The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-24
What Henry Ford Really Said to Roger w. Ba

care about: they seldom try to develop
more efficiency in order to pay their
men greater wages.
They treat taeir men just like com
modities-like the wood. iron and cop
per that they buy and sell In fact
many of your Wall Street captains of
industry don't treat their employees so
we'll as they do their machinery. When
a business depression comes they care
fully clean and grease the idle machines
TO protect them from deterioration; but
what do they do for their idle men?
Nothing. These men are thrown out
of doors, whether 1t be winter or sum-
mer, rain ,r shine. TO shift for them
selves
Then again absentee ownership
never properly recognizes the value of
experience ana loyalty Eastern bank
ers send men out here to manage
plants. not on account OF their eXper-
fence but because they are family rela-
tons or members of the same college
fraternity The Ford principle is never
| to hire new men for the better posi-
tons. We always promote our own
men. Pulls don't go with us. Every
one has fair chance, but ali must
start at the bottom.
Another thing. we never want rich
mems sons who don't have to work. As
rule they are no good But most
/ manufacturing plants controlled by alb
, sentee mana cement are usually honey
I Combed with these rich mems sons who
have been spoiled with money and col
leges. Moreover. II you rich Eastern
people have no sons to send, then you
ship as foremen and designers poor,
I broken down or unintelligent relatives
! whom YOU would otherwise be obliged
to support; Mind you, don't begrudge
giving these people good wages: but
/ l do oppose giving them positions OF
authority and responsibility
! Like most men with real individuality
Mr.. Ford is unpopular with the leaders
Of both sides OF the Industrial conflict.
, mean that Mr.. Ford is disliked by the
typical labor leader as well as by the
, standpat manufacturer. The men OF
the Ford Motor Company are not union
ized. As | had heard many conflicting
statements as 10 Mr.. Ford's attitude
toward labor unions. | frankly told hun
what had heard and asked him TO con-
Tess. This is what he said
MIR Babson, | believe that labor
unions are like everything else in this
world. a source of both good and evil.
| believe that they are necessary in GER
tain plants in order for the men to get
any kind of a square deal ! sympa-
thize with labor and were | a workman
in the average plant | would be MEM
her OF and a worker for my union.
After, however. the object for which
a union is formed has been obtained
feel that it can become a source OF harm
to an organization. | have frankly OPP
posed the unionizing OF my workers
Here wages are away above the highest
of union wages, our workday is only
eight hours and the factory conditions
are equal, II not superior, 10 any plant
Of it's size in the world. Now there s
nothing that a union could do for ouI
men and 1t might tend to retard tho
efficiency OF the plants. II so II would
bring disaster to all of US.
81 look upon labor unions as great in
dustrial Jewellers. For men receiving
wages and working under conditions be-
low the average the unions are OF grea'
help, but for men receiving wages ant
working under conditions above the
average the unions may be a detriment.
then asked Mr.. Ford why il Is thai
some men receive wages and treatment
| below the average anu olHtIS IcCtlNs
wages and treatment above the average
and again he broke loose, This time
he stood up and went to his window
that looks down upon his great build
| ings and said:
MIR. Babson. have you missed thu
point of all my remarks? Must ! stat
lat the beginning and explain again q
. you what | said about absentee owner
ship? It is the same old story.
"ln the plants operated by distau
, stockholders who have no knowledge o
the business and no acquaintance wit
, the employees or the conditions unde
which they are living, the workers arr
; receiving treatment below the average
level. Men employed in such plants
need to unionizc and TO employ leader
| to fight for them.
such plants az rule are not only
Z being operated inefiiciently but every
thing is being sacrificed 10 pay div.
, bends on stock, much Of which Is &c