“En route, we visited a sugar estate where we saw the conversion of sugar-cane into Jamaica rum of the first quality. Most of the labor is performed by Malays, brought from the valley of the Ganges in India, who while here are compelled to labor in competition with the negroes. The men are paid at the rate of one shilling and six pence per day, while the women receive only one shilling per day. I can assure you, from the manner in which they work, it is evident that they earned every penny they received. By the way, the coachman who drove us, informed me that his wages were ten shillings per week of seven days’ continuous work and he has to board himself out of that pittance.
“On the afternoon of this day, Friday, we were well off the coast of Jamaica, homeward bound. Now as I write, Sunday morning, we are approaching Egmont Key, which is situated at the entrance of Tampa Bay. Soon we shall be docked, and soon thereafter at that haven which has been so often described but to which no writer to my mind has done justice—the Tampa Bay Hotel.”
CHAPTER XII.
MANAGEMENT OF THE GREAT PLANT SYSTEM WORTHY
OF ADMIRATION AND IMITATION.
There is perhaps no greater source of waste in our country than that of labor strikes, which have become of frequent occurrence during the last two decades. There is great waste of material from the destructive violence of infuriated mobs. In 1877, the great railway strikes of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and the Pennsylvania and Erie Systems, resulted in the destruction of sixteen hundred cars, one hundred and twenty-six locomotives, and five million dollars worth of property. A report made in 1895 by the United States Commissioner of Labor (covering a period of twelve years and six months, that is, from January 1, 1881, to June 30, 1894) on strikes in the United States, gives the following suggestive statistics. We read that the number of strikes was 14,390, affecting 69,167 establishments. The number of employees thrown out of work was 3,714,406. Loss of wages during this period to the striking workmen amounted to $163,-807,866. From lockouts the loss was $26,685,516. The losses to employers from the same cause were, from strikes $82,590,386, and from lockouts $12,235,451. The losses to employees and employers amount to the enormous sum of $285,319,219. And this is only a part of the losses, for it does not take into account the cost of police, detectives, and soldiers, required to protect persons and property. In one strike eight thousand of the latter force alone were needed to subdue riots, and save life and property. What estimate can be made of the damage to commerce, the disorganization of labor, the demoralization of the laborers, the families broken up and scattered, the hate and bitterness engendered? The corporation, therefore, that can co-operate peacefully with its working force adds much wealth and moral progress to the nation, as well as legitimate profits to its own treasury, and comfort, well-being, and happiness to its employees. There is mutual advantage on both sides, and far reaching and beneficial influence on all sides. There must be justice and consideration for the workman from the employer, and there must always be justice and appreciation from the workman to the man who gives him work,—mutual interest, benefit, and advantage. It is greatly to the credit of the Plant System, that the public has never suffered inconvenience in travel from strikes among its large working force, that the men have not suffered in person or estate, and that the company has been saved losses and crosses from this hydra-headed monster, “Conflict between labor and capital.” That these evils have been avoided, is due to the head of this great System, due to his sense of justice, to his personal knowledge of, and friendly interest in such a large number of the employees, and to a large-hearted consideration for the weaknesses of human nature. Mr. Plant was one day riding in a baggage car, when he saw an expressman turn wrong side up a box that had been marked “Glass.” He called attention to the fact. “That box,” said he to the man, “is marked ‘Glass’ and should be kept ‘glass’ side up as marked.” “Oh I know it is marked ‘Glass,’ but I never pay any attention to that,” said the expressman. Mr. Plant said no more. When the man and the superintendent of the express office were alone together, the superintendent said to the man, “Do you know who that gentleman was who spoke to you about the box marked ‘Glass’?”—“No.”—“Well, that was Mr. Plant, the president of the express company.”—“Oh my! that means my dismissal sure.”—“Yes, I think it does; I shall have to dismiss you”; and he said, later, to Mr. Plant, “I shall dismiss that man of course.” “No,” said the president. “Don’t discharge him; call him to your office and impress it upon him that that is not the way this company does its business, and he won’t forget it.” The man has been long a faithful and efficient employee of the company. Mr. Plant’s name does not figure as often as do some others in lists of large donations to churches and charities of deserving character, though they have not been passed by without recognition, and kind and generous treatment of the deserving men in his employ have never been wanting. While travelling with Mr. Plant to Atlanta, one of the heads of a department reported to him that an old gentleman who held an honored and important position in the System was greatly broken down with nervous prostration. “Send him to his home to remain until he is well, and remit his salary all the same.” It was remarked by a bystander that he thought that that was very kind of the president. “Oh,” was the answer, “that is only a regular occurrence to those of us who have been with President Plant as long as I have.”
Those who have read the blood curdling accounts of some of the strikes that have occurred within the past ten years, and have experienced some of the inconveniences and dangers resulting from them, will contrast such accounts with what was seen on “Plant Day” at the Atlanta Exposition, and on all other days throughout the South as well, and will feel that the account of that day was worthy of a place in the record of the noble life we are endeavoring to preserve as an example to public men and as a lesson and inspiration for coming generations. We let the associates and employees of the Plant System tell their own story. It was printed in a beautiful pamphlet as a souvenir of the day, and was specially designed for those whose devotion to duty prevented them from sharing, in person, the pleasures of that memorable day. With the exception of a few paragraphs of biographical matter contained in other sections of the volume, or merely of temporary interest, the account is published in full in a later chapter.