davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-08
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CONTINUED from page II
there than he does of the physical
capacity of the men he employs. It
does not require many testimonials
Of men working in the Ford indus
tries to prove that the highly exhaust
ing, repetitive labor performed by
Ford's workers in eight hours is,easi-
ly comparable to the work done in
most plants in ten or even more
hours.
Trade Unions Needed
TRADE unions are needed in the
L Ford plant to protect the men
from the CHASTITY Ford system of ex-
haustive labor. They are every bit
as necessary in the Ford plant as they
are in plants that take their pro-
fits of the workers in another way
low wages and long hours. What
is more, Ford's highly efficient tech
nical methods of production, the per-
feet synchronization Of the entire in
dustry, is directed, not for the benefit
of the thousands Of men who slave at
the tasks, but to create cheaper and
more marketable commodity to make
profits greater. Ford is as much a cap
italist as the next industrialist. He is
not in business for his health. He is
not in business for his workers
health. He is not in business, despite
all his noble claims to it, for the pub.
lie. Ford is in business to make that
business grow larger, to extend his
power and to increase his yearly
profits. AS proof of this we need only
to relate that Ford's personal fortune
is growing at the rate OF s1O0,O00,000
per year.
WTHEN Ford says that trade unions
w have no place in his industry, he
is saying that the thousands OF men
who slave in his many plants have no
part in the industry except as mere
machine cogs in a great, co-ordinated
system. Now we have no quarrel with
Ford's technical achievements, his
time-saving processes Of production
or his labor-saving machinery. These
are all to the good. From the point Of
view of industrial engineering Ford
and his engineers have made a great
contribution to world progress. But
this does not give Ford the rights Of
feudal baron. This does not make
1t necessary for the workers in Ford's
plants to be dumb and DISTINGUISHED
tools Of great machine.
Workers Right TO Union.
MO. Every worker in the Ford plant
~ contributes his share towards the
organization. The humblest worker
gives there the best that Is in him, his
youth, his Drawn and his brain, just
as in every other plant. This man
should have something to say about
the plant, about the wages, about the
working conditions that he MIST I'M
dergo.
It is a fake argument whom Ford
lays that trade unions would inter
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-08
BY THuRBER LEWIS.


IETHEN Henry Ford dramatically
w made the announcement that his
two hundred thousand employees
would work five instead Of five and
half days a week, thousands of
people who don't know anything about
the Ford system thot Henry made
monumental contribution to human
progress. In doing this, Ford did
make one contribution: he placed the
question Of the flve-day week out in
the open and got millions of workers
to thinking about it. But the five-day
week that they are thinking about is
not the fiye-day week that Ford is
giving" his workers.
The workers in the Ford plants
work as much, if not more, than any
group Of workers in the country. The
difference is that they work in
more concentrated form. 1t is true
that they have remarkable and eff
cient machinery and tools. The CO.
ordination of the function of every
worker with that OF another could not
be more perfect. Production goes
forward smoothly, methodically, and
with certainty But it also goes for
ward rapidly. The big cost in pro-
duction is the labor cost. To cut this
down, labor has to be speeded-up and
improved machinery introduced. Ford
is the worlds greatest master at this
art. He can squeeze more effort out
Of the marrow Of his workers bones
n a shorter time than any other boss.
Work Harder.
WHEN Ford decides to give his
w workers two days rest a week it
is a sure sign that>he is preparing to
work them harder for the other five.
worker in the Ford plant, despite
the eight-hour work day, needs at
least two days a week to recover
from the terrific drain on his vitality
that the steady and exhaustive labor
in the Ford factory takes. There is
no such thing as standard system
in the Ford plant. Methods and ma
chinery are changed as rapidly as
newer methods and machinery are
found that will cut down labor costs.
This means speed-up for the men.
The five-day week is the direct rebuilt
of this Ford policy. 1t means simply
that every man working for Ford will
hereafter do. the same work in five
days that he formerly did in five and
one half. This being true, there is
not much benevolence to be found in
the fact that the pay of the men will
remain the same.
Ford is Survivor.
HOWEVER, despite these facts
IL which prove that Ford has given
his workers nothing that they are not
paying for in full, there are certain
additional and Informative facts
about Ford's fve-day week. First,
there are very few other manufactur-
ers in the country who could do what
Ford has done in this regard. There
are certain characteristics about the
Ford industry not common to most.
For instance, Ford and his immediate
family control the entire Ford indus
try and all les subsidiaries. He con-
trolls every share of stock in the In
stitution. He has no board of direc-
tors clamoring for dividends. He is
the sole boss. This gives Ford lot
of leeway in management not en-
ioyed by many bosses.
Ford is the king of free-lance cap
italists. The huge personal profits of
the industry and the fact that 1t is of
a vertical nature has placed Ford less
at the mercy of the banks than any,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-08
Ford Takes 1t Out Of Their Bones

