no
smacking of charity, no interference
with the personal liberty of the en-
ployee. May I say we feel at dear,
old Ballard Mills that our Welfare
Work has had its measure of success.
Our first crude effort at Welfare
Work dates back to 1900. We estab-
lished in the mill proper wash rooms,
with free soap and towels; later we
added shower baths and lockers for
the men; finally several years ago, a
rest and reading room, with tables.
pianola and billiard table. Today we
have three club rooms for the men
and women-one being exclusively for
colored men with its shower baths,
pool table, etc. Within the past year
we have reconstructed a building a a
cost of S15,O00.O0 Immediately back of
our main office building, where we
have featured two important factors
in the evolution of our Welfare Work.
One feature is an up-to-date cafeteria
where the entire Ballard family, from
the president down to the stable boss,
can get an excellent meal at the rlC-
tuaI cost of the food, this cafeteria
being open day and night; the other
feature is the assembly hall, SO feet
by So feet, where we hold public
meetings and where the women's clubs
hold dances for the employees and
their friends twice a month. 1t is also
here the women hold their bi-weekly
classes in calisthenics under an in
structor. It is here we have the nucleus
of a library. It is here we have com
munity singing. This building also
includes a restroom for the women,
shower baths, lockers, etc. This as
sembly hall is the best medium we
have for the mental, physical and
social development of the men and
women of the office and both mills:
may I add, that in my opinion, it
gives uplift and inspira ton to all our
employees for meeting the problems OF
fn0 A. fnTr FnE Sc he
last advanced step we have taken in
the effort to democratize the men and
women of our entire plant, for to break
bread over a table is the one practical
way of securing the personal touch
between employer and employee, as
we'll as between employees and en-
ployees. For years we served free
meal each noon hour for all of the
clerical force. including the head
miller and superintendent of the
physical plant, and this free meal,
with it's department salaries and hot
soup and coffee for the day and night
workers, cost the company about
$7,500.00 per annum; but today the
free meal of many years standing has
been done away with and all eat in
the cafeteria and pay cost prices for
food. except that coffee, soup and
bread, in accordance with the old
custom, arc still served free. The
estimated cost of operating our cafe
terra, which we formally opened to
our employees on November /, 1919,
will approximate $13,000.00 per annum,
this charge including the salary of
Miss Fanny Surmann, who has charge
of our Welfare Work; her assistants,
the chef and cooks, the baker, and the
cost of food and service. The offset
to this charge will be that we get
back in cash from the employees each
day in the payment for the actual cost
of food each Individual consumes.
On March /, 1908, a Ballard Aid
Society was organized by the en-
ployees. This organiza ton has been
a success from its inception. Member
ship IS not compulsory. About 60 per
cent of the employees belong to the
society. The first year of an en-
ployee's connection with the company
it costs him 20 cents per month; there
after only 20 cents per month. The
company pays into the treasury of
the aid society 10 cents per month for
each member The aid society pays it's
members $500 per week sick benefit,
and $4,000 death benefit. 1t will in
terest you to know that we are now
engaged in working out a plan for
the aid society, with the cooperation
of the company, to insure it's members
for $4,000 death, 65 per cent of their
weekly wages in case of sickness, and
pension after reaching a certain age,
and insurance against unemployment.
BY unemployment 1 mean the loss of
wages during periods when the mill
cannot be operated. 1t will probably be
several months before we have COM
pleted the details of handling tnesc
various forms of insurance, but it is
only n question of time until the plan
is put into effect. The aid society now
has 100000 to it's credit, which is the