The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1920-03-25
ARRDESS OF WIN. NJ. WOOD
Continued from Page Three


fined purpose to overthrow our Gov
eminent and industrial system and
apparently propose to use tie great
laboring classes as catS-paw 10 ae-
complish their ends -.,--.--...-.-.--..
I am glad to say that believe that
these men are losing their influence.
The doctrines which the advocate
are un-American; their declarations
are frequently disloyal and treason
able. What they say is merely IN
fair and unjust denunciation. Our
workers on the whole appear to be too
level-headed to give them much atten-
ton. They do temporary harm, but
for the most part, only among those
who are unfamiliar with our institu- +
tions, and who dc not speak our Ian
guage.
But the hopeful thing in the whole /
matter is that little by little
our workers are recognizing that our
interests are mutual. that these people
who declam to them of their wrongs
do not pay to them the money with
which thev support themselves and
their families. that when ii comes 10
real action the management is the
real and the true friend, both able
and willing to put into effect. in a
reasonable way. the things which are
for the workers interest and beneft.
While | do not think that the mill
ennium has come or is even at hand,
| believe that better day is ap-
preaching. and that with patience and
a fair and judicial consideration of
the matter in its broadcast aspects, this
problem is going to be solved.
The solution for the unrest and dis
content which exist among workers
is to be found in the removal of the
causes of this unrest. When we have
accomplished this, agitators will have
less attention even than they do now,
and 1t Is this end that we are trying
to bring about.
With the solution of this problem,
believe, comes the solution of our
problem as to the investor and as to
You gentlemen and to the public. For
/ If | can make our workers content, !
! If can make them believe in my fair
ness and my purpose to do what can
be done to help them in their lives il |
/ l can make them understand that | /
really want to discharge my duty to
them. and at the same time to hold the !
scale fairly as between their interests
and that of the investor and the pub
lie, then as contented and prosper
Gus unit we go far toward accom-
plishing the ideal result-a fair wage
to the worker. a fair return to the
/ investor, and an honest product and
fair price to the public.
But not even here do the duties of
an executive position end: nor is
this quite the end of the problems of
the manufacturer There is still an
other duty, one which has developed
! considerably of late years-the duty
to our Government Within the years
last past, the Government not only
| has undertaken to supervise and con-
troll the business activities of COM
panies like ours. but has. to a very
large extent. succeeded TO the position
of our stockholders. The Govern
ment is a new beneficiary for which
the management holds its property in
trust.
You will be bit surprised. I think,
when I tell you that for the last year
for which our accounts have been
made up, the American Wooden Com
pany has paid to the Government, in
taxes, an amount more than twice the
amount OF the nominal profit left re-
naming to the Company than
five times the amount of dividends
paid to our investors. You will be
surprised, | think, to learn that this
payment to the Government was near
ly two-thirds the total amount distrib-
uted to our workers by way of wages,
although the wages paid during the
year were the highest ever paid in the
history of our Company. From this
you will see what | mean when | say
! that we now have a new and some
what unusual duty to a new benefici
/ airy.
Let me hasten to say, however that
7 am not complaining Of this payment
as a burden of taxation. | do not
so view IT, I regard it rather as the
grateful contribution Of this Company
TO the great causes fer which we en-
tered the world war: a contribution
TO the ideals for which we fought so
successfully In foreign lands. | do
not believe that this contribution,
which was made in part by our work
. crs-because in certain way il came
from their wages and which was
made in part by our investors. be
cause in a certain way, it came from
their profits-is regretted by single
one of them Personally. | do not
regret it, nor do | complain OF il. |
rejoice in it as a privilege, that our
/ Company could make such a splendid
record of contribution in the time of
our countrys need 1t is a splendid
stakeholder and every employee of
our Company. l am proud of il.
Nor is this all Do you realize
what the mills of the American Wool
en- Company meant to the Government
in the war? Do you know the fact
that but for our mills-especiall the
great Aver and Wood mills at Law
rence-the task of clothing our sol
diers would have been practically
! hopeless; that it could not have been
done with anything like the expedi-
ton and success that were necessary
to place our troops in the field in time
to meet the crisis? And when | think
/ that these great mills, which were the
conception of the present manage
ment gave warmth and comfort to
our soldiers who fought and died in
| France, it thrills my heart and brings
| to me a deep contentment. II Is