The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-09
SAYS FORD'S PLAN
SLAMMED WEALTHY
DR.. Felix Adler Sees Awaken
inc OF Business Men tO
Unjust System.

"a fiush OF shame has recently passed
over the face OF great wealth." said DR..
Felix Adler at a meeting of the Brooklyn
Ethical Culture Society in tie Academy
OF Music yesterday while some bust
ness men have taken it amiss that one
of their own class like Mr.. Ford Of
Detroit should set so startling an example
of liberallty the nobility OF his concession
10 undcniabe. More than ever before
men OF great wealth are beginning to ask
whether II is right to let things go on
~ they have been going on"
1t IL not enough TO share profits or In
crease wages. said Or. Adler whose sub
Sect was '"rhe Moral Awakening of the
wealthy" II must be settled squarely
whether or not the business mans part in
the worlds work really entities him to a
superior income. and our industries must
be orga niZed In such "A way that the work
ers engaged in them become better human
beings in and through their daily work"
1T is time that excessive fortunes are
not the rule" lac went on. The grea-
majority OF business men are glad enough
II they can make both ends meet. Men
say that they are entitled to all that their
ability can get for them They forget
that great part of their ability does
not belong TO them at all. Their organ
lzng, executive gifts are not created by
themselves but by the generations that
have preceded. They ought to thank their
stars for having been 80 favored instead
Of asking 80 many dollars AS q further
seward.
what more should man ask II he has
great power than the chance of exercising
the gifts that are in him? That Is the
greatest opportunity in the world Let
him be thankful that he has the chance to
plan and to organize and TO develop the
worlds utilities. The reward is In doing
Hha Ia I,n- not tn th..
that he can pile up.
THE Socialist solution will not help.
II proposes TO reduce work TO minimum
an order that the workers may ind them
selves in their leisure. IL Is not leisure
hut work which should be the means OF
developing tine man. If work of the auto
matte, monotonous kind IL dehumaniz!ng.
then put il on the same footing as the
excessively arduous labor, make tho shifts
short and allow rotation between tho DIFF
ferent departments.
another way to improve tho worker
as u man Is to guarantee his moral inde-
pendence. At present we believe In de-
mocracy In political life, but In business
life We have monarchy. 1t In an ele-
mentary principle of our civic life that
every citizen should have a share In maxi
ing the laws which ne obeys but In the
factory the military system Is tho rule.
The trade unions are resisted because the
employer calls them un-Amerlcan but
the whole factory system In monarchicai
long as the workers simply execute tho
will OF the boss.
''In the larger Industries there should
be an industrial parliament with delegates
chosen by all the workers. There are
matters on which the workers are com
petent to have an opinion, on which they
ought TO have an opinion and which they
have the right to expires. Special com
mittees could look after the working con-
ditions, grievances. wage scale. education
Of apprentices. recreation"