Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-12-20
GOOD SENSE.

GOOD SENSE.
Henry Ford has a page all his
own in the Dearborn Independent
where is published the views and ideas
| of the great manufacturer. Mr.. Ford
is not writer himself, hence has
somebody else do that part of it for
him, but it may be believed that any
thing which appears upon the printed
page which Mr.. Ford claims for HIM
self reflects his views. Although he
is not Il scholarly man he possesses
good sense and has learned much in
the broad school of experience, really
The best teacher in the world. Here
is a bit of logic chopped from the page
conducted by the great automobile
maker which it would be wise for both
employee and employer to heed:
THE highest human privilege is to
learn. We are learning now that what
we did last spring when jobs were
plentiful was wrong. Whenever we do
anything wrong. nature holds court and
assesses damages. Workmen said:
we have got the bosses where we
want them;' they Quit on any pre-
text; per capita production decreased.
We should have learned something, for
the consequences were not long in
coming. But no; we now hear the
same thing from some employers: "The
tide is turned; the worklnen will have
to come to our terms This is not
getting even;" 1t is doubling the evil.
Why match one folly by another? Ma
tural law will as quickly penalize So
ciety for the unwise employer as for the
unwise employe. There are no
classes" there is only human society.
We prosper or suffer together. Let
us be wise"
What Mr.. Ford says is true Of many
workmen and employers. When jobs
were plentiful workmen, (some Of
them, though not ALL took advantage
Of the situation not only to force in
creased wages but to force inefficiency.
AS wages climbed, the output Of the
worker declined. The high cost of liv-
ing made increased pay inevitable and
wage earners who demanded more
wages were in most instances justified.
But they were never justified and
never will be justified in refusing to
render good service. In the long run
designed inefficiency reacts, as it in
creases abn0rmally the price of the
things the workman must consume.
On the other hand, the employer who
takes advantage of the dearth Of jobs
to pound down wages merely because he
has the power is exercising danger
Gus eXpedient. He should pay as good
wages as he can afford, based upon
the selling price Of his product, as lab
or must prosper if other interests are
to prosper. We must learn that every
legitimate interest is dependent upon
the success of every other legitimate
interest and that the employer can
not prosper over a period of time IL
the wage Garner is not prospecting. "A
few employers might get by. Just as q
few workmcn might, by Sinking and
unfair methods, but when the per-
centage of any interests doing this
sort of thing is of sizeable proportions
reaction sets in and everybody suffers
the consequences.
The square deal all around is the
best kind of a deal at all times and nm
der all circumstances The sooner this
fact is realized by everybody, and
practicetl by everybody, the better will
1t be for the entire country and especi-
ally for labor and capital.
Herbert Hoover, one of the forward
looking men of the day, recently said
III the course of an address:
"One of the conflicts rumbling up in
the distance is that between the en-
plOyer on one side and organized labor
on the other. Probably the tendency
to domination exists among the extren-
lists on both sides There are certain
areas OF conflict Of interest, but there
is between these groups far greater
area OF common interest, and if we
could find measures by which. through
cooperation, the field of common inter-
cts could be organized, the area of
conflict could be in the largest degree