The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-02-26
WAGES TOO SMALL
FOR DECENT LIVING
Henry Ford Tells Why He Raised
Pay and Shortened Day.
~ EST1FYING before the federal
commission on industrial re-
latIons. sitting in New York

Co4AN AAN0 UcAOlS Tue AcuSAos
commission on industrial re-
latIons. sitting in New York
city, Henry Ford, the automo-
bile manufacturer, was asked the Ques-
ton What reasons did the Ford COM
pany have for assuming so large a
measur Of responsibility not only for
the labor conditions in their plants.
but also for the social and moral ur-
roundings of their e%mployees?" His
answer was:
1.-The knowledge that market rates Of
wages were not sufficient for men to
properly care for themselves and their
dependents and that tile environment
in which its employees were thus made
to live gave rise to mental anxiety and
u physical condition that made 1t ut
terly impossible for the human agency
to deliver all OF the effort that it vas
capable Of III fulfilling the best and
larger functions for which 1t was de-
signed. ut work. ut home and in the
community.
THE company also had the courage
to seize an opportunity for breaking
away from old time habits and Gus
toms that were possibly applicable to
other periods. The institution Of q
new order. treating men like men in
man fashion. has brought out much Of
human salvage and proved that bar.
ricrs between employers and employees
thought to exist and that often do ex
list can be largely removed.
"a large proportion of our employ
ess were foreign born. many Of then
recent arrivals not used to American
habits and surroundings. Very few. 1
any. resented our guiding them int
better conditions. into habits Of thrift
saving. sObriety and improved mora
and social conditions. No coercion
laid upon any employee. but II he I
not living q sober life OF is %neglectin
his duties as q father or husband. an
he persists in such course. he mi
be an associate in our business.
"No man can bring up u family an
hope to own Il home on the ordinar
rates of wages.
Il do not think that any man can
good work mentally and physically f.
more than eight hours per day."
Another question: lis it desirab
for a corporation to assume SO lar
a measure of control Of employees
the Ford company has done? Y
Ford answered as follows:
1--WE do not undertake to say wb
corporations should do in general. b
If employers of labor-we mean t
men themselves at the head Of the
enterprises-have u genuine. sinct
and active interest in the improvemt
Of the conditions of labor. and hes
felt personal interest In the welfare
their employees. no conditions that.
irksome or distasteful will be laid vi
the men
Theoretically. some persons may
a man lives at home so long az he d
his work at the factory. but we
talking Of conditions. not of theos
Our experience leads w to concli
beyond doubt. that the interest tn
In employees us to their indivk
welfare is most desirable from ey
standpoint. not only that Of tho
ployee and his family. hut of the I
ness itself.
1.-The ever increasing interest
veloped in u plan by other emf
ers Of labor and the individual en-
sions Of the men themselves. "
We have taken great pains to /
from disinterestcd sources. fur
prove the correctness of our views
Carpenters Aid Unemployed.
Carpenters union No. 81. New
city. has voted an assessment o
cents "a week on each member W
working three or more days. to
support the unemployed. CarpeI
union No. 800 had already taken
toward similar action. and othel
ions probably will supplement the.
employed benefit funds by this me
10.