The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-07-25
SOCIETY !. :.
DISCUSSES Mr.. FORD
Ford in Charity Work. Can
Fl Dictate How Workers =.
Spend Money. 49,

The American Ecomic society," In
discussing the philanthropy of Henry
Ford, has the following to say;s :, ~
Henry Ford is thus quoted by Otto
McFeeley, correspondent of the
Scripps papers: =. ..=::f5..t.
:,"I believe we should all be pro
cucers. Organized charity and schools
of philanthropy and the whole idea
of giving to the poor are on the
wrong track. They don't produce
anything. ~. X, +. Il ....,... 3. >.
IF railroad had a bad piece Of
track that wrecked cars every day
and piled them in the ditch, it would
cure nothing to merely build a fine
repair shop. The track: itself should
be fixed up: Charity and philan-
thropy are thA :ranairs shops, and
their efficiency, however high, does
not remove the cause Of the human
wrecks. .. Z, - .;.>.-> - T.
II don't believe in charity" he
continued: II don't like the idea. I
hope, the excuse for organized charity
will pass away. Lam sure there, is
no reason: why we. can't produce
enough for"-all, if: the right methods
are used. In this business we have
proved that 80 per cent of our peo-
pie can earn IS day." -.:*a~.S.,..
But in spite of his unbelief, Mr..
Ford is engaged in charity work to-
day. He may not be aware of it, but
if he pays his laborers more than
business necessity makes it to his in
terest to pay, then the excess amount
is charity. OF, course, the workers
may earn it all, and Mr.. Ford's con-
science may not permit him to retain
as much. as he has power to keep, but
| that does not make the Ford plan
anything else than charity in somet
what unconventional form. u
The only way that voluntary pay
ment Of comparatively excessive
wages could be shown to- be non
charitable would be to demonstrate
| that Mr.. Ford is deriving a business
| advantage therefrom that lis not
! otherwise to be had. 4
The fact that Mr.. Ford is able to
successfully dictate to his workers
how they shall spend the wages he
! paws them, seems to disprove the as
sumption that business necessity is
!! back of his action. #3
4 I, If Mr.. Ford wishes to abolish the
4 need Of charity, he must do more
! Cnan dispense II uAA1cSll. LIZ 2 AAAAs'-
/ use what power he has in helping to
remove the cause Of involuntary UNI
employment and poverty. If he will
take time to reflect he will see that
no social problem has been solved
while men must depend on an en-
4 ployer's generosity for decent wages.
] TO solve the labor problem, workers
must be in position to secure what
they earn, regardless of whether the
employer. be a. geperons man =
otherwise This..can only bA done by
removing restrictions imposed by law
On Industry and enterprise and by
opening natural opportunities to
! labor. "a 81
J Until. that's done we can not all be
! producers. as Nj. # ordts rightly be-
1 leves we all SHOULD be:srss Until that Is
done those who controlssoppoftunit
will have to- say who. may be pro-
ducers and who may not. Raising
| wages arbitrarily in Ford's factory
can not alter that state Of affairs
! Nothing short Of rem owing the funda-
| mental cause can. Henry Ford must
become more than q dispenser at
bounty II he wants to be q factor in
bringing about better conditions
i (