242 Pension Fund Report 



The close of 1919 found the membership of the Fund com- 

 prised of 233 contributors and 3 retired employees. It is with 

 regret that we are obliged to note the loss by death of two 

 contributors and one retired member, further mention of 

 whom will be found in another part of this report. 



Facilities for the purchase of bonds by serial payments 

 (through an arrangement similar to that offered in previous 

 Government loans) were again extended to employees of the 

 Museum in the Victory Loan through the generosity of one 

 of our good friends. One hundred seventy-six employees took 

 advantage of the opportunity, and the subscriptions, as in the 

 two previous loans, passed the $20,000 mark, $20,200 being 

 subscribed to the fifth loan. 



Too much stress cannot be laid on the desirability of insti- 

 tuting a system of periodical physical inspection for our em- 

 ployees. It has been suggested that such a system be made 

 obligatory, and that the employee be asked to contribute one- 

 half of the expense of his examinations, which would probably 

 number two a year and would be given at a nominal rate. 

 It is realized that the introduction of such a plan might per- 

 haps call forth some objection on the part of a few employees. 

 Such opposition, however, would probably arise only in the 

 first hasty consideration of the plan, and would disappear 

 after a little clear thought had been given the matter. It is 

 to-day a generally accepted fact that the interests of em- 

 ployer and employee are mutual and closely interrelated. 

 Their obligations toward each other do not begin and end in 

 the mere performance of and remuneration for a certain 

 amount of work. The Museum authorities have found it pos- 

 sible, on a number of occasions in the past, to be of assistance 

 in various ways to employees in need of medical or surgical 

 attention. Such assistance has been as gratefully accepted 

 as it was freely offered. Now the Corporation proposes to ex- 

 tend to all its employees its cooperation in detecting signs of 

 threatened or incipient illness, and in promptly warding off 

 or correcting the trouble. Such wise precaution will accom- 

 plish for the individual employee the elimination of preventa- 

 ble sickness, and a consequent extension of life, while for the 

 Museum it will mean a generally higher standard of efficiency 

 due to the higher physical standard among the employees. It 

 is therefore the hope of the Pension Board that the proposi- 



