THE BLATCHFORD "NO. 1" STEREOTYPE METAL. BLATCHFORD PERFECTION LINOTYPE METAL. Gentlemen: We have used the Blatchford metals-stereotype, linotype and autoplate-continuously for many years, and with uniform satisfaction. We believe them to be unsurpassed in quality. Very truly yours, VICTOR F. LAWSON, Publisher. Manufactured Exclusively by E. W. Blatchford Company CHICAGO NEW YORK [From "List of Lights and Fog Signals" issued by the United States lighthouse board.] Dist., Height, Dist., Height, Dist., Height, Dist., Height, Dist., Height, Dist., miles. feet. miles. feet. feet. Height, feet. miles. 5.. ..2.96 55......... 9.81 110.. .13.87 10.. ...4.18 60.. .10.25 120. miles. 800........37.42 miles. feet. miles. feet. 450..........28.06 600. .......32.40 ....29.58 650. .......33.73 900........39.69 550... ...31.02 700. .35.00 1,000........41.83 The distances of visibility given in the above table are those from which an object may be seen by an observer whose eye is at the lake level; in practice, therefore, it is necessary to add to these a distance of visibility corresponding to the height of the observer's eye above lake level. Welfare Work of the Chicago Telephone Company In the growth and development of large business enterprises employing thousands of workers, welfare work has become a vital factor in successful organization and administration. The bulletin issued by the Committee on Industrial Relations of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, on the subject of employment managers, says: "Hitherto, executive control has been exercised through three main divisions of management: 1. Finance-Usually in charge of the treasurer. 2. Manufacturing-Sometimes in charge of a general manager. 3. Sales-In charge of a sales manager. "To these general divisions of every industrial enterprise, is now added a fourth, i. e., tion of this company is so large, its welfare work is supervised by a series of committees composed of the active heads of the departments concerned. The company believes that welfare work, or perhaps "welfare interest,' should concern itself with every influence in the business that affects the comfort, the health, the contentment or the growth of the worker. This includes the question of wages, hours of work, the working quarters and their appointments, the training and education of workers, the encouragement of such healthful outside interests as seem to connect naturally with the business, and most important of all, the everyday relations of bosses of all ranks with their subordinates. The basic principle of those in charge of the Chicago Telephone Company's welfare work Telephone Operators Enjoying Tennis on Court Near Telephone Office. personnel, or, as it is called in these courses, employment or service management. Under the head of employment or service departments are gathered all those activities which have to do with human relations-legislation, safety, education, recreation, employment, discipline, the wage system, pensions, sick benefits, etc. Bringing all these matters together under one head and manning each subsection with specialists comes as near to scientific industrialism as is possible." The Chicago Telephone Company, as a part of the Bell System, has recognized the value and need of the department outlined in this industrial bulletin. It has organized and carried on its welfare work with the object of covering, in the most efficient manner possible, every phase of the subject. As the organiza is that of establishing a spirit, a tradition throughout the whole working force. They aim to develop a feeling on the part of every department head, big and little, that the wellbeing and happiness of the workers under him is one of his first responsibilities. They have encouraged each person to feel that he or she is of importance individually, and not a mere impersonal cog in a big unfeeling machine. They want each one to like his job, which may not be wrongly considered as a real justification for all welfare work. Most of the influences which tend to make the activity of the worker in industry a drudgery are removable. Where they exist they are due principally to the atmosphere in which he works-the lack of any friendly interest in him, the neglect of his personality. If his CHICAGO TELEPHONE COMPANY-Continued. like that of the lineman previously described. When they get together they make a good team-the doctor supplying the information and the sub-head the influence. chief is interested in him and what he is do-, be of real help to them in handling problems ing, and shows it in the way he gives him orders, and even in the way he reproves him; if he shows an interest in any private difficulties that may be bothering him, then barring some fundamental trouble, such as insufficient wages, bad workrooms, etc., the chances are ten to one that the worker will be happy in his work. In putting its welfare plan into operation the Chicago Telephone Company had this conception of what it wanted to accomplish. It believed that the more it depended upon its existing organization to carry out the program, the more effective the results would be, and the more it had to specialize and separate the more difficult it would be to attain the desired ends. It is true, however, that there must be a few specialists devoting themselves exclusively to some phases of welfare work. For example, It is more or less evident that the head of a small unit is really the best welfare worker. The executive head of a big welfare department such as that maintained by the Chicago Telephone Company is of necessity a man of broad vision, who initiates and establishes many big things for the well-being of employes, but the sum total of the little day by day happenings, the way an order is given or criticism made by the foreman of a crew of linemen, or a chief operator, has a much greater effect on the attitude of a subordinate toward his work. In other words, the welfare organization of the Chicago Telephone Company must and the foreman of a crew of linemen cannot be expected to know that the reason one of his men loses so much time through rheumatism is that he has an abscess at the root of a tooth. The doctor in the Health Department must be depended upon for that information. On the other hand, because the doctor is often a side line in a separate department, he is greatly handicapped in carrying out his part of the work, which is to cure the lineman so that he can work regularly. The doctor is long on information as to what the lineman needs, but short on influence with him. The company, after careful consideration of the matter, decided that it was best to make the Health Department a separate organization. It was necessary, of course, to impress employes with the value of a Health Department, and gradually make them realize that its function was to conserve their interests. More and more the department sub-heads have come to recognize that this department can does secure the fullest co-operation of the working forces. General policies are left with the head of the welfare department, but it has not been considered wise to take away what may be termed the human relationship from the foreman or superintendent. Those in charge of the welfare work have found that by putting welfare problems entirely in the hands of specialists they would find themselves in the same category with the busy man who puts all his Christianity up to his pastor or priest so that he can devote his time and attention to other things. Among the principal welfare efforts of the Chicago Telephone Company the most important is that covered by the Benefit Fund Plan. This plan really has a much longer title and covers the payment of benefits during absences caused by sickness or accident, the payment of death benefits to the dependents of deceased employes, and the payment of pensions to employes retired because of old age or |