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

NEW YORK, Jan. 1S.-"After all"
did Henry Ford, of Detroit, as we
s,- AT lunch, what makes life worth
living is the good will of your fellow
bsings and the good will you bear to-
ward them.
we are all of sort. all bits of the
same great structure of humanity.
You have asked me why installed
the system of profit sharing which
has awakened such interest. In last
ANALYSIS / did it for my own pleasure,
FOR there is true pleasure in feeling
that YOU have made others happy
'ess,ned to some degree the burdens
Of your fellows, made in many homes
the difference between pinching
penury and wage that permits
PLEASURES and a little saving besides.
We are able to do that by giving
our workers A share of the profits
they have helped US to earn. | would
rather do that than leave a big for
tune to relatives, to impersonal chart
'ies or to libraries and museums.
Il think my way is the best way to
eypend d big sum of money for the
good OF my fellows, and | enjoy do
ing il. It's all so simple that it does
not seem worth so much discussion"
To take s10,000,000 out of the net
profits Of corporation in one year
and put it in the weekly pay en-
Iellres of some 10000 workingmen
Is most decidedly a generous and
broadly helpful act.
Not CHARITY" He Says.
But Mr.. Ford insists that II is not
IN the truest sense charity, for the
money is taken from tie profits
", Tho tha,,,eaI.-z.
al to earn He holds, too. that much
will come back to the stockholders in
the shape of increased efficiency In
the organiza ton
But think right seeing persons
will brush away Mr. Ford's modest
disclaimer of charitable intent and
pronounce this the great test piece Of
pure beneficence 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 preaching and varied effect
in improving the condition of the
working class
As matter of fact, no one can talk
Intimately with Mr. Ford without
seeing that it is purely the paternai
attitude toward his employees that
he has adopted in this epochal event.
J asked him why he had seen fit to
except women employees and young
men Of less than % years from his
profit sharing benefactions.
Well. we look beyond the indi-
Nidual workman to his responsible
ties he said. If he had been glib
with the jargon of the social reformer
he would have said, 1--WE look on the
fsmiiy rather than the individual as
The social unit" That was what he
meant, but he liked better 10 talk in
common phrase
Exceptions Are Made.
For example, II we have fifteen or
'WeEty girls doing identical work for
which only little over $40 week is
paid We do not admit them to share
IN The profits but if we find one Of
them is a widow with a child or a.
sIrl with dependent mother, we
make an exception in her case. She
viii he given q share to ena ole her to
hear The burdens she is CARRYING. It
would be the same way with Il 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 absa to put
questions which, coming from the or
binary official would be resented,
gather much of this information for
rs. Some comes from our well-or
sanized welfare department, which we
have maintained for seven years
Much we learn from the voluntary