five-day week. But what are the
workers saving?
All this helps Ford in his battle
with General Motors. 1t also in
creases his personal prestige and adds
to his already very large personal
vanity-at the expense, mind you, of
his workers.
Five Days Work.
THE fivesday week is good. Sooner
4 or later all workers will have the
five-day week and maybe less. But
not Ford's kind. Ford gets the extra
day or half day right back out of your
bones The kind of fve-day week
that militant unionists want is a five
day week with FIVE DAYS WORK
and when later the workers go after
four-day week they will want that
many days work. You can expend as
much energy RUNNING city block
as you can WALKING a mile. That
is the lesson that Ford's workers are
learning.
The only way the slaves in the
great Ford industry will get REAL
five-day week is by organizing and
fighting for it. That was the way the
organized American workers won re-
cognition for the eight-hour day
They had to fight many long and bit
ter struggles to get it.
Workers Powerless.
NOTHING suits the bosses better
1 Y than to have willing lot of I'm
organized human material with which
they can do as they please. That is
what Ford likes and that is what he
has. His two hundred thousand work
ers, collectively, haven't single word
to say about the Ford plant for which
they are mainly responsible. Ford
pays his men six dollars a day be-
cause he can get more work out of
them. They haven't got anything to
say about it. 1t is entirely up to the
management. Ford has found it more
profitable to give them six dollars a
day, an eight-hour day and a f1ve-day
week. But he gets it back and then
some. His annual profits are astound-
ing. A big portion of them he puts
back into the business, which grows
and results in ever more profit each
succeeding year. All this on the
sweat and blood of the workers in
his plant. And they haven't got any
thing to say about it.
Workers Have Rights.
THE point is that they have right
to say in the plant that their
muscles and work and time make
possible. 1t is true that management
is necessary. It is true that the work
ers can benefit by improved methods,
labor saving-machinery and efficient
production. But when that production
has as its main purpose profits and
when these profits come from the
labor of the workers they have every
right to have something to say about
the conditions of their work.
A ND until the workers in the Ford
"A plant assert this right they will
continue to be automatons, entirely at
the mercy of efficiency experts" and
speed-up methods, instead of MEN
selling a commodity, labor power, to
the boss on the highest terms that the
power Of organization can extract.
This is the right of all workers. Until
the workers in the Ford plant, and
in the entire automobile industry for
that matter, make this plain to their
bosses they shall have to be satisfied
with GIFTS, such as Ford has given
them and for which they pay double
in return.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-08

other independent producer. Ford is
one OF the few big survivors in the
war between the industrialist and the
fnancier, He is still free to take ex-
perimental steps that but few other
large producers could afford or would
be permitted to make
THEN there is this to be considered:
Ford is now engaged in trade
war. His opponent is the General
Motors Co. which has started a pro-
gram Of cheap production calculated
to take some of his business away
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-08
Dept. of Agriculture
Cites Armour Grain Co.

