OD
MESSES. SCHNEIDER AND CO.’S WORKS.
n onth, but it often happens that even this nominal rate
is reduced, and the houses are sometiines let gratuitously
to superannuated workinen, or to widows with families.
All repairs are made, and good sanitary conditions are
maintained, at the cost of Messrs. Schneider and Co. ;
for this purpose a special staft’ of inspectors and work-
men is constantly engaged to keep the buildings in good
amount earned. Every employé or workman of French
nationality, twenty-three years of age, employed by Messrs.
Schneider and Co., and having three years of steady service,
is taken into considération in making up these voluntary
subscriptions, and participâtes in the privilège without any
déduction being made in his wages. When this admirable
system was inaugurated, the contributions were calculated
Fig. 13. Workmen’s Houses near Montchanin.
Fig. 14.
Workmen’s Houses, Cité Ste. Marie, Decize.
condition. In addition to the gardens attached to the
houses, and which cover an area of 60 acres, there are
2,363 additional gardens, having a total area of more than.
200 acres.
Pensions.—It is the custorn of Messrs. Schneider and Go-
to pay quarterly to the National Pension Fund of France,
such an amount of voluntary subscription, as shall assure to
their workmen, for the future, the advantage of a retiring
pension proportional to the duration of service and to the
on the basis of 3 per cent, on the salary paid, 2 per cent,
of which was settled on the husband, and 1 per cent, on
the wife. On several occasions, in order to increase the
amount of retiring pensions, Messrs. Schneider and Co. have
doubled, and then trebled the amount of this percentage;
indeed, these acts of liberality have been repeated no less
than twelve times during the last twenty years. At the
present time the percentage of the subvention is actually
3 per cent, for the husband and 2 per cent, for the wife ;