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sum mini jjesire, wiping ncr spectacles.—Rose Terri/ Cooke.A First-Class Finn.The 500 employes of Lister Bros., manufacturers of fertilizers, in Newark, N. J., wero called together in one ot the factory buildings to receive gifts of money from the firm. Each man and woman received an envelope containing gold or bills. The total amount distributed was about S1G,000. There was no speech making or ceremony of any kind, the money being given as though the hands were getting their weekly wages. It was generally understood, however, that the money was a present from the employers in recognition of faithful service, and some of tlio hands were also aware that Lister Bros, have decided to deal with them in the sameway once n year.Alfred and Edwin Lister, who com-poso the firm, are Scotchmen, and about (55 and 58 years old respectively. They removed their business to Newark from Tarrytown, N. Y., twenty years ago, and to-day they have buildings covering many acres on tlio Passaic river in the eastern part of the city. Edwin Lister, who represents his ward in the common council for the second time, said when questioned about the firm’s gifts to its employes:“A year ago wo decided to divide among our hands evt ry year a certain per cent, of our earnings, and we have just made tlio first distribution, the sum distributed being $16,000 or $17,000. Wo divided the bauds into classes, according to tho skill aud value ot their labor, aud then gave to each class a fixed per cent, of tlio total sum. Three of lour men, who are book-keepers and salesmen, formed one ela^s, and received each $1000. The next class got about $500 each, and tlio third $250. The other sums were, I think, $100, $70, and so on down to $11, which was tho smallest sum tor men. To each of our forty-five or iifty women was given $7.“Next year the dividend will ho the fame, or larger or smaller, according to our prosperity. Tliore has been no reduction of wages in consideration of this annual dividend. They remain tho same, and to tlio men in our lire brigade we now pay as before, $10 a year, beside tlio dividend. We think this is a good plan to interest our hands in their work, for it virtually makes them sharers in the profits of tlio concern, as though they were stockholders. Wo have never had a strike among our men, and 1 can’t remember that in twenty years wo have had to shut down our works. We have different sets of hands working night and day. The employes wore well pleased at getting tho money, and I
Newspaper Details
Woodstock Spirit of The Age
Woodstock, Vermont, US
Wed, Feb 07, 1883
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Monmouth U.
NJ, USA 13 Apr 2025
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