The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-24
Continued from First Page.

OF certain business men who run manu-
featuring plants and | could not help
wondering what excuse they had for be-
ing in the business Some complain
that the payment of So a day would
force them out of business Perhaps
they should be forced out; perhaps God
intended that they should be writers,
artists or doctors instead of manufac-
turers. Changes are often good things
even II forced. The only permanent
thing in the world is change
A great many people criticise MI
Ford's political economy. | have heard
manufacturers, college professors and
even preachers make not only unkind
but exceedingly unjust statements con-
corning what the Ford Motor Company
is doing. | do not blame the standpat
manufacturer for being provoked at the
Ford management FOR their acts. Such
manufacturers frankly state that they
ere out for all there is in 1t and ito
H with labor" is their motto They
naturally are as opposed to these Ford
practices as the Car Of Russia is OPP
posed to education and the development
OF freedom
But to have preachers and business
men who profess To he religious crlti-
else Mr.. Ford without first giving him
Q hearing makes me exceedingly
wrathy. For II there exists a bigger
and more practical example of applied
religion, | wish some one Of the readers
OF this paper would write me about it.
Remember that MIR. Ford does not give
this bonus indlscrlmina' ely. Although
every one of his 5000 men gets higher
L.. 4
yet to he entitled to the extra bonus
man must be Temperate the supporter
OF a family, and a good citizen Of De-
troit.
Let me also plainly state that Mr.
Ford does not pretend THAI every con-
Germ can pay minimum wages of So per
day and bonuses thrown in. His only
statement is that the Ford Motor Com
pany can do it; and If So why should
they wait for others TO join them?
IF each OF us manufacturers would
now do what he could" said Mr.. Ford,
certainly this would be a great step
toward solving the problems OF indus
try"
OF course Mr.. Ford believes than there
are many other manufacturers who
could now give back half of their
profits as well as he If they wished 10.
He believes that a large percentage OF
employers could now DO this without
harm to themselves or their industry,
while their children would he infinitely
b tier OF If such course were adopted.
But Mr.. Ford does not consider IL to be
any OF his business what other manu-
facturers do. Let every man do as
his conscience tells him; we must not
judge others" says Mr., Ford. More
over, he sucks pretty well to this motto,
provided no one mentions Wall Street
bankers. Then it's all Off.
had a taste of this when ] asked
him il he thought certain other auto
mobile manufacturers could il they
wished to pay the wages and bonuses
that he Is paying. To this he replied:
NO, they cannot 50 long as they are
controlled by New York and Boston
bankers, who know so little about the
business but lei those men come out
here and learn the business and work
at II and they will he able to pay both
higher wages and greater dividends.
IL tell you, Mr.. Babson, that the
curse OF American industry to-day is
absentee ownership. The entire prin-
Ciple of absentee ownership is funda-
mentally wrong, and was never meant
to exist. Capital is entitled to interest
at the market rate on money actually
and wisely invested by men who know
the business; but the idea that capita
is entitled to the whole, after l"bor has
been screwed down to the last notch
is not sound,
Moreover, what is worse still is the
current idea among your friends that
capital is entitled to a reward ON the
stock which is given away and the
money which Is needlcssly wasted OF
invested on the word Of some jolly
friend or professional promoter" (Mr
Ford OF course believes I'm recognizing
money spent ON legitimate and profess
sional eNperlments)
~"But not only do these bankers ant
promoters waste huge sums at thu
start; but they are continually doini
x. Ton when they mako enough to pas
good dividends, this is all many Of thu Y
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