Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 2.djvu/66

 52 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

"Labor has Sure Reward" hangs in a conspicuous place. The company was somewhat surprised to find that its efforts to pro- vide this lunch room were not appreciated by the girls, who pre- ferred to forego its privileges rather than open up their lunches in the presence of each other.

Among unsuccessful efforts to improve the social life of the employes has been a library and reading room, with smoking room and card room attached. The reading room was stocked with good books, technical, scientific and sociological, novels, history, biography, magazines, trade and daily papers ; chess, checkers, dominoes and backgammon. The room was nicely kept, warmed, lighted, hung with pictures, and attended by a librarian, but it was not well patronized. The reason of this no doubt lies in the fact that the employes find more attractive associations outside of the group in which they work. When the employes have developed a higher social and intellectual life the reading room will probably be more generally patronized. There are influences at work which are gradually establishing more intimate social relations. Saturday afternoon, for instance, which is given as a half holiday without loss of pay, is spent by many of the employes in social intercourse, and in the enjoy- ment of sports and games. These half holidays amount in the course of a year to a month's time.

Another opportunity for developing the social life is the semi-annual distribution day dividend day as it is called. It is a holiday given to games, sports, and a general meeting at which the employes are addressed by some representative of the company and by other speakers. The writer had the pleasure of being present at the last dividend meeting, February 3, 1896. Free transportation from Cincinnati brought a large number of persons, two thousand perhaps, to witness the exercises. After a few introductory remarks by the chairman, addresses were delivered by Dr. Washington Gladden and Hon. Benjamin But- terworth. The former spoke on " The Relation of Capital and Labor," and the latter on " Higher Citizenship." These addresses were followed by the report of the trustees, the distribution of