Evening journal., 1920-07-12
todd began
LIFEAS NEWSY'
Master Shipbuilder Has His
Own Philosophy of
Labor
THEY EARNED IT,"
HE DECLARES

. Philadelphia, like Wilmington, can
claim some share in William II. Todd
one OF the worlds master shipbuild-
. ers, the man who recently gave
away Si000.O00 in stock 10 his en-
ployes.
He once was a newsboy in this city.
shrilling his "ux-trees" with a boyish
vim that he years developed into Tia
masterful vigor Of a planner and eX-
ecutive.
Then he was a train butcher"
selling magazines. fruit, candy and
cigars on Pennsylvania railroad
trains between Philadelphia and Bal
tlmOre
Now he is president Of the Todd
Shipyards Corporation Of Brooklyn,
controlling yards and drydocks on
the eastern and western coasts with
moro than 5000 men on his payrolls.
When he gave 81 100000 In stock
TO his employees last week he simply
was putting into practice a philoso-
pny growing from long association
with workers Todd says his men
don't work "for' him. They work
~with" him.
The master shipbullder laughed
when asked II philanthropy promoted
him 10 give away si0OO,OO0.
... IL gave 10 10 the boys because it
was coming 10 them. because they
had earned 10, because I promised Il
a.. give It away at that. We're all
working together We all did pretty
good work for the last four years and
simply was giving the gang / work
= with a split on what we made"
Mr.. Todd. whose vast Yards are
free from labor trouble. insists his
attitude towards labor Is purely one
OF common sense.
Loyalty Of labor? You can't buy
that with a million times a million.
Incentive 10 increased efficiency ?
I There's not a big man IN our outnt
who was not lifted out of the ranks
nv his own effort Philanthropy 2
Workmcn don't want philanthropy
They want a fair deal all around."
The. former newsboy has little time
for the employer who gets into a
hole OF his own making and then runs
10 his workmen to be helped out He
has equally as little time for the
sinking employe.
There's the workman. who saws
nc can't work morn than six hours
a day" he explained. "and when Ne
gets the six hours complains that siS
hours pay Is not enough 10 live on
Why doesn't he work longer, then.
am working more hours a day now
than ] ever did"
Mr. Todd emphasized working and
saving az the cardinal rule or success
Some partfOf every ones earnings. M
said, should be saved, even II oni,
nifty cents a week.
As for the high cost or living. Mr.
Todd has his own views on thai. II,
believes the "cost-pius" system o.
letting war contracts was largely re
eponsihle.
'Thai cost-pius plan was no zoo,
for anybody" he asserted. 81 nevel
took one unless 70 was forced on us
We built mine sWecpers during tn
war on lump sum basis, and WI
turned ont nine sWeepers 10 IN
other fellows one right along. Cost
plus IS simply an lnducement 10 Ia,
back. pile up construction costs an,
add 10 your profit by percentage. To-
likely 70 make contractor and work
man alike lose self-respect."
Mr.. Todd insists that somethlnl
must be done for the middle class o
Aerlca's population, the white col
lar class, neither capitalists nor lab
orers
"Unless some one watches out e HI
warned, there WIFI be an uprisini
of the middle people In this country
lhey are the ones whose interest
have not been considered The bi
'telow and The. workman may be abl
10 tight 10 ont, but the people VIII,
are not I'm the capitalist class no
4 yet labOrers have rights. too. The
american people are not fools"
Mr. Todd a son Of James an
Sarah 2. Todd, was born In this Ell
on November p, 1854. His father ha
u been a Philadelphian. He was mar
ried In 1889 10 Miss Mary Emma Bah
cock, Of Wilmington.