The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1914-05-01

TWO. 1t gives HIS employees only nan
of the $25 100000 annual profits, when
they should have all of the profits ex.
cept what might justly be paid to
him as compensation for his services,
which are of undoubted value; and,
being entirely voluntary, Ford's plan
may be withdrawn by him at any
moment.
No man should have the right to
withdraw at any time anything to
which any other man is entitled.
Either Ford's employees create the
wealth that is produced in his plant
or they do not. If they do not create
this wealth, it would be interesting to
discover who does create it. If they
do create it they are entitled to all
they create all the time. If they did
not create the $25,OO0,000 of profits
that the plant produced in 1913, then
Ford and his six partners did create
them and are now doing them back
to their employees in the form of char
ity If the workers of this country,
in demanding higher wages, are seek
ing charity, l have not heard their
cry Alright. If Ford, in announcing
his profit-sharing plan, branded it as
an act of charity, I did not read his
announcement Alright.
"All our men," said Henry Ford to
the New York Times, on January II,
1914, "have helped us in our business.
We feel they are entitled to share in
the profits"
Not a word about charity in that.
Nor in this:
81 do not believe in prolonging the
conditions which, ever since the Civil
War, have been developing into a
curse upon the countryside condi-
tons which have built up a few mil
lionaires and actually pauperized mil
lions or kept them poor. Such condi-
tons are out of date"
Such conditions certainly are out Of
date. Such condition were never in
date, They were never just. They
are not just now But to declare them
"out of date" accomplishes nothing.
Even if they are out of date, the con-
ditions still exist What we need is
to put them out of existence. How can
we do that? Ford's plan will not do it.
Ford's plan is voluntary. If We wait
until the great capitalists of this coun-
try voluntarily offer to relinquish half
of their profits to their employees, we
shall probably wait until Gabriel blows
his horn. Who is willing TO wait so
long? If every capitalist should vol-
unfairly follow Ford's example tomor-
row, what could prevent them from
changing their minds day after tomor-
row?
Don't let your mind buckle up at
this point Here is where you should
do your own thinking, 1t is because
you always stop before you get to this
point that you never get anywhere
We have uncovered the loot-how are
We to recover the property?
We have shown that stock watering
is device by which profits are con-
cealed-how are we to get what we
have lost?
You cannot do it by decreasing the
tariff
You cannot do it by fussing with the
currency.
You cannot do it by passing more
foolish laws against the trusts.
Only one law can be enacted against
the trusts that will do the people any
good. Pass law compelling the trusts
to sell their plants to the government,
at just price, and you will have done
something You will then be in a posi-
ton to know that you will get the
profits made by the trusts. Owners
never have any difficulty in collecting
the profits that their industries make
Outsiders are the only ones who have
]. i. + 1. + 1. + l. /. + 1. + + I. + +
But the Ford company cannot
be the only concern in this coun-
try which is earning much money.
How about the railroads, or the
packers, or the steel people? Yet
all of these say that they cannot
afford better wages. Why?
l. !. 1. I. j. !. + + J. + + j. + + + I.
difficulty in collecting profits on other
peoples property.
The American people are outsiders.