[From "List of Lights and Fog Signals" issued by the United States lighthouse board.] 9,81 110... 10.. .4.18 Dist., Height, Dist., Height, Dist... miles. feet. .28.06 600.. ..29.58 miles. feet. miles. .32.40 800.. .37.43 ..39.69 .41.2 The distances of visibility given in the abere 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 correspond ing 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 ilself with every influence in the business thas affects the comfort, the health, the contentment or the growth of the worker. This in cludes the question of wages, hours of work the working quarters and their appointments, the training and education of workers, the ecouragement of such healthful outside inter ests 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 jus tification for all welfare work. Most of the influences which tend to make the activity of the worker in industry a drudg ery 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. 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 like that of the lineman previously described. orders, and even in the way he reproves him; When they get together they make a good if he shows an interest in any private dif- team-the doctor supplying the information ficulties that may be bothering him, then bar- and the sub-head the influence. ring 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 Depart ment, 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 pay. ment of death benefits to the dependents of deceased employes, and the payment of pensions to employes retired because of old age or CHICAGO TELEPHONE COMPANY-Continued. complete disability. The plan is a uniform one adopted by all of the Bell Telephone Companies. The employes are not required to make any contributions toward the expenses involved. For the Chicago Telephone Company the operations of the plan are directed by a committee consisting of five members, who are the heads of various departments in which almost all of the workers of the company are employed. The provisions of the plan are fully described in a small booklet printed by the company. Sickness disability benefits are paid only to employes who have had a record of two years continuous service with the company, and the length of the period for which full time or half time payments are continued depends upon the length of service. Benefits for disability caused by accidents happening in connection The company physicians also make a physcal examination of all applicants for employ ment in order to eliminate those physicaly unfit for the work or who suffer from af flictions that would make them a menace ta others. However, the final authority for the acceptance or rejection of an applicant i vested in the man who is responsible for the work to be done. The doctor's function simply to ascertain the facts and make recom mendations. In dealing with the other phase of the work of the Health Department-the giving of med cal help and advice to employes-the greatest tact and judgment are required, as those in charge of this work are to a certain exter breaking into the private affairs of the e ployes. To many it might seem simpler and easier to order the man to the Health Depart ment, and to follow its advice or give up his Baseball Team Composed of Chicago Telephone Employes Ready for Saturday Afternoon Game. with the work of the company are paid regardless of the length of service of the employe. To be entitled to an old age pension an employe must have had at least twenty years of continuous service, and the amount of the payments is based on the number of years of service and on the average salary for the last ten years of service, Closely associated with the Benefit Fund Plan is the Health Department of the Chicago Telephone Company. It is directed by the same committee that administers the Benefit Plan. The function of the Health Department is the conservation of the bodies and physical force of employes, the minimizing of loss of working time through sickness, the saving of lives and working efficiency through the discovery of previously unrecognized sources of trouble and through advice as to possible means of cure or correction. position, but if such methods were followed the Health Department would not be accepted by the force as a friendly, helpful agency. The Health Department is always ready to in dicate the necessary treatment, but does not however, undertake to provide that treatment except in the most simple cases. A man makes his own arrangement with his family physician or any physician that he may select, the company doctor giving him such advice as he requests. The staff of doctors in the Health Department consists of a chief surgeon and assistant, who care for all the accident cases, and four physicians who care for the sickness cases and examination of applicants. One of the four is a woman, and deals only with woman appli cants or employes. In addition, two other woman physicians are assigned exclusively to the examination of applicants for positions a telephone operators. When visits to sick em |