Show MAKE THEM MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY under the caption of the great industrial need the last issue of the mining congress journal makes a plea for a better system of operation cooperation co between employers and employees in the business of mining the article shows that a better understanding exists in the metal mining field than in the coal mining regions and that is undoubtedly true particularly if comparisons are drawn between the te eastern astern and western sections of the country and it applies to coal as well as metal mining in the west the employer from mine foreman superintendent in manager and even up to the president of a company aims to make th miner and devery an every other employee who works under direction of those in authority to say what shall be done feel that he is a member of the family and it has been found that such attitude counts for as much in obtaining results and more than would a raise in pay the ordinary miner is just as human and just as susceptible cep tible to merited praise for work well performed as is any member of the official family he likes to be classed as human when the foreman or superintendent says that was a good job mike or if something has gone wrong the foreman says that was tough luck do it this way next time instead of cursing and holding the man up to ridicule a friend is made of that man he feels that his employer is entitled ent ditled to his best effort and he does better and his associates take tak e notice no tice and they also do better As friend balliet once said in effect if you want the coop co op aeration of the men say to them boys lets bring that log lo 10 up from the bottom of the dump dont say you fellows go down there and get that log its the psychology of the thing that counts even a dog will serve you better if lie he is patted on the head as amark of appreciation when he has done you a service worth while western mine operators and their assistants understand that principle perfectly and they apply it to the limit nothing pays better than making employees members of the family to the fullest possible extent you dont have to t knuckle men dont expect that all they want is to be treated as human beings not slaves follow in the steps of the late senator dark clark it is said of him that no employee no matter wh what athis his service was ever complained of his treatment without getting a hearing he figured them all as cogs in the machine which if kept running smoothly must receive attention the eastern coal mine operators have much to learn along these lines it will pay them to get in closer touch with the humane side of the business |