Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1922-03-31
4O-Hour Week for Ford
Workers Means Less
Pay at Weeks End
New Plan Of Henry to Allow Employees
Two Days at Home Means S. or
More Pay For That Employe Too
Many Holidays Already Country
Needs Greater Production.

Philadelphia, March %. -Henr.
Ford has a rare faculty for max
ing trouble for other employers
Some years ago he established
minimum wage of SIS a day. Nov
his son introduces the five days
a week, eight hours a day policy
with the minimum wage of Sc
day for old employees and $5 6
day for new employees of the
Ford Company.
The latest move is not so radi.
cal as was the SIS day minimum
rate when it was announced. In
fact, it may not be considered
favorably by those most concern.
ed. Its immediate effect upon
many of the Ford workers would
appear to be to reduce their pay.
The man who has been getting
$36 a week will receive $50 and
the one who got $50 will receive
$25, the worker is very sensitive
about the pay envelope.
Edsel Ford declares every
worker needs more than one
day a week for rest and recre-
alton. Likewise, in order to live
properly, every man should have
more time to spend with his fam
lily, more time for self improve
ment, more time for building up
the place called home. Edsel
Ford and his father are religious
men yet they evidently are not in
full accord with the biblical in
junction, six days shalt thou
labor" Exodus 20:9) :
What will impress the country
most in the Ford action is that
the automobile people come out
for the eight hour day, five days
a week policy at a time when the
New England spinners are de-
nine hours a day, six
days a week schedule for their
hundreds of thousands of workers
together with a reduction of 20
per cent in wages. Essentially
there is little difference in the
tasks of the Ford employees and
the New England workers. In
each instance the work is largely
mechanical. How can Ford see
profit in a five day week with
short hours and the textile peo.
pie see disaster in anything less
.han six days with longer hours?
AS matter of fact the Ameri-
IAN worker does not labor six
lays a week and has not done so
for many years. Each year the
of days of work appears
% lessen. Holidays increase. In
! great number of industries
Saturday has come to be a half
lay. In those lines the worker
,uts in five and q half days, not
'ix, but he does not average five
Ind a half days. There are
.welve established holidays this
rear, observed in nearly every
tate of the union. They are
January l New Year Day., Feb.
'uary IL (Lincoln's birthday OBJ
erved in % states), February % |
Washington's birthday, April
A Good Friday, observed in
line states), May 30 Memorial
Day., July 4 independence
Day., September a labor Day.,
october IL Columbus Day.,
November z ELECTION Day., No
,ember II (Armistice Day., No
'ember 30 thanksgiving, Dec
'mber rs (Christmas).
In addition the Jewish holidays
AVE a considerable effect indus
rally and commercially in the
arge cities.
With 81 Sundays and IL nation
lily observed holidays there are
01 working days and g. to rest.
With 52 Sundays, 81 Saturd ny
lolidays and IL nationally obser-
ed holidays there would be 249
york days and 116 days of rest.
That would be close to one day
t rest to every two days of
abor. We would appear to be
approaching the Mexican idea in
egard to work.
No set scale of hours of labor
Vill fit all industries. Neither
will any fixed rate Of pay. Cons
itions vary greatly in one par
icular line >of production. The