WASHINGTON. Oct. "6.-Charg.
ing that the Armour Grain Company
attempted to manipulate the price Of
grain on the Chicago Board of Trade,
Secretary Of Agriculture Jardlne has
issued citation under the grain ia.
lures act calling upon the company
TO show cause why an order should
not be issued directing all contacts
markets to refuse It trading priv.
leges. 1900
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-08

rubber workers organization who rar
2 year Industrial Assembly" was i'm
mediately Aired when his success in
the primaries was announced Why
did Goodyear resort to this act Of ter
rorism in this parliament Of the
workers?" The reason is that Good
year realizes that the workers know
what is going on in the industry and
are beginning to sense the need of
organization in order to put an end
to the effrontery Of the bosses,
$4,000 Workers In Akron.
WHAT is the situation in Akronf
w There are $4,000 workers in the
rubber tire industry Of Akron, rep
resenting the vast majority of the
rubber workers Of Ohio-the biggest
rubber state in the country-and pro-
ducing So per cent of the rubber
tires Of the country. More than half
100000 these workers are employed
in two plants-the Goodyear Rubber
and Tire company and the Goodrich
Rubber and Tire company, the re-
uh4nuOI uCAuS III SAC oNAbSA 49, o
Firestone, Mohawk, General, etc.
These rubber workers are among
the worst exploited in the country,
that is, regarding exploitation from
the point of view 'of production and
remuneration. In 1923 the average
pay of the workers was $1,5S6. From
1928 on, the profits of the rubber bar
ons increased, until in 1925 they earn
ed the highest profits in the history of
the rubber industry. At the same
time, She production increased from
1891, 900 900 to $556.OOO,OOO or AZ per
cent while the wages declined from
1854 to S1,519 or a decrease of al
per cent,
The Workers Know.
THE workers in the shops know
4 what the exploitation is. Thus, in
one department, they used to employ
a mold turning out one tire, the hand
ling Of the tire requiring three work
ers. Now they employ six molds turn
ing ont six tires, and only four men
are required.
Speed-up is the curse of the rubber
industry. The foreman and supervis-
ors stand behind the men, driving
them on. But there is something
more coercive than the foreman's
warnings: the fact that IL the work
ers do not work at maximum speed,
they will not earn enuf to live on.
Base" Rate Scale Used.
THE work is based on the base rate
4 "a scale established arbitrarily.
That rate. however, has no meaning
whatever. A worker knows that he
must turn out products for that
scale, but the amount changes from
day to day. Thus by speeding up the
workers, and demanding an ever
greater production, the base rate will
remain the same, but the worker is
exploited to an ever higher degree
The experiment is tried out on one
worker, and when it is discovered
that he can produce a larger guam
tity than hitherto, all the workers are
compelled to equal that production
Scale Also Reduced.
THERE are instances, however, in
4 which the base rate itself is low
cred. Thus year ago worker re-
eeived 81 for an operation, three
months ago it was reduced to 50
cents, and now amounts only to sc
cents. Production has increased, for
the rubber barons use this stimulus,
in addition to the one mentioned
above, to force the men to work
harder in order TO earn the money
that they did before.
T'HE rubber industry is working at
4 fast pace, owing to the fact that
the spring season was slow and now
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-08

