Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-09
SHARING IS
CALLED GOOD WILL
Pres. Ford, of Auto Firm, Says
100000 Division Was
Decided in 46 Hours.

/ NEW YORK Jan. 9.-Henry Ford.
president Of the Ford Motor Com
pany Of Detroit. who astonished the
I industrial world by the announce
ment of his plan to share s10,o00,0e9 or
1914 profits with employees is a guest
at the Hotel Belmont. There was
( nothing about his demeanor when he
was seen at the hotel last night to
I indicate that he thought he had done
anything remarkable. In his low
voice. the man who was a working
machlnist himself a few years ago
made it plain that he looked upon
the division of $4,000 900 among 10000
working men and women merely as 3
method Of taking dividends in good
viii
When all else has been gained or
lost" he said. good will is the only
thing left. It is the only thing that
counts. after all .
Mr. Ford laid emphasis however.
on the fact that he did not consider
his proht-shar.ng plan as work Of
philanthropy
THE increase in pay which our en-
ployees will receive" ne said, lis
neither charity nor wages. It is SIM
ply profit-sharing. In a way it is
piece of efficiency engineering too.
We expect to get better work. more
efficient work as one result. And
that is one reason why we decided TO
make the distribution now-in esti-
mated profits for the year to come
rather than in a mere promise OF in
crease at the end Of the year. When
you have given a man sometime you
know, then YOU can talk TO him. You
have basis TO go on
I'VE were anxious also to begin the
eight-hour shift plan with twenty
| four hour operation continued Mr..
\ Ford. who expects to MANUFACTURES
| 100000 automobiles this year. We
have wanted TO get to the eight-hoHr
shift for some time. and We have been
| contemplating a profit-sharing plan
of some kind for a good while, also.
Looking out of the window and see
| ing a good many men idle. we felt
that this was the psychological mo-
Ineut and the particular plan an
nounced on Tuesday was decided
upon in about forty-eight hours. We
are getting UP to maximum produce
ton. you see. and soon will be turning
out more than 1,100 machines a day.
When he was asked how the floor
sWeepers and men employed in like
capacities could earn the minimum
wage of s. for an eight-hour DAY,
which they are to receive under the
new plan. Mr.. Ford replied:
They are not floor sweepers long.
| They begin at that. perhaps, but we
have special department which
teaches them in two weeks to make
some particular portion of the finish
ed machine They thus become me
I chanics. In two weeks they are spe-
cialists-for us If they do not sue
ceer at first. we try them again in
some other department. until either
\ we find what they can do or find
that they are hopelessly inefficient
The increase applies to all wags
earners as distinguished from SAL
/ aried employees. Some question has
been raised about making the nini-
mum for women less than that for
men. The proportionate wage in this
regard win not differ from the pres-
/ ent rate. Our present minimum for
women is $40 a month. No girl Is
| hired for less than that Many are
making $50 and $40 or more Under
the new ulan women will share with
men in the -proportionally-
save that in the case of women with
| large families dependent upon them
! the minimum will be IS day"
Mr.. Ford paused a moment. and
then, as if summing up the WHOLE
matter. said
Its Just good-w will"