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Show tired. On the Raltlmore &. Ohio, for example. WiO employes are carried on the, pension roll today, and the contributions con-tributions by the company to the fund have already run up to $1,250.- Railroad men have been encouraged to form relief associations to care for sick and Injured members and to relieve widows and orphans. The companies -contribute heavily to the relief Hinds, furnishing offices, stationer' sta-tioner' and clerical forces. The Baltimore Balti-more & Ohio started ofl Its reller association as-sociation with n gilt of Sioo.nno and ' ha aince borne all expenses of ad-1 ad-1 ministration. The Philadelphia & i Reading contributed a like sum for the relief fund of Its employes, and has glTen annually 5 per cent of tho amount contribute d by the members of the fund: In this case, alno, the company bears the expeuse of management. man-agement. The encouragemcui of thrift among their men is part of the policy of the modern railroad. The- company com-pany volunteers to take care of the savings of its employes, and gvaran-tees, gvaran-tees, say. 4 per cent Interest. If the deposits 'earn more than 1 per cent, of course, the employes get the benefit bene-fit of the excess. Saviugs deposits entrusted to one large railroad aggregate ag-gregate $4,fU0.000. Since the system was Inaugurated, loans to employes, for the building of houses, have aggregated ag-gregated $$.ooo.no. In 188R to 1907, employes' saving taken care of by the Pennsylvania railroad amounted to more than $11.-000,000. $11.-000,000. The interest on the savings came to a total of $1,226,000. The educational work of the railroads rail-roads has grown until every InrfO company Is practically a technical college. col-lege. Apprentice systems have been adopted. The company gets men as young as it can, and trains thom thoroughly v be competent railroad j workers. Often the men who have-been have-been working lor one road, for several sev-eral eare, apprentice their sons, so that the youths may be well trained to serve "the same road. On one large western road boys are indentured at 10 years of nge tor four years. While they are under instructors they receive liberal wages. At least four hours a week they spend In school studying problems connected con-nected with dally work. In addition, the company provides night schools at which the apprentices may im prove their general education. Bonuses are paid to apprentices who do exceptionally ex-ceptionally good work. This company docs not confine Itself It-self u teaching trades to the young men. It seeks to exercise some control con-trol over the habits while off duty, fixing a staudard for their conduct Cigarette smokers, for example, cannot can-not be apprentices. When a boy has finished his apprenticeship ap-prenticeship he has an opportunity to take a regular job Eighty per cent of the boys stay. with the company after their time, is up. and one-half of the others return within a p""" One of .the enstern roads, which has an elaborate apprentice system, has contributed $.-.50,000 to the high school in the town where its principal shops arc located. This company has a technical department which, tor Its particular purpose. Is rot surpassed anywhere The so-called Harriman lines not only produce trained, skilled skill-ed mechanics, but they have a sort of "higher education'' to qualify men to become general officers. In 1909 there were 25 students taking a courfe of 42 months' study, that they might fill high Jobs. The tendency of all these various "outside" activities of the railroad companies is o produce a steady trained amiv-an army composed or men who enter it young and stay in it not of men who enroll for a temporary tem-porary stay. A promium is put upon permanence of employment. Pensions Pen-sions and the full benefits from the lellef funds and insurance funds come only to the men who stay at their posts. If the action of the companies is philanthropy, .it is wise, business-like philanthropy. Moreover, it is not only beneficial to the companies and the' men. but to the public; for it tends to produce skilled p.blic servants ser-vants able to carry on the transportation transporta-tion business or the country with the minimum of delay and accidents. iBsTsciioersANFPENsls 101 FJRJAIL80AD EMPLOYES COMPANIES ENCOURAGE MEN TO STAY IN THE SERVICE BY MAKING LIFE AS AGREEABLE AS IT IS POSSIBLE. employes ca ube members. There is no other requirement except that all members shall conduct themselves as gentlemen. A well stocked reading room, billiard and pool tables, a piano and plenty of easy chairs provide for the most divergent tastes. Bath rooms are always a nromiiieul feulr.re mid every part of the club is kept scrupulously clean. The railroad company provides for the cost of administration, ad-ministration, emploxs a club director, and sees that everything goes smoothly. smooth-ly. There Is no membership fee; the only expense to employes are the small charges for meals," billiards and lodging, all of which are supplied sup-plied al tost. Recently the Southern Pacific, the Nowadays a railroad company ia not merely an organization fur trans- j l.oi tlng passengers and freight. It I np.r. grown to be a vast social farce, ' conducting clubs for its employes, bestowicg pensions, training young men, guarding the :;-.viiigs t the thrifty, supporting rest houses, hos- j 1 Itals nnd schools. J Probably nothing has do he more lor the cause of temperance than the ! siand which the railroads hae taken 011 the use of liquor. Net only is drunkenness generally recognized as a cause f-r dismissal, but one after .mother the railroads are. going so far as lo discourage all drinking. Many of thein have rules forbidding any employe 10 touch or use intoxicating intoxi-cating liquor In any form. The extensive clu). life among railroad rail-road employes is one or the most important im-portant result it of the interest shown by the railroad in the dally life of Its nun. Wlo-u the ent'ln?er or ihe fireman or the conductor leave duty mow, ill some town ayay from hooie, he Is not forced Into a salnon for oomfort. H poa 10 1 ho railroad club, where be may mix with his fellows fel-lows In clean surroundings with H'ooks. newspapers, gani'-s and music. At this same club be is able to get an appetizing meal at a ery low-price. low-price. The club houses are provided by Union Pacific and Oregon Short Line built many club houses, costing from $10.00 to $35,OiMi each. Every one of these is In charge of a secretary, and is constructed for the h"ldlng of dunces, lectures and entertainments. entertain-ments. The Atchifou, Topeka & Sante Fe railroad maintains twenty cb.ba for Its employes, and entertainments entertain-ments are given once a week. In the isolated places these entertainments arc open to Ihe townspeople aR well as to the railroad men. The pioneer work iu affording social so-cial benefits to employes was done by the railroad branch of the Y. M. I C. A. It was so successful that llw companies. It may be philanthropy. philan-thropy. It may be gnod business; prob- I lbly it Is loth. The company reaps j Ku return In the faithful service and lobriety of Its force, aud at the j aine time brings hours of content I h'to tho life of many a man who I rould never have similar opportuni- I ties if he were left to find hla own recreation. In some eases the club is not called by that name It Is known as the . Railroad Y. M. C. A. But In fact the ' - - aro the same, as the rallroa l Ir I in.. rlnclpal supporter or Its local V. ". A. Of tho total current expenses, ex-penses, ngfcresaling $1,125,00(1 last year, the railroads contributed ;:3 per cent. The railroad club has all the fre-doni fre-doni and equality of tho saloon with oin thi liq:-ir sod ib dirt. It is la.-i v t- ouiy la ilie :.t r..o that only many of the roads, especially in the ast. prefer still to contrlnbuto to the Y. M. c. A. and leave the details of management to that organization rather than conduct the club en their own account. Ijist year the railroad V. M. C. A. owned and occupied 120 buildiiiRK. valued at $2,'iS?,r,S0. it occupied rl other buildings provided by tbe railroads, valued at $l,3firi,ooiV Tho building in New York given by the railroads Is valued at $225,000. There is one worth $7",000 in St. Augustine. Florida , The pension systems which havo been established by the companies, and the relief funds which they man-j man-j age, have t,eeD of estimable benefit to the employe.'. The pension plan has been extended so far that now M per cent or all railroad employes J in lhi. Fulled States aro in line for a steady income when they are rc- |