The evening world., 1921-03-08
Marguerite MOOers Marshall.
Especial staff Correspondent Of The
Evening Worldly

Especial staff Correspondent Of The
Evening WORLDLY
PHILADELPHIA, March S.-"He's
just a plain white man, with the feel
ings a white man ought to have!"
In that sentence one OF his best
friends sums up the philosophy of
Thomas e. Mltten, President Of the
Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company,
champion fghtef for a nickel fare,
founder OF the remarkable "Mitten
plan" of cooperation between en-
ployees and employer which has been
described at length in The Evening
World and just now hailed as 1.-The
only American business man who is
also in the business Of giving away
all the money he earns over and above
his actual living expenses"
That is how the report went out,
when Mr.. Mitten spoke the other
night at what he considered "a little
family gathering" the testimonial
banquet given to him and to f. T.
stotesbury by the 10000 employees Of
the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Com
pany, as a part Of the jubilee celebra-
ton Of ten years Of industrial peace.
AS quoted, Mr.. Mittens speech also
included the announcement that he was
not going to leave any money to his
son, DIR. A. A. Mitten, because he did
not wish to deprive the young man of
the pleasure of making money"
HAS GIVEN AWAY ALL EARNED
FOR SIXTEEN YEARS.
The actual facts of the case are yet
more remarkable.
First, Thomas E. Mitten has
given away EVERY DOLLAR he
has earned in sixteen years
since he was forty--and has lived
on the income Of the money he
was able to accumulate up TO that
time.
Second, the idea that Thomas
E. Mitten's son should not spoil
his pleasure in making money by
inheriting the money Of his
father" originated with the boy
himself; and Furthermore, he even
now refuses to accept any Of his
fathers money and lives strictly
within his salary.
Mr.. Mitten is wldower, and at
forty was worth over a million
dollars.
IL tell the Doctor, my son--rnd
| think the thought originated with
him." the father interpolates. with
justifablc pridc-"that | will never
deprive him of the pleasure of max
ing money. Therefore, | will never
leave him any. But he has gone me
one better, and since coming back
from service overseas, no has in
sisted that l give him no money now.
And so he is, perhaps, better able to
keep his contact with you"-Presi-
dent Mittcn was speaking to his ten
thousand employees-"in the only
way that one can keep in contact
with another: that Is, by meeting
YOU on even terms, in that he has to
figure his costs as against his pay.
Therefore, no has your problem and
can better sympathlze with YOU"
YOUNG MITTEN BIG FACTOR IN
FATHERS PLAN.
Young Mitten, | was told. Is one OF
the most valuable factors in working
out his fathers Industrial ideas, since
he is keenly in sympathy with them.
lilo Is Secretary of the Co-Operative
Council and is "all over the place"
popping up in this barn or that, rub
bing shoulders with the employees,
knowing them and known by them
He's been trained to carry on all his
fathers plans and he's Just boiling
over with enthusiasm" Is the YER
dict.
"A great amount of money is a
hurtful influence" declares Presi-
dent Mitten. We some Of us, envy
the man with money
1T makes me sad when l think
how long ago IL was since l was
forty. But when l was forty and
had accumulated all the money /
thought a man needed to live on det
cided that | would not follow the eX-
ample of the men / saw piling up
riches.
"a decided that life and the
struggle was a game, and 90
while played il aS hard, per-
hapB, as any other, at the close Of
each year for sixteen years
have given away all Of my earn
ings, only trying to hold intact
the money had at forty. So that
don't have to worry about max
ing money. II is Of no interest
to me. am therefore free to
enjoy the game, and a great deal
Of pleasure comes from H."
Charles Garland gave up a million
which his father left to him. But
Charles Garland is a young dreamer.
Thomas T.. Mitten is a hard headed,
extraordinarily efficient business man
OF flfty-six. Yet II Is within the
bounds OF possibility that he has
given up a million OF his own earnings
during the last sixteen years, GER