The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-11-30

Motor magnate ready for spin on skates.
 other hand. 6 man who can pay living wage and refuses to do so. is simply storing up trouble for him self and others. By underpaying men we are bringing on a genera ton of children undernourishe and underdeyeloped morally as well as physically; we are breeding a gener- ation of workingmen weak in body and in mind. and for that reason bound to prove inefficient when they come to take their places in indus try. Industry will, therefore, pay the bill in the end. Tn my opinion 1t is better to pay as we go along and save the interest on the bill. to say nothing of being human in our industrial relations. For this reason we have arranged to distribute a fair portion of the profits of the com pany in such a way that the bulk of them will go to the man who needs them most"
 Danger of Waste
 "But some people are saying" suggested, that this sudden increase in pay, amounting in thousands of
 
 income, is going to ruin more men than it will make. Unaccustomed to so much money many a man will waste it--spend it in foolish and harmful ways"
 We are not afraid of that" he replied. "In the first place we are planning to help the man who is weak and needs our help. We arc going to go along with him in a friendly way until he, is able to walk alone. And more than that, I be- lieve that the great majority of men may be trusted to do the right thing if given the chance. There are thousands of men out there in the shop who are not living as they should. Their homes are crowded and insanitary. Wives are going out to work because their husbands are unable to earn enough to support the family They fill up their homes with roomers and boarders In order | to help swell the income. It's all l wrong-all wrong. It's especially bad for the children. They are neglected from necessity. Now. theso people are not living in this manner as a matter of choice. Give them a decent income and they will live decently--wlll be glad to do so. What 
 better, and someone to take a little personal interest in them-some one who will show that he has faith in them."
 He was silent for a moment and sat gazing at the crowd in the street below. Then he said: "I'll tell you what I'll do. Blindfold me and lead me down there into the street and let me lay my hands by chance on the most shiftless and worthless fellow in the crowd and I'll bring him in here. give him job with a wage that offers him some hope for the future, some prospect of living a de- cent, comfortable and self respecting life, and HI guarantee that I'll make man out of him. All that man needs Is an opportunity that has some hope in it, some promise for the years to come"
 Ford Explains Plans Two years later l was asked to take charge of the sociological de- partment. With practically unlimit- ed means and opportunities for carry Ing on the work at my disposal. and with MT. Ford deeply interested in it, as he was at that time, it seemed to me an unusual chance for service in a field in which l had always longed to enter. but into which I had never been permitted to go. We want to make men in this factory as well as automobiles,' is the way MT. Ford put the matter to me at that time. This company has outliyed its usefulness as a money
 making concern unless we can do
 some good with the money. I do not l. ..tt l. |. ...
 the regenerating power of work In mems lives, when the work they do Is given just return. I believe that
 the only charity worth. while ,s the
 kind that helps man to help him. self And l believe that I can do the world no greater service than to ere ate more work for more men at larger pay. I can foresee the time when we will have a hundred thou sand men--and more--employed in this industry, and I want the whole organization dominated by a Just, generous and humane policy"
 Such were some of the ideas and Ideals of Henry Ford in the years 1914-1915. In accepting the position he offered me I did not think of my self as entering the employ of an impersonal thing called a corpora ton, but as working with man whom I had known for many years and for whom l had an unbounded admiration.
 I resigned from the Ford Motor company in 1921. The old group of executives, who at times set justice and humanity above profits and pro- duction. were gone. With them had gone an era of cooperation and good
 will in the company. There came to the front men whose theory was that men are more profitable to an indus try when driven than led, that fear is greater incentive to work than loyalty.
 The old. humane policies were still professed, but the new influence which had gained the ascendency made impossible, so far as 1 was concerned. an honest and consistent application of those policies. Loyalty and good will on the part of the em- ployes toward the company. I was informed, lis rot" Men work for money. Pay them well, and then see to it that you get your moneys worth out of them, seemed to be the new policy of the company. Seem. in Conflict
 Perhaps MT. Ford should be per mitted to state for himself a view 1 which seems in conflict with the doctrine of Fellowship and good will" and the slogan, Help the