The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-07
''0UT OF SHOPS" IN EIGHT HOURS
 FORD'S SLOGAN
Motor Maker Calls Labor Legislation Best Move for
 All People.

Henry Ford, now the strongest sort | of a Wilson man, though few months | ago he was suggested for the Repub- lican Presidential candidacy, Thomas A. Edison, Secretary Josephus Daniels of the Navy and Chairman Vance Me- | Cormick of the Democratic National Committee, had luncheon and a long They discussed the best means by which they could impress upon the public just what the President has done for the Nation and why he should be reelected.
 During their talk all four offered suggestions. After it was over Mr. Ford talked very freely about what he individually intended to do to aid MT Wilson with the voters.
 I'm going to spead the gospel of the eight-hour working day." said the motor wizard from Detroit. By public announcements and by public display of actual figures and statistics taken from the books of my own business, I'm going to prove that this economic measure, which the Presi- dent advocates and has had made into law, will benefit not only the employees of this country but the employers as we'll"
 "Out of Shops in Eight Hours"
 In jocular manner the interviewer asked MT. Ford to give him slo- gan for his campaign, something along the line of the famous Out of the trenches by Christmas (which, by the way, MT. Ford himself never uttered. It was made, public by Lochner, his idealistic Peace Secretary.D
 "All right, then,". said the motor maker, laughing heartily, Suppose we say, Out of the, shops in eight hours!' How will that sopnd? You might even say Out of the shops in eight hours and benefit yourselves and your employers!' For both will do bet ter under that scheme.
 About politics as a business" MT. Ford went on, T know nothing at all. But about Woodrow Wilson I know a lot I spent four hours with him the other day and found him the most human man, the most sensible man, the most businesslike man, withal, ever encountered.
 President Wilson," he continued,
 
 the industrious people. In uphold tug the dignity of his office he may have appeared to some to be cold and aloof. But nothing is further from the truth. He's the warmest hearted man in the interest of those who work that I ever dreamed of. I cannot tell you how sincerely he feels for them/ and desires to improve their conditions.
 Eight Hour Day Big Achievement.
 eff he were obliged to stop right where he is-with the eight-hour law he has caused to be enacted-I believe he would go down into history as the originator of a movement, and this is bound to come. which will within a brief time revolutionize the condi- tions of the workers.
 "The keeping of Americans alive out of war-and alive properly, with comfortable working hours and decent wages, is Woodrow Wilson's passion. And believe that the next four years of his administration will see some wonderful betterments worked out along those lines.,
 MT. Ford branched into practical statements about the eight-hour day. He has employed it three years. Be- fore that he had a nine-hour day. He has kept tally on results. He said:
 When you get down tp eight hours you observe a wonderful increase of efficiency. When we put 1t into effect our product simply skyrocketed in output. The men are full of efficiency, life, ginger. ssThey feel this way: Well, here's eight hours of hustle. I'll hustle, and earn my fair wage, and then I've got all the rest of the time to myself. I can improve my self. I'm not worn out, tied down. I'm a MANI /
 "I don't know what the increased profits have been to our company. But we've got so much money we don't know what to do with it. The eight hour day has increased our earnings by millions and made our men better off, And it would do the same for other propre1y conducted businesses."
 More Men Than Locomotives?
 How about the railroads, Mr. Ford?" asked the interviewer. 'They claim the eight-hour dayjwould be inn possible"
 They don't run their locomotives eight hours at a stretch, do they?" he retaliated. "Why do they work their men more? Is it because therei are more men than locomotives? Or be- cause men are easier to get?'
 At this point the motor maker handed out a free tip to the railroad operators.
 .sTelI them to diminish the weight of their rolling stock. Use better, lighter steel There's plenty of it, and 1t costs only a trifle more than the bad. heavy stuff they now use. They can cut the weight of their cars in half. carry more freight and passengers, make more money, use less fuel, and avoid wear and tear on their roadbeds.