White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1926-06-11
MILLIONS SPENT In SAFETY WORK

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vices or appliances.
The report indicates that it is now
a common occurrence for large steel
plants to operate for months without
a single injury to a workman. 1t is
shown, for instance, that the Joliet
works of the Illinois Steel Company
with an average employment of 5000
men went 116 consecutive days with
out single disabling accident. The
Universal Portland Cement Company
with an average of 5000 men operated
two months without a disabling acct
dent The Edgar Thompson works of
the Carnegie Steel Company, averag-
ing 5,400 men, operated for 81 con-
secutive days without accident. The
Duluth plant of the Steel Corporation,
employing 500 men, came through the
entire year without single injury to
workman sufficient to cause the loss
of days time.
Discussing expenditures for the
comfort of employees the report points
out that there are &C restaurants in
the corporations plants where food
may be obtained at cost 80 clubhouses
for the use of employees and their
families, 1859 fully equipped play
grounds for their children as we'll as
an extensive visiting nurse service,
practical housekeeping centers and
good-fellowship clubs. The latter
managed entirely by employees, render
assistance in case of illness or finan-
cial distress and serve as social
centers.
The Steel Corporation has devoted
much attention to the housing prob
lem, in some instances developing
whole industrial villages. In plan
ming these communities important
features such as healthful surround
| ings, educational and religious op-
portunities, recreation facilities, and
civics have been given careful con-
| sideration. To encourage employees
to own their homes the corporation
has provided home owning plan
through which employees are enabled
to purchase homes on easy and favor
able terms. The report states that on
January 1, 1926, over $12,OO0,O0O had
been loaned to employees for home
building.
On January 1, 1926, according to
the report, 47,647 employees were reg
istered stockholders in the corpora
ton, holding an aggregate Of 163,802
shares preferred and 501,999 shares
Of common stock. There were also
6,327 additional employees paying for
stock on partial payment plan.
The report reproduces letter re-
Gently sent to Judge Gary, chairman
of the board of the Steel Corporation,
by Secretary James ]. Davis of the
department of labor, in which Sec
rotary Davis declares the records of
the department Of labor show that in
. a group of plants composed largely
Of the Steel Corporations subsidiaries
the accident frequency ratio has
dropped from 60.3 per million hours
of exposure in 1913 to 1912 per million
hours of exposure in 1924, reduction
of SO per cent.
What especially pleased me-"
wrote Secretary Davis to Judg Gary,
"is your reported statement that the
United States Steel Corporation has
found that accident prevention and
safety work really pays for dollar
and-cents point of view. You are re-
ported as having stated that the Unit
ed States Steel Corporation in ten
years spent $9,763,O63 in accident pre-
vention work and that the money saw
ing resulting therefrom has been $14,-
500 92O in addition to the fact that
$50, 900 men have been saved from in
jury, and probably more than 10000
had been saved from fatal injury"