A much graver matter was that involving the question whether membership should be made compulsory upon employés of the company, and, if at all, to what extent. It is believed to be a fact that neither abroad nor in this country has an accident railway association—although some have carried heavy endowments—been successful for a lone term of years except where membership has been made compulsory. Many have been organized, and have lived for longer or shorter periods, but their sphere of usefulness is always very limited, and they gradually become inefficient and fall into disrepute or have to be reorganized at the sacrifice of good faith to old members.
It was urged upon the management that they should use all proper means to induce membership on the part of those already in the service, and that the company should adopt such measures as would at least insure a thoughtful consideration of the benefits offered its employés. It was finally determined to adopt a modified compulsory policy, the ultimate effect of which would be to bring within the association every employé of the company. It is this compulsory feature which makes the association unique, and which guarantees its permanency and continuous success. It is undeniably within the strict bounds of propriety for the management of a railway or any other corporation to specify the conditions upon which it will employ, and to decline the services of those who show no disposition to protect themselves and families against the vicissitudes of the service they seek to enter. But to inaugurate such a policy at that particular time was to trespass upon very delicate ground, and required no little determination, for the railroads of the country were just recovering from the prostrating effects of the strike of 1877, and were cautiously re-establishing the status quo. This new departure from preconceived ideas and practices of dealing with labor was watched with great interest by railroad officials and others accustomed to dealing with the grave issues constantly arising from the employment of large bodies of men, and it was amid many predictions of failure that the announcement was made that the company would thereafter require as a condition precedent to employment that those seeking service should enter the insurance organization. It started a very lively discussion as to the merits of the scheme, and forced those to examine its provisions who would otherwise have passed them by with indifference.
Upon careful examination of the foregoing tabulated statement it will be noted that contributions are, in all cases, deducted monthly from the members' wages, so that payments are required of them only when they have earned wages, and the allowance is, in all cases, proportioned to the monthly contributions paid by each person in the several classes into which the contributors have been divided.
In cases of disablement the allowance is paid not less than once every month; before each payment, whether for temporary or permanent disability, satisfactory evidence of its existence being required.
