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 com- 
ments. 
“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 se- 
ecting its executives from its own ranks.” 
We remember promising to let some one meet our for- 
eign 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 inter- 
esting visit. Yes, you are ahead of us in sanitation. Pitts- 
burgh 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 con- 
sists 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 pay- 
coll, 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. MecIn- 
tosh, 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