Mr. Rutledge explains, “This company distributed this
poster all over the country. It helped make the public
appreciate more fully the importance of the plumber in the
community.”
“A far-visioned act, indeed,” the man from Europe comments.

“Yes, the company is very broad in its policies. And
because of that fact, it has a very loyal organization. The
company makes it easy for its employees to buy stock, it
insures its employees and follows a general practice of seecting
 its executives from its own ranks.”
We remember promising to let some one meet our foreign
 friend at the William Penn at four. We thank Mr.
Rutledge and at last succeed in making our friend terminate
his expressions of appreciation.
On the sidewalk he turns to us, “That was an interesting
 visit. Yes, you are ahead of us in sanitation. Pittsburgh
 should be proud of her part in making American
homes the world’s models in means of cleanliness.”
The company was incorporated December 26, 1899, and
capitalized at $5,000,000. The present capitalization consists
 of $4,736,400 preferred stock and $26,954,050 common
stock, with surplus and reserves of $16,947,848.36. The
average number of employees on the payroll for the year
1926 was 11,585, to whom was paid in wages and salaries
$18,601,321.11, being an average per employee of $1,612.60.
There are 6,746 shareholders, an increase of 645 last year.
Employee shareholders number 4,132, or 37.69, of the paycoll,
 and hold 280,075 shares of the common and 6,711 shares
»f the preferred stock.

Directors— Theo. Ahrens, J. W. Arrott, Jr., Willard C.
Chamberlin, A. V. Conradt, David Jameson, F. G. MecIntosh,
 W. C. McKinney, Theo. E. Mueller, E. L. Dawes,
I. W. Oliver, H. L. Ott, H. M. Reed, J. D. Tschopik.
Officers—Theo. Ahrens, president; J. W. Oliver, first vice
president and chairman of executive committee; E. L.
Dawes, second vice president; W. C. McKinney, secretary
and treasurer: J. D. Tschopik, vice president and general