Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-09-09
TRACTION TROUBLES
PAST IN QUAKER CITY
Super Cooperation Between
Company and Men a Great
Success. Says Mitten.

The comprehensive plan devised by |
rh,mas r. Mit,cn, President OF the |
Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company |
providing for "super-co- operation be-
tween the company and Its employees
,as been phcnomenally successful. says
F, statement Just issued by the COM
pany. Under the plan. patrons of the |
,ompauy have enjoyed since 1911
continuity of car service that stands
out IN contrast to strike conditions
of earlier years.
In the face OF the most trying con-
ditions growing out at the war. sucn
as rising ccsts of operation and labor
disafrections. the company has steadily
progressed and has far outstripped all
other similar industries. The companys
statement avoids comparisons with
rapid transit corporations in other
cities and deals only with the pres
pcrlty of the Philadelphia concern.
The basic principle Of MIR. Mitten's
pian. Il II explained. Is that the conf
pany's employees may belong To any
union or organization. thus leaving
the men free to select their own meth
nd of union protection. The INTERIOR
rugh Rapid Transit Company here en-
Outraged the creation OF the Inter
borough brotherhood which divorced
the employees from all ether labor
organizations. The last strike Of the
employees resulted i'm a defeat of the
company, while strike called two
years ago. by the International AS
ISOLATION of Electric Railroad En-
ploycs ON the Brooklyn Rapid Tran
slt lines. was lost. Since then the cm-
pluycs ~ the II. Il. 4. Company have
organized union along the lines cf
the marlborough Brotherhood.
Mr. Mttcn's plan embraces a coop
crative saving fund managed by
trustees chosen by the employees. This
fund now amounts To more than ST.
zoo 00O. invested IN Government and
other standard securities. IL yields 3
pcr cont interest. Part of the state
ment of the Philadelphia Company
says:
Employees. by super-co- operation.
are cffeCting economies unapproached
elsewhere. and are now receiving rec
ignition therefor In the form Of a CO.
operative wage dividend equaling 10
per cent Of the payroll. The total sum
~ this cooperative wage dividend
has by individual signature Of prac-
'cally every employe. been turned
over 90 the trustees. who have already
80 Impressed themselves upon capt.
ga as to borrow 81 .oo0 600. 20 he repaid
when the men receive their coop
rtative wage dividend. The trustee.
C the men have with this money f.
nanced the purchase Of $4,000 shares Of
L. u. T. stock at an average of $50
per share. which. with a continuation
of tho present 6 per cent dividend.
earns for the rnen 10 per cent per
annum uron the total OF $500. 900 so
invested from the fruits of this CO.
operative plan"
An independent paragraph IN the
statement says that the stock OF the
company, par value $40. oo0. 900. with
rcceivership threatened in 1911, now
enjoys comparative prosperity en-
bodied In the payment of per cent
dividends annually. the continuation OF
which is assured by cooperation OF
men and management"
The statement closes with detailed
Information as 10 how the labor end
OF the cooperative plan is managed
Committees 81 the various branches
y labor sit as n higher court" and
discuss differences across the table and
scck 20 settle them To the general ad-
Vantage. These committees also serve
a. court Of appeals. and when diff
ierencos still exist after these discus
sions they so before an arbitration
b ard. whose decision Is final.