The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-11-26

tive who will assume the care of the
man too old to continue on the job.
1t was a matter OF surprise to me
to find how, in the majority of in
stances, this was solution better
for all concerned than the pension.
] have had old men on pension from
other industries come Into my office,
begging for work. The pension given
them was not sufficient to meet their
needs. and had had the effect of
making the company for which they
had formerly work Indifferent to
their fate. Here is an instance that
illustrates the working out Of the
Ford plan.
received report from one of the
branches of the company that it had
In its employ a negro porter past 70
years Of age. He was going blind,
and, as he worked about the garage.
was in danger OF being killed or in
jured. 1t would be better to pension
him and send him home. j asked for
fuller report on the case. got back
q statement that contained little adj
ditional information. I then sent
man from the home office who knew
what to look for. His report was that
the man was past 20; that he was
going blind; that he had good home
practically paid for; that his wife
was much younger than her husband
and able and willing to work; that
the house could accommodate a num-
Der of roomers as several rooms were
not in use; that there was a stepson
about 25 years old working in a box
factory at $25 a week. Here was the
solution. Get the son. asked him
how he would like a job at S. b day
on condition that he give a certain
weekly amount to his parents. He
jumped at the chance. Then we helped
fill up the house with a good class
of roomers. We went further. We
procured the old father a light job
as janitor in a small flat few doors
from where he lived. When we got
through the income of the family was
just about double what it had been.
Everybody was at work, and every
body happy. The gift of time, per-
sonal interest and job seemed
very good substitute for pension.
Mr.. Fords wealth was to the
clergy what Noah's incense was to
the gods. They swarmed about it like
flies. Their requests varied little ae
TO form, and the reason they usually
advanced for their being granted was
just the one chief reason why they
could not be. One was building
church, another a parish house. an
other parochial school. "A great
many of my parishioners are Ford
employees" ran the argument, "and
know Mr.. Ford is interested in his
people. / am sure he will be glad
TO help US erect this building" And
the answer was. Mr.. Ford is inter-
ested in the welfare of his employees =
He wants them to have homes ~
their own and churches and schoa
But he thinks that it is better
they should build such for them
than that he should do it for
1t is for this reason that he
them a liberal wage and in Additis ~
to this shares his profits with them
1t is his idea that it is better to snr~d
money through his employees than to
spend il on them or for them. sioney
which others sometimes hold back
from their employees and spend on re-
Ggion, education and charities, he
gives to his workmen. believing that
it is better for all concerned to make
il possible for them to do for them
selves. As rule. people appreciate
the thing they pay for more than the
thing that is given to them--religion
included. Which would you prefer.
that he cut the wages of your people
and give what he saves thereby to
you. or that he keep up the wage and
let you look to the people for the
money with which to-carry on your
NOTk. fut tndt way tnty tnOuSHt
the wage better than the gift.
Labor does not take kindly 70 the
man who is spending money in up
lift" work. 1t prefers to be given the
lift in wages, and look out for its
own upIift
There seem to be but three ways
by means Of which man of large
means can put portion of his money
to philanthropic purposes. He can
establish a foundation and leave the
disposition of his benevolences to ex-
perts. He can personally listen to
and investigate every request madc~
provided he has nothing else to do.
Or he can lay down line of his own
and hew to it. This Henry Ford has
done. He decries charity. He makes
no attempt to conceal that fact. He
believes that money should be made
to work, and that men should work
for money. He says that anything
that can't pay its own way has no
right to exist. Just what effect this
would have on the Dearborn indie
pendent / do not know.
Continued Tomorrow