The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-01
MEN, WOMEN
AND THINGS

This is day of house organs. trade
publications and magazines representing
special interests, and it is also a poor
movement which fails to set up a paper to
forward its interests.
Now 1 make it a rule to look over
every publication that comes to my desk
for I never know when am going to
find something of interest, having long
ago learned that if a man sticks mere
ly to his own line he will get in a rut and
therefore try and get new ideas where
ever they are to be found
The thing which suggested this story
is The Lamp" a magazine publishes
in the interest of the employees of the
Standard Oil Co. Now l hold no brief
Tor this great organization which has been
in the public eye so long and around
which so much criticism has ragged. for
it has apologists who have me outclassed
and therefore content my self with SIM
ply mentioning a few things which
got out of THE Lamp"
The purpose of the publication is to
provide it's employees with a medium for
the exchange of their opinions, sugges-
tons and experiences, and to acquaint
them Interesting and useful infor-
nation as to the companys activities. 1t
is published six times a year at 500 to
all but employees and shareholders in the
nd in ov1;fa
it is owned and published by one of the
most powerful commercial organizations
in the world it has a subscription offer
published conspicuously on it's editorial
page.
1t in one respect at least realizes
the ideal of a limited few who crave
a magazine which is free from advertise
ments. but for myself If they were cut
out Of the weeklfes and monthlies |
would miss them more than some of the
regular literary departments, for in this
day and generation when we live py
publicity, I want to know the last and
best thing out in all lines and the quick
est and pleasantest way to keep up help
full inventions is to study the advertising
pages of our daily, weekly and monthly
press.
THE Lamp is beautifully printed on
high grade enamel paper and is profuse-
ly illustrated. The August number has a
striking cover page in colors showing a
workingman grasping the hand of a re-
turned wounded soldier This is pre-
| eminent1y fitting as it Is a war number
showing double page of some of the
representatives of the four thousand STAN
dard Oil company's men who helped to
make history in France, and gives nine
| teen pages to recording the names OF
the men who responded to the call to
arms
The feature of the issue, however, is
a page article from John d. Rockefeller
under the heading. IA Message From the
Founder Now Walter Page did get a
series of articles from the pen of the
wizard of finance for the Worlds Work
but in his long and eevntful life he had
| been mighty close mouthed and chary
about taking his pen in hand to write. .
and SO when he talks OF sets down his
thoughts on paper it pays to listen and
| to read for while he is lavish with his
money he is a miser when it comes to
words.
i He writes with reluctance about whs
the Standard Oil company did to help WIZ
| the war because of the fact that tol
years he has been out of the actual par
ticipation in the direction of affairs of this
great organization; but having spent his
years of business life in it since the
original Standard Oil company wa,
launched in 1870, and being still deeply
! interested in it's success, he compiled
with the editors request for speca
message.
Mr.. Rockefeller may not have the can
niness of the late Andrew Carnegie, bu
it seems to me that he has had a greater
vision in the gifts he has made for thu
benefit of mankind. and that his out
look on life is more humanitarian thar
was that of the Laird of SKlpo. In norin.
the changing conditions which had COM
under his observation, yet even with thu
complete remaking of the world goin,
on around US on every hand he feels tina
the needs of mankind are the same tods,
as they were fifty years ago.
1 know that I am liable to be mis-
understood and that quite few will cal
me to task for limiting that in m.
OPINION John d. Rockefeller is sincerer
DESTROYS to use his great wealth for thu
lfurtherance of the worlds best interests
1 am not defending the times when com
petition was the law of trade and tn
great Industrial leaders warred agains
one another. 1 haven't the time to go II
it here, but will say it marked an err
in American enterprise and that out Of !
has evolved a gamer and juster idea o
the rights Of competitors.
In the article referred to in whic
Mr.. Rockefeller refers to the changin
conditions, but points out the needs Q
mankind as being the same, he ask
land answers the question. "And what
} the greatest need . Now it is easy t
accuse him of having been a buccanee
and to intimate that he is posing whe
, he saws. "Co-operation. but I take hir
, to be sincere, when he Celebrates N
word, saying, 1.-The world needs abb