334  Employee  Insurance  Conditions.       {^™-  "^^Ma^^™! 
surance  against  sickness,  ill  health  or  death,  the  company  paying 
one-half  of  the  premium  for  such  employees  as  desire  to  pay  the 
other  half  and  derive  the  benefit. 
EMPLOYED  PROTECTIVE  ORGANIZATIONS. 
The  employees  of  four  companies  have  protected  themselves 
more  or  less  independently  of  their  employers.  In  one  instance,  the 
employees  have  a  death  benefit  fund,  to  which  each  member,  upon 
joining,  pays  the  sum  of  one  dollar,  and  subsequently  is  assessed 
one  dollar  upon  the  occasion  of  every  death  within  the  organization. 
This  is  strictly  an  employees'  organization. 
The  employees  of  another  company  have  developed  a  very 
complete  system  of  insurance,  which  they  call  the  Mutual  Aid 
Society,  and  which  exists  for  the  benefit  of  factory  workers  em- 
ployed at  hourly  rates.  Any  such  employee  is  eligible  to  member- 
ship, and  dues  are  paid  according  to  the  amount  of  benefit  desired, 
the  monthly  dues  being  five  per  cent,  of  the  sum  received  per  week 
in  case  of  sickness.  The  amount  of  compensation  is  governed  by 
the  amount  of  wages  earned  per  week.  Any  member  of  the  society 
may  insure  in  the  grade  designated  by  his  salary,  or  in  any  lower 
grade,  but  not  in  any  higher.  No  member  who  has  not  belonged 
to  the  society  for  one  month  may  receive  any  benefit  in  the  case  of 
absence.  Should  the  company  continue  to  pay  wages  to  an  em- 
ployee during  his  absence,  no  benefit  is  paid  by  the  society.  Bene- 
fits are  paid  for  a  period  of  not  more  than  eight  weeks  in  any  consec- 
utive twelve  months.  In  the  case  of  deaths,  the  sum  of  fifty  dollars 
is  paid  by  the  treasury  of  the  society  to  the  person  or  family  desig- 
nated as  the  beneficiary. 
In  another  company,  the  employees  have  an  organization  in 
which,  for  a  nominal  fee  paid  upon  joining,  members  are  protected 
in  the  event  of  illness,  for  a  period  not  exceeding  twenty-six  weeks. 
In  another  instance,  there  exists  a  Relief  Fund,  the  disburse- 
ments of  which  are  controlled  by  a  committee  of  employees  elected 
by  fellow  employees.  There  are  no  regular  dues,  but  the  weekly 
bonuses  paid  by  the  company  to  those  who  have  not  been  tardy  or 
absent  during  the  week  are  turned  over  by  the  company  to  the  fund. 
In  cases  of  illness,  the  employee  may  draw  upon  the  Relief  Fund  for 
money,  which  is  generally  considered  as  a  loan,  and  is  paid  back  upon 
his  recovery,  although  in  some  cases,  where  this  is  impossible  or 
would  involve  undue  hardship,  the  sum  is  given  outright. 
