The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-09
FORD HERE, CALLS HIS
PLAN GOOD BUSINESS
That and Belief That Men Max
ing Concern Pay Should
Share, His Motives.
ONE WAY TO ENJOY MONEY
"Why Should I Leave 1t TO My
Son: IIc Can Make His Ov"
Fortune, as 7 Did"

Henry Ford, president OF the Ford Mo.
tor Company, arrived in town yesterday
accompanied by Mrs. Ford and registered
at the Hotel Belmont The first person
80 discuss with him tho Ford companies
plan for profit sharing with its en-
ployees was n barber in the Belmont
barber shop. who had no idea II the
identity of the youngish looking man IN
the chair
Did you hear about the slo.000,oo0
that the Ford Automobile Company out
In Detroit says II is going to DIVIDE with
its workmen? the barber asked. with
out waiting for reply he continued. 1T
sounds pretty iishy to me. These people
who have sI0.0000OU aren't dividing II
with employees or anybody else. But
there may be some truth In 1t at that
I've got a brother working in another au-
tomobile concern IN Detroit--hc's a de-
siGner lie writes me that he knows Ford
ana that Ford Will do what he says he'll
do. SO maybe it's all right. but it GER
tainly sounds iishy"
The Belmont is filled with automobile
people come to attend the Grand Central
Palace show and the barber had picked
his topic OF conversation to fit the oc-
Casion.
II work out in Detroit too" Mr.. Ford
replied, and right in the Ford works.
and ! know Ford we'll enough to know
that he will put the plan through" he
replied without a smile.
Tells Of Encounter Later.
, Mr. Ford told with considerable glec
OF his encounter with the barber when
a Sun man asked him for an interview
later In the afternoon. Il told him
worked in the Ford plant--and | do
and hard he said with smile.
The man who has done an unprecedented
thing In his profit sharing scheme IL very
approachable. He submits To an inter
view as II IL We're "A pleasure, answers
: every question with as few words as
possible. and as n result IA stcnographiC
report of an interview with him would
show a series of sentences of two three
{ four or five words. with the reporters
, questions taking up most of the stenog-
rapher time.
In the first place Mr.. Ford makes IL
4 plain that his present move is not the
c FIRST he has made for the benefit of the
1 employees of the Ford factory. Ever
since have been in business" he said. Il
have tried to give everybody who was
working for the success of the concern a
= fair share of the profits. OF course the
e present scheme is the biggest OF all. but
, that is because we have reached point
where we have more money TO do with
Ever since we got the business on a
{ paying basis we have paid 20 per cent.
more than other automobile nianufactur-
ers for similar services. At present We
are paying Il minimum OF s2.34 day for
day laborers. and the girls and women
! get a minimum of 5000 "A week. There
are 400 girls employed in our Detroi,
4 plant alone. doing light work"
, Tells of His Motives.
In, reply to series of questions re-
garding the motives behind his recent an
nouncement Mr.. Ford said that he merely
believed that every man who did his shar.
in making a business profitable ought tC
receive his share of the profits.
!. 81 also believe" he said in reply &
further questions, that man does NOR,
| efficient work when he is we'll paid am
\ shat II Is n good business principle TO Sc,
that all employees are making enough &c
! live on with comfort. A man can't do hi:
best work when he IL underpaid and yol
5 wouldn't expect him to. would YOU? |
r he is contented and his family is we'll pro
I vided for YOU can expect more OF him
, I can't YOU"
/ Mr.. Ford's statements are quite likely
= 10 end with unanswerable questions.
81 don't believe In charity he went OF
. replying to another group Of questions
= do YOU" \ man or woman is entitle
+ to what he earns. but not 10 more thai
. that IL he works and is paid decon
o wage he doesn't need or want any Chart,
.-e deserves to he as independent as any
= body else--and wants to be-"
y Mr.. Ford was asked about reports tina
n the Industrial Workers of the World. b
: their efforts TO invade the open shop iicl
y OF the automobile industry IN Detroit. ha
a had something to do with his dcclsio
10 share profits with his workmen.
4" Never Had Labor TrOubies.
Il Haven't had any lanor troubles sine
70 I've been in business" ne replied. "ps
< troit is an open shop town and We htY
n paid higher wages than anybody else
p so why should we have labor troubles
II Some eight years ago the I. W. w, sen
y some mon into our factory. We can
afford TO pay idle delecatcs-walking dele