The Detroit times., 1917-06-08

offered their stock for $4,000 900:
a year later they wanted $685. 600
for il. in another year they demand
ed S35,O00000 All of this from a
management that they now com
plain Of submit that it is not
done in good faith"
judge HOsmer interrupted 20 say
"But the plaintiffs were within their
sights in bringing the sui, 4 don't
say. however. that they have proved
". but only that they had The right
20 bring a. !"
Mr. Lucking defended the attitude
81 Henry Ford IN paying largo sal
aries and said IL was good business.
he quoted Thomas A. Edison, who
said Henry is not fool. He pays
his men 81 a day and pay mine 50,
but he gets more value from his
men than ! do
"Mr. Ford has six times the inter
est in the company that tho plain
tins have said Mr.. Lucking, "and
he could not iniure the plaintiffs
without hurting himself six times AZ
much. All Of his so.called altruistic
acts we're wisely done for the good
u the company The cutting OF
prices. the raising OF pay and other
acts they complain OF have warmed
the heart OF the whole world to
Henry Ford and his product He has
Just tut into effect the good old
Anglo-Saxon motto, Live and let
live
"As for the high salaries. II Is
right that a good lieutenant should
be recognized. Andrew Carnegie
made mnlonaires OF all the big
brainy men he had associated with
him and it was right that they
should get back a portion OF what
they produced. All these people
ask is that Mr.. Ford squeeze every
dollar ont Of the public that he can.
The public has excused profits OF
SEQ .0oO.0 600 a year. knowing that the
money was 10 be used. but II will
not stand for IL indefinitely. The
people will get back at corporations
which bleed the public and they
should. II all great institutions had
dealt with the public as has Henry
Ford. we would not have the labor
agitation we have Al present. Mr..
Ford knows what IS best for the
company. for himself. and for his
son when he has gone on over be
yond. He has made no mistake.
and your honor and God knows IT,"
In opening his final address Mr.,
Lncking quoted a great many au-
thorities 10 show that II was proper
for corporation TO engage in an
other business than that which il
was incorporated for II the express
reason OF II was 10 assist In the
manufacture OF goods II was rrima-
rily organized for For instance,
he said a hotel did not become a
baking company because 1t baked
It's own bread. nor a railroad a no
tel keeper because IL fed It's pas
sengers. He cited the case OF gas
companies that mine their own coal
and or street railways that bulk
their own cars. These side lines.
he said. were incidental 10 the main
business, and this was true or che
Ford company erecting a smelling
plant 10 make IT'S own iron. All
large concerns, he said. were going
back more and more TO the system
OF producing their own raw mate
rails and always this was sane
toned by law.
I'VE only want 10 establish those
things that will aid in the manu-.
facture OF the automobile" he said
The law clearly gives us the right
II is not as IL we were TO establish
hospitals for women who might
some day become the mothers OF
men who would make the automo-
biles or any such extravagant con.
struction OF the law. The extension
is simply for the purpose OF further
ing the main business - the COM
pany We now have thousands OF
men making the machines by which
the automobiles are made. II is a
part OF tho process just az blast
furnace would be"
The court room was packed with
an audience made up largely OF
lawyers anxious TO hear the argu.
ments in suit that involved so
many millions OF dollars.
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