The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-01-22

cent. Life insurance gained So per
cent. Value OF homes owned outright
increased 81 per cent.
Eight thousand families have NOV
ell from squaltd, unsuitable homes to
healthy. sanitary quarters" Ford said.
Police justices say Ford employees are
rarely among the unfortunates brought
to justice. Hard drinking has almost
disappeared. The company's school,
where English and proper citizenship
Is taught has increased In attendance
from 200 to approximately 4 100.
"The new plan Wac put into effect
necause OF the knowledge that market
rates were not sufficient for men
properly to care for self and depend
Gnts. And II has brought out much
OF human salvage and proven that
barriers between employers and en-
pioyes thought to exist and often ex.
listing can be. largely removed.
mo man can bring up family and
hope to own q home on the ordinary
rate OF wages. I do not think that
men can do good work mentally and
physically for more than eight hours
a day.
"f corporations are over-capitalized
they must necessarily Cypress labor
to make showing. In my Judgment
mere bigness Is no objection II cor
porations are not over-capitalized.
I'VE cannot expect man to give
US his best efforts when he IL In debt
and has not enough to keep his fam
lily on.
II believe it, is better. wiser and
more just TO make many men com.
Portable than to make few /,
Ford refused to discuss the work OF
philanthropic organizations or wheth-
er Unrestricted FOUNDATION should be
administered by the government.
Our first purpose In establishing
this plan." Ford said. was substan-
tial justice to our co-workers without
whom we could have accomplished
nothing. We had had great success
and in fact we desired no greater sue
cess from the financial point of view
SO we put this plan into effect. We
do not regard II as In any sense
gift or a charity, but only due reward
for service. No man IL influenced to
change his way OF living or his hab-
its in order to qualify under the
proftsharing plan. Yet. whereas at
the start so per cent of the men par
ticipated In the plan. today nearly
every man past % years OF age en-
ployed by US, Is benefited by Il. The
increased efficiepcy of the men II
from 10 to 20 per cent with reference
to work produced. This, too, In the
face of a reduction of the working
day by one hour. Daily absentees
from work have decreased from 10
per cent of the working force to three
tenths Of one per cent. The number
of men leaving the employ OF the
company since the plan went into ef-
feet compared with year before. 10
as follows:
March, 1918. discharged, 1875;
quitting. $40; nve-day men, so-called
fioaters, 5,156.
March, 1914, discharged, lee; quit
ting, IFS; fve-day men. 166. The AVE-
day men are the hoaters who leave
without explanation or notice.
Congress will be asked by the COM
ployment agency. This much ID now
certain as . result of the hearings in
progress In this city.
George w. Perkins, the next wit
mesa. said that the rate of wages paid
W biU okSCh khust tO0oy wa THO ni8H-
est In the history Of the steel indus
try Excluding the salaried executive
employees. the average IL e2.85 a dsy.
Wherever possible, he said, the COM
pany has reduced the hours of labor
to eight hours day.
Perkins denied that the stock pur.
chase scheme or the steel trust, 20
far as It's employees are concerned,
was In any sense intended an q pre-
MUM on loyalty, except insofar a.
loyalty means interest He denied
that the distribution OF stock was at
the within OF the company managers.
I'VE actually wanted 90 make these
men partners In our company" he
said. "And our plan has enabled
many thousands to save money"
Prontsharing. Perkins said. he be-
lieved, would prove the missing
link" between the employer and the
employe to eliminate industrial un-
rest.
This year" he said, conditions
over which we have no control has
found us this January with no profits
to divide. eYet our men realize that
We are not 10 blame and we have has
no complaint made.
k<s<1he depression In the steel indus
ftfy today, and I think In every indus