Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-22
JUSTICE AND NOT
CHARITY" NEED OF
WORKER, SAYS FORD
Automobile Manufacturer
Lauds ro6t-sharing Plan.
Has No Use for Philan-
thropies as Such.
BY JOHN EDWIN NEv1N

NEW YORK, Jan. 22.-"Justice and not
charity" is what the workers Of the
United states require in the opinion of
Henry Ford, Detriot's millionaire auto
mobile manufacturer He told the Fed
eral Industrial Commission this today
And he declared that the methods which
are in vogue in his factory would per-
nit taking over the entire population of
Sing Sing prison and making good citizens
of them.
Ford was one of the most impressive
witnesses yet heard by the commission.
He very emphatically denounced charity
as n means of relieving distress. And he
insisted that under the prolt-sharing plan
in operation in his plants every one of
his employees has been revolutionized.
II have very little use for charities and
philanthropies as such" he said. MY
idea is. aid men to help themselves. Near
ly all are willing to work for adequate
reward. We have all kinds of cripples
in our employ, and they are making good
We have a great many who have been
in prison and who are outcasts from
society. Every one of them is making a
good showing and is gaining in self-re-
spect and strength of character"
EXPLAINS PROFIT-sHARING.
Ford explained at length the proflt-shar-
ing pan. His firm pays wages Is per cent
above those paid in other plants, he said.
and in addition eligible employees (and the
majority of them are) participate in the
proft-sharlng plan. The working day is
eight hours instead of nine, as formerly
and no one receives less than So day
for his labor. Complete records are made
fully watched.
Our first purpose in establishing this
plan" Ford said, was substantial JUS
tice to our coworkers, without whom we
could have accomplished moth ng We rad
had great success from the financial point
of view. So we put this plan into effect
We do not regard 1t as in any sense a
gift or a charity, but only due reward
for service. No man Is influenced to
change his way of living or his habits
in order to qualify under the proft-shar-
ing plan. Yet, whereas Mt the start 60
per cent, of the men participated i'm the
plan, today nearly every man past %
wears old employed by us is benefited
by it,
The increased efficiency of the men is
from 10 to 20 per cent" he said. 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 $40 of
per cent The number of men leaving
the employ of the company sine ethe plan
went into effect compared with a year
before is rs follows
March, 1NS-Discharsed, 1876 quitting
$50; fve-day' men, so-called floaters. 5l54
March, 19l4-Dlscharged, 1866; quitting, 1851
five-day men, 166. The five-day men are
the fioaters who leave without eXpana-
tion or notice"
Fear and worry in the struggle prop
erly to provide for home and dependentiS
with the dread of what might happen il
the job is lost practically have been elm
mated" Mr.. Ford said. mo man is dis
charged without great cause.
U. S. EMPLOYMENT AGENCY.
& Congress will be asked by the Federal
Industrial Relations Committee to create
a truly national employment agency.
This much now is certain as a result of
the hearings. Every witness so far
has agreed there are Jobs enough
in the United States for everybody who
win work, They admit, however, the diff
fculty is In bringing the man to the job
All insist that this should be the duty of
the Government.
Another suggestion. which so far finds
the commission divided. is to create a
national board of conclliation and media
tion for Industrial corporations that do
an interstate business. Many suggestions
have been made that the Newlands-Erd-
man act be extended to give the present
board, whose jurisdiction now is limited
TO railroads. power over all corporations
in the interstate field.
George w. Perkins said the rate OF
wages paid by the Steel Trust today was
the highest in the history of the steel
Excluding the salaried exeeu-
tive employees. the average is S2,S5 day.
Wherever possible. he said, the COM
pany has reduced the working hours to
eight a day. Perkins read into the rec
ord the entire report of the Labor Com
mittee of the United States Steel Corpo-
ration, made public year ago He said
that in all big labor corporations he be-
lieved a complete record of labor condi-
tions always should be kept before the
board OF directors. He would also have
y,,ch racords filed with some State or Fed |