The Washington times., 1914-01-09

wages they will get when they have
qualified. That has always been our
practice. and just now we have raw
men getting % cents an hour for nine
hour day. Put as COnCretelv as il can
he, our new plan is - paw such OF
-hes" men as are more than twenty
TWO years Of age an extra age Of s.. 60
4 daN every two weeks. That is where
the minimum wage OF & 4 day comes
3n. The fact that men start in at iutl
asy explains out statement that even
The man who helps sweep the floor VIII
get that much.
Anticipated the Profits.
All that we have done in making
This apportiOnment is 20 anticipate
TrOfits. We know what We made last
year; We know what We ought to make
iais year. At fortnightly intervals We
will divide our profits, instead of wait
ing until the end of the year. There is
nothing elaborate about it and. there
isn't anything foolish aDUuJ II. We have
siHply changed the time of year at
which profits are 10 be divided.
There's economic sOundness in the
plan. ! take Il for granted that there
Is no longer any doubt that profit shar
ing has as much OF good business policy
in il as CT social justice. Why not, then.
anticipate profits and get the benefit the
ear through? If men will work better
-
work with that something actually in
hand?
I was told today that Dr. Anna How
ard Shaw, the suffrage leader COM
Tlained because this distribution would
lot affect our 3OC women employees.
Well, for one thing, we start our wOm-
en- IN at $40 a month, and they earn up
10 S65 and $50 a month. For another
thing, those of our women who have
families dependent upon them will get
s. day as minimum that the men
WIZ get That will also be true of the
boys in our employ who baev others de-
iendent on them, for we want this plan
20 do good to the greatest possible num-
her. And, besides, il must be remem-
bered that the new plan supplements,
TEN OF reward for thrift and good seTY-
ice and sobriety.
Chose Psychological Moment.
We made our announcement at this
time because it seemed to be the
psychological moment for it, We sat,
Mr.. Couens and l, at a window of our
offices the other day, and watched The
unwonted number of men applying Ior
work. We had long planned TO put our
plant on three eight-hour shifts. in
stead of two of nine hours, and when
We realized that doing so would make
places for perhaps 1000 of those we
could see, We decided to do il then
mat change made the other change fit
in smoothly, and SO we made il too.
We We're ready to announce the plan
torty-eight hours after we had deter
mined on it, and we have not been dis
tuToed In the least by the calling rpo.,|
LLns tact TO serve as an illustration of
the 'hare-brained' character Of our ac-
ton. We know what we are about We
VIII benefit, 1 truly believe, quite as
lnuch by the new policy as will The
men, and anyhow We would have the
saLstacuon, as l have said before, of
making 2,geo men prosperous and con
tented rather than a few sIave-drivers
IN our plant milliOnaires.
The question has been raised II our
scpon may not hinder, rather than help.
the introduction OF profit sharinr- -
other plants and other industries The
theoTy seems to be that because we
nave zone SO big a thing others will not
want 10 follow the example because IL
VIII nave 10 be on a smaller scale. I
must confess that do not see where
the 'munifcence' with which We are
creolted comes in. We are dOubJIn:-
the pay Of some Of our men. il is tTrlr
but after all, a distribution of $1,000 nm
ls not so very much when II is made in
sn industry that employs 10000 men and
women ''N
I should like to see the proportions
preserved In viewing this matter. If We
nave done much, il is because We are
able to do much. Another man. who
can DO only little, should do that little
and It ought to be apparent TO all that |
ne is entitled to credit for his little in /
as full measure as we are for our much |
X Is a sound thing. economically and
socially, That we have done. and the |
iime Is not far distant when none can |
fan 10 realize It"
Extend to All Plants.
Ns-New York, as well as Detroit, VIII |
share in this new profits distribution. |
in the Long Island City assembling /
plant Of the Ford Company are $50 en- !
ployes eligible to participation
The plan will extend. beginning next |
Monday" Mr. Ford said. TO every
plant We operate. You can see that we
must have given more than the forty /
eight hours thought with which we are
credited TO it. when yOu consider this /
scope. We know. too, what use WfA he |
made Of the extra money our men will /
get. For years we have been as IA |
1nillar with the home life Of our men as (
We have been with their factory life I
hey VIII not abuse this good fortune |
Most Of our men seek. first Of all 10 /
buy their own homes. Many Of them do |
not buy them in this country, but in the /
lands Of their birth, but the thing that /
Interests US is that they buy .hcn. Even