Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-13
Bv Willis j. Abbot.


NEW YORK, Jan. 13.-"After ALL"
.aid Henry Ford, of Detroit, as we
sat at lunch. what makes life worth
living is the good will of your fellow
beings and the good will you. bear to-
ward them.
We are all of a sort. all bits of the
same great structure of humanity
You have asked me why l installed
he system of profit sharing which
hss awakened such interest. In last
analysts I did it for my own pleasure.
for there is true pleasure in feeling
nat you have made others happy.
essened to some degree the burdens
~ our fellows, made in many homes
The difference between pinching
penury and a wage that permits
pleasures and q little saving besides
We are able to do that by giving
oar workers share of the profits
hey have helped US to earn. | would
rather do that than leave big for
une to relatives, to impersonal chart
lies or to libraries and museums.
I think my way is the best way to
sxpend a big sum of money for the
GOOD of my fellows. and l enjoy do
nE it, It's all so simple that it does
not seem worth so much discussion
To take $10,000,000 out of the net
prohts of 3 corporation in one wear
and put 1t in the bi-weekly paw en-
velopes of some 10000 workingmen
is most decidedly a generous and
broadly helpful act.
Not Charity" He Says.
But Mr.. Ford insists that il is not
n the truest sense charity, for the
money is taken from the profits
which the workmen themselves help
ed to earn. He holds, too, that much
will come back to the stockholders in
the shape of increased efficiency in
the organization
But | think right seeing persons
viii brush away Mr.. Ford's modest
disclaimer Of charitable intent and
pronounce this the greatest piece of
pure benef1cence of the age, the one
which will bring practical aid to the
greatest number of immediate bene-
fciaries, the one which will have the
most tar-reaching and varied effect
IN improving the condition Of the
working class
As a. matter of fact, no one can talk
Intimately with Mr.. Ford without
seeing that it is purely the paterna1
attitude toward his employees that
ne has adopted in this epochal event.
asked him why he had seen fit TO
except women employees and young
men of less than % years from his
hrofit- sharing benefactions.
We'll, we look beyond the indi-
tn h hi IL,
les he said. II he had been glib
h The jargon of the social reformer
% would have said, I'VE look on the
iainiiy rather than the individual as
he social unit" That was what he
meant, but he liked better to talk in
ommon phrase.
Exceptions Are Made,
For example, if we have fifteen or
twenty girls doing Identical work for
which only little over SO week is
paid we do not admit them to a share
n the profits. but if we find one Of
hem is a widow with a child, or "a
girl with a dependent mother, we
make an exception in her case. She
will be given share to ena BILE her to
bear the burdens she is carrying. 1t
would be the same way with a boy
under % if he had responsibilities not
ordinary for youths.
Indeed. we have many such cases
now. We keep fairly we'll informed
Of the home conditions of our en-
ployees. Our staff of doctors, natur-
ally, constantly visiting the homes of
the work people, and able to put
questions which, coming from the or
binary official would be resented,
gather much of this information for
us. Some comes from our well or
ganiZed welfare department, which we
nave maintained for seven years.
Much we learn from the voluntary
eonfidences of our employees, who
nave learned to come to us with con-
hdence on many matters pertaining
o their home affairs"
Only Seven Stockholders.
This paternalistic attitude is made
he more easy by the fact that the
Ford business is a little over eleven