Evening star., 1926-11-10
BY CARROLL BINDER.


Special Dispatch to The Star.
DEARBORN, Mich, November lo.
-"Experience has vindicated my be-
lief that men can produce as much IN
five days of eight hours each as they
formerly did in SIX" Henry Ford told
me in the course of our discussion OF
the theory and practice of the re-
duced work week.
The Ford company is not publish
ing production figures this year, SO L
am unable to cite car production this
month as compared with the same
month a year ago, but Mr.. Ford au-
thoriZed me to say: 1--WE are TO-DAY
producing the same number Of cars
with the same number Of men in the
five-day week as we formerly pro-
duced in the six-day week. That has
been our record for more than a
MONTH"
Chats with Mr.. Ford and his gen.
eral staff give one the conviction that
this record is just a starter. The
F'ords expect the five-day week to per-
NIT steady increase in output per
unit. They do not for a moment
consider that this involves sweating"
of their employees. The two-day rest
over the week end gives such an
increased vitality during the five
working days. they hold, that the men
will readily turn out more work dur
ing each eight-hour stint.
Machines Must Help.
The machines are, of. course, ex-
pected to contribute their share to
the increased output. When Mr..
Ford's aides-who have themselves
come up through the shops-talk
about future output they see no limit
to the possibilities. Better and ever
better machines they take for grant
ed. Better and ever better service
on the part of the vast army of Ford
workers they likewise anticipate For
this improved service they expect to
give larger pay and, when opportu-
nifty presents itself, to shorten still
further the working time. The next
modification, Mr.. Ford intimates, will
be in the hours of labor per day.
That change, however, is not con.
templated for some time to come. The
present job is to make q thorough
success of the fiveday week.
directed Mr.. Ford's attention to
the statements of his fellow en-
ployers within and without the Ma
tonal Association of Manufacturers
to the effect that his policy could not
be successfully adopted in other in
dustries. That prompted Mr. Ford to
depart from his habit of not discuss
ing the policies of other people and
other industries.
'"The are just antiquated and don't
know it when they claim the five-day
week is unsound and impracticable," ;"
Mr. Ford. said with an indulgent
smile. They'll catch up in time,
whether they wish to or not They
Will be carried on with the tide of
events, Just as they are coming to
see the wisdom Of paying good wages
as opposed to the traditional and sui
cidal policy Of giTing employees the
least they can be made to accept.
Evidence of Success. ..
'"rhe best evidence that the five-day
week is universally applicable is
found within our own organization.
We do nothing that is not directly
connected with the motor industry,
but in the course of producing motors
we have occasion to mine iron and
coal. engage in extensive numbering
operations. manufacture textiles glass
and numerous other commodities as
we'll as operate a railroad, a fleet of
vessels. conduct q grocery, drug, and
clothing business of huge proportions
and publish a paper with a circulation
of 600, 600. In all, we are engaged in
more than fifty highly diversified lines
of activity employing directly 900
men,
with the exception of the en-
ployes of the ID. T. 1; T. Railroad and
the Dearborn Independent staff, virtu-
. ~, Cr,o
day week and all of the employees will
go on the five-day basis just as soon
as the proper schedules can be ar
ranged. If we can do these operations
and make money on the five day week
basis there is no valid reason for
other employers not meeting with
similar success.
"Of course, the fve-day week would
hardly prove successful in an obsolete
plant where management is so ineffi-
cient as to have a number of incom-
petent or superf1uous employees or to
have men doing jobs which machines
should perform. The slack workman,
you know, is the product of slack
management. The best service man
agement can render to men is to keep
every. workman on his toes every
minuts of his working hours.
Gets Moneys Worth.
''In the purchase of labor, as OF
any other commodity, you must be
sure you are getting your moneys S
worth. Every time you let a man give
you less than fun value for the wage
YOU pay him you help to lower his
wage to make it harder for him to
earn a living. You can do man no
greater injury than to allow him to
ii,
parent. The less work q man does
the less purchasing power he creates,
which means lessened number of
people to ask for his services.
1T may be difficult for a manage
ment hampered by absentee owner
ship to make a success of the five-day
week If a business must be con-
Quoted with a view to meeting d1vi-
dend and interest charges it is in a
poor position to adapt itself to chang
ing requirements of the industry and
its workers.
Then Mr.. Ford tutored me in his
business philosophy-part that
phase of it which concerns leisure and
CONSUMPTION. He thinks the old
fashioned notion that leisure time is
lost time has been altogether eX-
ploded. There was a time, he con
cedes, when the majority of people
found a very poor use for leisure.
Then the limited amount of leisure
permitted the working people was
reckoned an Indulgence dictated by
humanitarian considerations.
They Do Better Now.
people now know how to make bet
ter use of leisure. AS leisure has in
creased. peoples minds have expanded
and their enjoyment of life has beer
enhanced. Frequent holidays anG
week ends, such as are possible under
the five-day week, stimulate theil
needs and therefore their efforts tC
obtain the WhereWithal to supply the