Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-22
S. F. FANNON OF BOSTON INTERESTS
ROTARY LISTENERS ON ENGINEERING
talk AT RECULAR LUNCHEON

1HkN ~
g. F. Fannon of Boston, director of
the Public Service department of
Sherman Service Inc, production en-
gineers, gave an address yesterday
noon before members of the Water
Vile Rotary club in which his dis
cussed the subject, "Seventyfive
Cent Dollar in Industry" Mr.. Fan
non proved to be a most interesting
speaker and gave some valuable
statements concerning the methods
In which the majority of business
plants are conducted today.
The speaker declared that the one
main object that nearly every en-
ployer seems to carry in his mind is
the perfection of his buildings and
equipment. He gave statistics to
show that the money invested in
buildings and equipment is only a
small part of the whole amount
needed in business. and stated that
the real big investment in any large
business plant was the payroll" In
the average mill or factory, Mr.. Fan
non said that the amount Of money
paid to employees in a period of time
from two and n half to three years,
would exceed the value of buildings
and equipment. and in about 90
large as the amount of money in
vested in the plant.
Mr.. Fannon declared that the
largest investment was in Men" He
! pointed to everyday failures on the
part OF employers to realize this
thing. In speaking he referred to
| bank officials. who, he stated, regard
the confidence of their customers or
investors as the most important as
set to the success Of the company.
He said that this attitude should be
taken by every employer towards the
! men who are working for him.
AS IN example OF what often hap
pens in large factory, when employ
ers and employees cannot agree, thus
| causing ruin to the business, Mr..
Fannon told of firm out in west
ern state which had been struggling
| for eight years to gain suitable rec
| ognit!on in the eye of the public.
| The speaker himself happened to call
| at the plant one day and much to his
| surprise he found the officials of the
! company in the main office celebrat-
ing the close of four million dol
! lar contract for automobile Access
series. The speaker declared that
about three months following this
| celebration. n strike among workers
at the plant took place and the con-
| tract had to he cancelled. The rea =
son, he said. for this crisis was due
to misunderstanding between en-
ployers and employees and doubtless
both were in blame.
| The same conditions prevail
throughout the country according to
| Mr.. Fannon who has made a careful
investigation of business questions
in all parts of the United States. He
4 4 In 80 Il linz L
ness with any firm, is the lack of in
tcrest in the human element. This
coupled with the foreign competition
which he explained fully, will be
! keener in the near future than ever
| before In history, tends TO hurt bust
ness in this nation.
| He gave some interesting figures
! which show that in every factory or
mill. there are three kinds of en-
ployees. the conservative, which
number about 10 per cent, the neu-
| trail, which number SO per cent and
the radical which number 10 per
cent.
| He described the conservative men
as the honest men who believe they
! have been placed in their line of
work by the mill of God. and who
strive to accomplish the best in their
ability. These men produce 100 per
cent The neutral class which is by
| far the largest are the ordinary
workers who intend to do enough to
enable themselves to command their
| Jobs and these workers. the speaker
| declared. were producing % per cent
| of what they were able to do. Inc
| third class. or the radicals. intend
to get all they can out of the world
and give nothing. :,
/ "VdnHnfinnF
as theSone great need in all business
| houses in this country. He said that
this did not mean books but rather
a study of men by those who en-
ploy them, and more cooperation be-
| tween them. He said that he did
not know of any man who would go
| into partnership with another man
without n good contract. but he
knew thousands of partners VINO
would hire thousands of men TO
work for them without any contract
| existing between capital and labor.
| In giving several suggestions as
remedy to these conditions Mr.. Fan
non declared that the first thing an
! employer should do to establish
good fellowship, Is to get the view
point OF the men who are working
| for him and find out what these men
think OF him. Furthermore the en-
ployer should investigate to find out
what the men think of the wages
that they are receiving and the town
in which they are employed in. IiV-
| ing conditions had much to do with
the happiness of the working man.
Mr.. Fannon next said that every
thing should be removed IL posi-
hle that is a stumbling block to
the employee. He mentioned severa
between various classes of men. both
race and creed. Then there is of i'm
portance. the simple education in
| economics which employers should
| teach their helpers.
1--WE have got to sell our town to
our employers" declared the speaker
| AZ the conclusion of his address. he
explained that many employees dld
not realize that If they received hlgn
wages in a certain town, that 1t
would cost them just so much more
to live there and that IL their wages
were somewhat lower. in many cases
living expenses would be lower &C
cordingly. In closing the speaker
said that he firmly believed the
most important thing in this life for