A NEBRASKA PROFIT-SHARING SCHEME. A profit-sharing plan has been maintained with its employes for several years by the Dempster Mill Manufacturing Company at Beatrice. This concern was started thirty years ago in Beatrice on a very modest scale. Today it has a very large plant, which runs all the year round, employing over 400 men, with a monthly pay roll of $20,000. The company has branches scattered all over the country, and its output maintains a very fine reputation. Those at the head of the company have always believed in maintaining friendly relations with the shop workers; and undoubtedly a large element in the success of the Dempster company has been the "team" work of the proprietors and their employes. This profit-sharing plan has now been in existence for six years. Two dividends are declared yearly, on July 15th and December 15th. From the earnings of the twelve months ended July 15th, 1908, the dividends divided aggregate $9,441.12. To be entitled to share in this plan an employe must have worked for the company continuously and faithfully for two years or over, unless prevented by sickness, accident or other unavoidable causes, and must have abstained from excessive use of intoxicating liquors. No dividend is paid employes until after stockholders have received six per cent and the surplus fund has been swelled by an addition of two per cent. After such disbursement, whatever remains is divided among qualified employes and the stockholders. While the latter may leave their earnings in a surplus account, the employes receive their share in cash. The amount of dividend awarded to an employe depends on the size of his salary and the length of time he has continuously worked for the company. The amount increases yearly from two years to ten. In addition to this dividend, on the death of an employe who is a member of this profit-sharing plan and under sixty years of age, the sum of $75 is set aside to pay his funeral expenses, and his widow or other beneficiary may draw that portion of his salary on which he would receive a dividend for one year, being limited, however, to $50 per month, or a total of $600. The company has found that the plan works satisfactorily, and that UNION PACIFIC PENSION SYSTEM. A report issued by the secretary of the Board of Pensions of the Union Pacific Railway Company shows that over $81,000 was paid in pensions from February, 1903, to June 30, 1908. The average payments per month for the last year were $1,885. The average number of pensioners on the roll for the last year was 86.33. This money is paid by the railroad company to those who have served the company a certain length of time and are no longer able to continue their work. This is the report submitted by F. C. Bullock, secretary of the Board of Pensions: The total amount paid to pensioners from February, 1903, to June 30, 1908, (both months inclusive) is $81,841.58. We have eighty-seven names on the June, 1908, pension roll. The total amount paid to pensioners from July 1, 1907, to June 30, 1908, is $22,621.95. The average payments per month for the year ending June 30, 1908, is $1,885.16. The average number of pensioners per month on the rolls during the year ending June 30, 1908, is 86.33. The average payments per month per man for the year ending June 30, 1908, is $21.84. During the year ending June 30, 1908, the board has passed upon the applications for pensions of eighteen persons. Of this number fifteen have been granted pensions and three rejected. During the year eleven pensioners have died. This makes a total of twenty-four pensioners in all who have died. The pension system was established pursuant to the action of the board of directors of the Union Pacific October 30, 1902, for the purpose of enabling employes of the company who have rendered long and faithful service to retire when they attained an age necessitating relief from duty. The Board of Pensions determines the eligibility of employes to receive pesion allowances, fixes the amount of such allowances and prescribes the conditions under which such allowances may inure. The rules require that all officers and employes who have attained the age of seventy years shall be retired; that such of those who have been in the service of the company twenty years shall be pensioned; locomotive engineers and firemen, conductors, flagmen and brakemen, train baggagemen, yard masters, switchmen, bridge foremen, section foremen |