The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1920-03-25
hat constitute their families?


meet them. But few of them attend
our stockholders meetings. and there
is no occasion for me To know them
except by the names on our stock
ledgers-and frequently these give but
little indication as to who the real
owners are.
similar situation exists with re-
gard to those who buy and distribute
our cloth. The mill-owner who in
the olden days used to manage his
own mill. knew personally and faml-
iarly all his customers But except
upon fortunate occasions like this,
can seldom meet those who buy our
fabrics; and it is almost equally sell
dom that see or know those men
from whom our Company buys its
supplies.
These are the facts, and this is the
situation that has developed the
modern problems of the manufacturer
which are now so acutely presented.
You will pardon me, | am sure, if
refer to my own position by way of
illustration. Here | am in a sense
a trustee. charged with duties affect
ing the lives, prosperity and happiness
Of more than forty thousand workers
in our different mills. who by the iron
necessity of circumstances, must be
personally unknown to me, and to
whom of necessity. I am a person Of
a character and of characteristics of
which these workers can Judge only
by what | do or by what they them
selves imagine and conjecture regard
ing me.
On the other hand am as much a
trustee, holding millions of dollars Of
property placed in my hands by thou
sands of different investors. practical
/ ly all of whom are personally as much
strangers to me as the workers in the
mills.
| Furthermore. I am charged with
still another duty. a duty To the pub
! lie and to you gentlemen who buy our
product in behalf of the public, by
which I am bound to see that the
cloth which We produce is sterling
4 cloth, is worth the price. and that this
great necessity of life. without which
the progress and development of the
| civilization of the world would be ar
rested. is furnished to the people at a
figure which is fair-a price which is
not increased by any unfounded or
unrighteous demand of the worker.
or any unfair profit to the investor
You have a right to have fabric de-
liyered to YOU at a reasonable price
that shall be worth the money that
You pay. The public has a right to
buy cloth from the looms Of this
COMPANY which shall be the best cloth
that can reasonably be produced for
the money And | need hardly add
that il is for the interest of the Com
pany, as well. that its cloth should
stand before the world as the best
that can be made for the price.
hardly need 10 point ont to YOU
how delicate these duties are in rrla-
ton 10 each other. or how vitality
they may at times conflict. If |
should give to the EMPLOYEES excess
eiye wages I should thereby uniustlv
take the amount Tins snnnt either
from the investor or from the public.
If should take if from the investor.
ne does not have fair return upon
his money If charge il In the
price which the public paws. they are
called upon TO nav for tho fabric which
they must have. more than a lust
nrice
IF IN the other hand DENY 10 the
worker his nroper wage. TINS favor
ing the investor or the nuhlic 7 thus
do an Injustice IN humanity. infict
a wrong on thousands of toilere and
tho thousands in tho families demand
emf nnon them
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oe Il, 10 ,ioiu my u "s,'
lahe Tue o"Se o. me p,''le ,,, "lo,n
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assent .iial ''' W"Ihels anu ii'rs'U' -
cohipiiiiiis ,ose'Her 10 eAdet "'SIlr'
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VINO wear 'ie clo'neS "ii,en YOU NAM
up from our laorlc' anu mus 40 |"
theih serious Soclal "IoIB' ..
1t Is mus my UuJY anu the NulN VI