the demand must be met. In spite
of the fact that local men are being
discharged more men are being put
on. The companies prefer southern
ers-men who know little about or
ganization, and who will appreciate"
the fine" conditions in the Akron
rubber industry. These men are am.
enable to the foremen and bosses in
the shops for while, but then they
too begin to understand the cutting
system under which they are work
ing
These men are fighters-individua
lists, who have been compelled to rely
on their own resources, and when
they find that the "Eldorado" that
they expected is only plain field Of
battle, on which the workers at the
present time are getting worsted, they
turn to the same methods that the
.northerners are using.
WHAT are the workers doing to
W counterfeit the effect of the situa-
ton? The workers are organizing,
and the Rubber Workers Union of
America is the goal they have set
themselves. A large number of work
ers have already found their way in
to the union, despite the terrorism of
the bosses, and the other intimidating
methods that they employ.
Thus, for instance, the men on one
shift are sometimes told that there
will be little work, whereas the com
pany takes on more men on another
shift. The reports of the rubber com
pany officials indicate at times that
conditions are not what they should
be. The purpose is clear: to create
spirit of insecurity in the minds Of
the workers, so that they will accept
any conditions in order to hold onto
their Jobs.
Men Are Militant.
THESE reports, however, have no
4 effect on the workers. Many of
them are Disguised, and do not hest
tate to express their disgust A sharp
spirit of discomfort gave rise to the
union, and now the union is giving
organized expression to it in the form
OF weekly paper called THE Rub
Der Worker" This paper has created
sensation among the workers, and
according to reports, even the rubber
manufacturers recognize that the rub
Der workers are on the right path.
The Rubber Worker" has formu-
lated the demands of the workers
demands that arise out OF the situa-
ton in the rubber industry itself.
Formulate Demands.
THESE demands are $40 a week
minimum wage, equal pay for men,
women and young workers for the
same S-hour day, 40-hour week, no
speed-up, guaranteed full years work,
right of organization. These demands
are meeting with a lively response
from the workers, who in 1925 helped
to make the $21,00O,0O0 profits for
Goodyear, s17OOO,OOO for United
States Rubber, $17,OO0,OOO for Good
rich. s3,5OO,OO0 for Miller and
S1,244,0OO for Sieberling. What has
been the workers share in this pros
perity? A reduction of wages and In
tensified speed-up.
WHAT is going to be the outcome
w The Rubber Worker" states that
without organization nothing will lbe
accomplished, and therefore the right
.of organization and recognition of the
union by the employers is the central
demand. From all appearances and
judging by the manner in which the
rubber workers are carrying on their
work, they will soon realize it.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-08
RUBBER BARONS RUN CLOSE RACE
WITH FORD IN EXPLOITING MEN
TO SUPPLY TIRES FOR FLIVVERS
BY /. AMTER.

THE situation rubber tire industry Akron beginning develop
situation IS getting intense day by day.
this the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-08
Commerce Commission
Denies Indiana Cut

WASHINGTON, Oct. G.-The inter
state commission has denied the petit
ton OF the Indiana state chamber OF
commerce for a reduction in freight
rates on bituminous coal, in carloads
from certain points In Ohio and from
the so-called Inner-Crescent region,
embracing portions Of Ponpsylvania.
Maryland, West Virginia. Tennessee,
Virginia and Kentucky to all points
m the state OF Indiana.
Why not a small bundle OF The
DAILY WORKER sent 10 you regular
" to take to your trade union rsstlnpf
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-08

Send In a sub today
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-08
4s-Hour Week

PTEoE-woRK Brices are cut oyeis
4 so often, more work demanded for
the same money Under q task system,
and It will not bs lo1g before, regard
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-04-23
UNION MOVEMENT

The A. F. of L. is composed Of
working men and women, repre-
sentative of all trades and occu-
pations within the United States
and Canada. 1t is a voluntary
organization and has blended in
to a cooperative organization
many millions of men and wom-
en- Of all creeds and nationalities.
In this respect it has proved
to be the economic melting pot
of America. Religious and poll
tical freedom are guaranteed,
recognized and respected. 1t is
a singular fact that while in
many localities men. and women
will divide on religious, political
and social lines, within the or
ganized labor movement these
men and women will fraternize,
unite and organize for the ad-
vancement of a common pur-
pose and the achievement Of a
fixed gOal.-William Green.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-04-23
Profit Sharing
Loses Its Charm
For Employers
Anti-Unionists Throw Aside the
Once Much Heralded Com
pany Union Fake

