New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-07
10000 SEEK JOBS
WITH FORD PLANT
S1O,OOO,OOO Profit-Sharing Plan
Draws Them-To Hire None
Until Next Week.
lBy Telograph 10 The Tribune. J

Detroit. Jan. 6.-Fighting for places in
line. ten thousand men stormed the plant
of the Ford Motor Company to-day, each
one eager TO be one OF the four thousand
additional workers whom the company
will make participants in its SlO'ooo'ooo
annual profit sharing plan.
The men began gathering as early as
3 o'clock this morning and when the
plant opened for the day IL took nfty po-
licemen to preserve a semblance OF ORDER
No one was hired to-day. The new
scheme will not go into effect Until next
week, and then selections viii be maze
with great care. married men or youths
supporting mothers and families being
given the preference.
Henry Ford explained to-day some fur
Their details of his plan to distribute SlO,-
600, 900 among the employees OF his com
pany. One Of the principal points was
that the distribution will not affect the
salaried men, but will be confined to wage
earners.
Every man i'm our employ over the age
OF twenty-five years who is not working
Oh a salary will share in the distribution
OF profits" he said. THE man earning
the minimum wage OF 81 81 will receive
an additional 50 So a day, and all the men
who do the actual work will receive the
same increase. Foremen, superintendent
and all other saIaried men will continue
to share as usual in the distribution by
bonus with the close of the year, based
solely on merit Last year we distributed
from 100000 TO 10000 i'm this way
About two hundred men participated"
Mr.. Ford then explained that one idea
of the plan was To give to the men VINO
made the cars, the men who could not
AFFORD to own one of the cars they made,
benefit that was given to the buyers OF
the cars last year
1--WE made 100000 cars last year and
took 100000 from the profits by cutting
the price $50 car. In spite of the reduc-
ton we made s25.o00O01 last year. We
could reduce the price another so this
year, but decided to give the money to
our workmen instead. The plan is per
manent, but we cannot estimate several
years in advance HOY much the distrbu-
ton will amount to-
Financial men and manufacturers gen
orally approve of the distribution. Only
one of the heads of the big banking in
situations interviewed took a pessimistic
view. Frank W. Blair, president OF the
Union Trust Company nd one Of the re-
ceivers OF the Pere Marquette Railway
said: II can sum up my opinion OF the
Ford profit sharing plan in one sentence.
1t will have a bad effect on the labor
market of Detroit"
Other automobile manufacturers do not
expect to be affected by it in any way.
Fred Nollbrecht, treasurer of the King
Motor Company. said: we are paying
larger wages than the Ford people have
been paying, and do not expect to lose a
man to them. The Ford plant can sm-
ploy only a certain number Of men. and
when all places are taken other men will
have to look elsewhere"
q. II. Mathewson. of the Keeton Com
pany. said: 81 do not see how the profit
sharing plan can force a raise of wages
i'm other plants. as some predict. There
will be a rush Of workmen TO Detroit
from every section of the United States
This will tend to keep wages down rather
than send them up, IL the men stay
here