The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-11
HENRY FORD WHO MADE $4,000 EMPLOYEES HAPPY
The Unassuming Wizard
OF Detroit Who Divides
$Io.ooo,o 900 Among an
Army Of Employees
The Scope Of His Plan

he Scope OF His Plan
A TALL. slender man II 50 walked
"A down the steps Of the Hotel BEL
= mon, one day iast week. crossed
Forty -second street. went east
vrrd to Lexington avenue and turned
,or,hward. evidently bound for the Auto
allow. HUNDREDS Of others we're bouud
for the same place. but few II any gave
a second glance at this quiet man, "a
cent possibly TO notice his expression. 1T
once mobile and intense; his thoughtful
ewes and the lines Of hts mouth. which
Indicated possession Of whimsical humor
A. we'll ~ grim determination.
He melted into tie thronGs hurrying
,oSard the show--And yet II his identity
va been kaown ne would have bsen
susrouadsd. psrhaps overwhelmed. BY .
piultltv6s struggling % Gain his atten-
Tim. For this unassuming. quietly
dressed gentleman was none other than
Henry Ford OF the Ford Motor Con.
unay. whose recently announced policy
tsvafd some $1,000 employees has com
handed attention throughout the civil
ised world
Like q bolt out Of the blue saxy was
that despatch which started from Detroit
a few days ago. flashing its way across
the continent ana Tar beyond. message
which appeared on the front page of
practically every important Newspaper
In the country and announced something
unheard Of before IN the history Of busi-
ne~e--that the Ford Motor Company
had decided to divide $40 1000. Geo. not
among it, stocikhcadere IN the shape Of
q melon" mind you. hut among an army
of employees a. their share in the profits
Of concern which they had helped to
build up to ia present state Of pr1perity.
In comparison With this outpourtnG Of
princeiy riches. representfng 60 pr cent.
Of one years Aivtdends. other profit
sharinG eatsrprises ssnk iaso ins.gniA-
oance. even Of great corporations like
the Pennsylvania Railroad and the
United States Steel Corpor.aien. which
have long been In force. and In spme
cases are the result Of slowly developed
experiment.
Coupled with this pront sharing an
nouncement. the Ford company makes
another which. in the opinion Of some
students Of economics. II even OF greater
interest II has established . minimum
wage Of IS a day for all male employees
older than 20 years. regardless Of what
work they perform. II may be Sweep
INK floors. shovelling coal keeping time
sheets. handling a telephone switch.
board. No matter how high or how low
the grade Ut work. NO matter whether
skilled or unskilled. II the man II -
years Of are or in some caees II ne In
YOUNGER th2n t"at ana sopp"'s ram
n.y. ZIP! UP 30 nis ~S*es 70 'ne 20
Gay neure, h.s shsIe I" peos me'p'ns
70 "a~e '"'s 'ncIes Iv" Vi" "o.N
GUY 10 IN. enc "o.y W.o o". .na
Wous"''"' NV" ..
prophecy' Nss. oI Al E.eny rosv "'m-
m' wv ~ S."e w ~ ~ '''~' A w"
An1 u.en VIZ ~
D ~ w.. ",.-". 80 A..
w ..s ". -" ,na...- .xV.
s SUau ia o'.. ....n" ~" "s nor con,
49, ~, ",h"r o,,,o,nohus ,nann,ac.
. msMv . . s,noa onr h"sin..s was ou,
n.,,,,s na.,.. and ever since
$500 a. have been irving 10 nav
o,.r q .hare OF the proffts 20 every
nsr.on vorkins for the success Of the
ro,,n.nv
"Our policy is simply to help some co.
600 or 10 900 people to be happy and
confronted: to earn wages that win sup-
mort them without constant worry az TO
making both ends meet. 1t Is our
policy 10 do this rather than make .
few millionaires."
The experiment has brought into view
two Numerically opposite opinions.
One u that II Mr.. Ford wins out with
even approximate success not only win
he be known AZ a wholesale Santa Claus
but he win 20 down in history as the
nrst human being Who has ever been
able to defy the law Of supply and de-
mand: a law, say these commentators,
which appiies % the saie and purchase
q labor q we'll a. to the sale ana pur-
chase Of other commoAities. aad which
up to this time has been iasnnutaA,e. an.
changeahie, trre0strhie, excepttng in
short periods Of ARTIFICIAL interruption
For Be n rememhered, they add, ar
,ific,ai intersuption" includes such
things a. legislative restriction and
trade union demands a to WORKING
hours. rate of wases anA other condi-
tiona a6Ys~tsn~ lahor