New York-Profit sharing as an
industrial panacea has lost its charm
for employers.
Following the world war, wave of
profit-sharing sentiment swept the
land This, together with the COM
pany union, called "employe rep
resentation," was pictured as the final
word for unrest in industry.
A committee of the National Asso-
citation of Manufacturers now finds
that the scheme to give employees a
predetermined share of profits as a
part of their compensation is value
less, and that it comes to the work
er Gin the nature of a gratuity which
he secretly, if not openly, resents."
/ The committee intimates that the
purpose of profit sharing was never
based on justice, but "from a desire
to enlist a sustained loyalty on the
part of employees, to stabilize the
force"
The committee recommends that
the best system of profit sharing is
to direct the efforts of the workers
along lines which will result in def
mite economies and therefore in
creased profits, and then divide with
the workers the profit accruing di-
rectly from such efforts.
Z This system is based on the theory
that the workers are to be "directed''
while trade unionists believe that
economies in production are possible
when they are permitted to contrib
ute their experience and knowledge.
This cooperation means organiza-
ton of workers, something that the
National Association of Manufacture
ers does not favor.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-04-23
GASOLINE TAX
Receipts Over One Million Dollars a
Month

Columbus, O.-Revenues from the
gasoline tax will exceed $13,O00,00O
for the first year of its operation. Re-
ceipts are coming in at rate in ex-
cess of one million dollars a month,
and with many more automobiles this
year than ever before increased rath-
er than decreased receipts are virtu-
ally assured. The estimate of rev.
enues for the year was made by S.
E. Forney, chairman of the state tax
commission, and candidate for the
Republican nomination for State
Treasurer, who said that only in one
state where they have a gasoline tax
the receipts for the entire year 1925
ahead of the receipts for the first
eight months in Ohio. That state is
California where receipts last year
were in excess of $14,000,000 while
for the first eight months the Ohio
receipts have been in excess of $9,-
100000.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-04-23
IOWA CONDITIONS

Iowa, which three years ago
was considered one Of the driest
states in the Union, has lost
ground steadily in the last three
years. Boys and girls from
fourteen to twenty are frequent
violators Of the prohibition law.
Hip flasks are to be found in all
dance halls and disturbances are
frequent.
Conditions in the rural sec
tions of the state are little bet
ter than in the city. Saloons Of
the old type are still to be found
in the small towns and liquor
can be purchased in the major
ity of these places. Arrests are
few in the rural communities.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-04-23
Got Off Easy

A couple of men from Perry
ton, whose Indifference to safe
guarding public health really
merited severe punishment, were
brought up before the mayor of
Granville the other day, charged
by the county health officer and
county nurse with having brok-
en- a smallpox quarantine and
mixing indiscriminately with
people generally.
They both plead guilty to the
charge and were each fined the
small amount of twenty dollars
and costs. And then the may
or suspended the fine upon the
promise Of these fellows, whose
unlawful act had menaced and
endangered the health and safe
ty of probably hundreds of peo-
pie, to pay the court costs and
return to their homes and there
remain until released by the
board of health.
1t is more than probable that
the culprits were extremely for
tunate in having a hearing be-
fore a village mayor instead of
in our municipal court, where it
is likely a sentence would have
been imposed evidently more in
accord with the seriousness and
gravity of the offense, as such
senseless menace to the public
health surely should not be
winked at or practically ignored.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-04-23
LABOR RADIO

TIE city council of Chicago
has instructed the department
of public works to grant permis-
sion to the Chicago Federation
Of Labor to erect a radio broad
casting station and aerial at the
municipal pier. The location
was formerly used by the navy
department for a wireless sta
ton.
Labor will finance and man
age the radio station, which is
intended to offset anti-union
propaganda of local newspapers
and to also transmit radio mess
ages to labor centers of the
United States and foreign coun-
tries.
Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-04-23
Did 1t At Last

The reduction of the men,
bers of the Fire Department,
which has been a-brewing and
a-stewing in city council circles
for goodness knows how long,
was put across on Monday night
when an ordinance was read
the third time and passed which
cuts the force from forty-four
to thirty-seven men.
Some unofficial talk has been
indulged in about increasing the
police force to the same extent
that the fire department was
reduced. What it will amount
to remains to be seen.