Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-25
SENTIMENT GOOD
BUSINESS ASSET
And Largest Corporations, En-
blowing Most Men, Need 1t
Most, Says Forbes.
BY 8. c. FORBES.

gy g. c. FORBES.
OINTMENT IN BUSINESS is GOOD
BUSINESS.
AReEsT CORPORATIONS, EN-
oyINe THOUSANDS OF MEN, NEED
yosT OF ALL. WITHOUT A RIGHT
.,,T,wENT BETWEEN EMPLOYERS
',n EMPLOYED NO GREAT ENTER
PRISE CAN LAST
... no ahead and tear these state
-, "a pieces, ye rule -of.thumb eco
.,, critics, ye muItIpIlcation-tabIe sta
....l,rs We machlne-llke efficiency eK-
-, and We employers who hold aoof
-. vour workmen. We can prove by
.,,. bIoodess logic that business Is bust
mat the taskmaster must not be
.,,.d BY sentiment, that men-and
,.r-sre but productive machines
,.,.,b must be "speeded up" to produce
-. l,,. cents worth Of toll. Sentiment
-,,,-i,.. sffemlnate, rabby stuff, Is Il
80, II IS all very we'll for the nursery
.. m. church and the home circle, but
-. MAD rush for wealth Il must ex-
,.,, 70 be trampled and crushed.
A., fatal weakness Of the corporate
.,-r, Of dona business has been the al
,.,,, complete annlhIatlon Of sentiment
..+v..n those at the head and those be-
law But the most enlightened corpora
.,,, b,v. determined TO cure this evil.
=, r.,tore sentiment, a right esprit de
,,,o, loyalty between wage payers and
Wan. sarnsrs Is among the biggest prob
lam, fsclna America. II Is not merely an
,..,,,rl,l or economic problem; il lies at
n. very foundation Of our social and po-
r,esl structure.
u,y much Of the rampant discomfort
n recent years has sprung from the cold
,,,s the hsartlessness, existing between
.rolovsss and those employing them ?
u,ttb. swellInas Of dissatisfaction have
u ,,ms from a lack of sympathy between
IN, modern eapitalstic combination and
,, workers, The old bond of affection
tina, often existed between an employer
and Nj, servants was snapped when the
h trusts thrust Individually owned bust
rs,,,s aside. The new masters too often
made no effort TO foster spirit of under
Standing sympathy, loyalty and conn.,
o,ncs. The relationship became one OF
,old dollars and cents. The personal equa-
ton vanished. The trusts sole concern
In ,sr too many cases) was to make
money-even at the cost OF unmaking
men. Of turning them Into mannlkIns or
machines,
The hand Of the servant was thus turn
ed against his master. Discomfort bad
blood, agitation nourshed like weeds. Up
hsavas threatened TO shake the tounda-
ton Of the republic. A readIustment OF
conditions became imperative.
This rsadjustment is now under way. II
consists largely Of the restoration Of SEN
\ t.msnt In business.
DID you notice that President Mellen'
when pressed almost to the wall, an
rounced that hereafter he would hold
regular audiences with his men, hearing
their complaints, learning their point OF
view and getting acquainted? And have
not the newspapers been filled with de-
scrlptIons Of new pension schemes for
workers sick benefits, workmen's COM
psnsatlon measures, cost price stores for
employees and their families, profit shar-
Ing plans, stock offerings and special bo-
muses. thereon to workers, the voluntary
granting Of a minimum wage scale, I'M
proved hygenIc conditions In factories
and other workshops, the establishment
Of recreation halls, lunch rooms and a
hundred other benefits? All these are in
reality threads designed TO bind together
employed and employer, to restore the
bonds Of affection that formerly meant
50 much for Industrial peace.
What measure of the Pennsylvania
railroads. unexampIed success has been
due to the cordial relations that have been
constantly fostered between officers and
mem
Sentiment In business. It has been
earned-thouah in most Instances learned
oneonsciously-s good business Ire
"enoous forces are at work along these
mes even though the large significance Of
events has not yet been grasped by the
average mind intent upon its own i'm
mediate concerns.
nave noticed, however that the least
INDUSTRIOUS workers are oftentimes the
'O1oest srumbIers. Bad workmen, says
''e proVerb, quarrel with their tools. The
man VINO strives least to better his con-
1'"00 IS usually the one who mouths most
'00a' his right TO better conditions.
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