The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-03-31

teal work in factories. Antioch and
other colleges have been doing THIS
for many years. In every progressive
school the shop has been introduced
as a part of the educational process.
The whole Russian educational sys-
tenn has discarded the old form of dry
book-learning, and has merged theor-
etical learning with practical appn-
cations to all the problems OF life ana
society. 1t is strange that DAVIS
should see a revolutionary method OF
education in a simple course IN me-
chanics and ignore utterly the VICIOUS
ness of Ford's system which focuses
an unhealthy and unnatural attention
upon one individual capitalist and his
interests, to the exclusion of the well
fare of these youths whose lives are
only incidentally and temporarily
connected with his.
What a power this titan of indus,
try has, that his colossal fortune
throws such glamour over his every
thought and deed, that educators,
journalists and interviewers lose all
sense of proportion, that they go to
consult him and seriously quote his
opinions on theory, education, life and
labor! Jerome Davis, charmed by
Ford's entertaining him in the fac
tory where children were doing the
square dance with thousands OF NOV
ing machines and workers all around,
could not see that Ford's school pro-
ducts will be "Lizzyots," moron mon
strosities of agility and skill, suited
only for the turning out of more and
more speedily-built automobiles, air.
planes, or any other commodities
which Ford chooses to produce. He is
blind to the fact that the Ford plant,
normally engaging about 100000
workers, is social enterprise run by
huge body of functionaries and
bosses who are Indispensable even if
they are cogs in the great machine.
He can only see what the automo-
bile genius himself denies, that Ford
is a benefactor and philanthropist,
investing over a million dollars "to
purchase school buildings for children
and to train their bodies as well as
their brains"
The people who write about Ford
are not so honest. In disgustingly
toadying volume by Louis Lochner,
picturesquely misnamed Henry Ford,
Americas Don Quixote" this writer
charitably explains Ford's antagonism
to organized labor thus: Because he
has landed on top, he imagines every
body else can do so. When man
fails to succeed (Ford is quoted as
saying) it is largely his own fault
Therefore he has little use for organ
lied labor for if people have the stuff
in them they'll succeed without band
ing themselves together to get what
they want"
The Socialist" Charles W. Wood
also falls under the spell of this mo-
dern Croesus in a recent magazine
article about the Ford system. "The
assembling line which | watched
seemed more like a modern dance. ;.
speeding up in the modern factory
does not mean what those who read
about it think it does. Workers on
the modern machine do not work as
fast as they used to work. (!) If
you work for Ford however," Wood
admits, che is ruthless autocrat de-
manding absolute obedience, and is
shockingly inconsiderate of the other
fellows feelings" Criticisms of his
business policies only amuse him, but
the intimation that his factories turn
1 the workers into mere automatons,
gets on his nerves; 81 don't want to
talk with you any more," Ford SAID
to Wood. in the last interview when
Wood very timidly made this sug-
gestion.
And so Ford has virgin fields to
work in. He can &c about the coun-
try gathering up as much raw mater
ial as he needs--for there are always
plenty of widows sons and orphans to
pick from-and turn out his most es-
sential product, the "Lizzyot" by the
thousands. And he will even be ex-
tolled for his Revolutionary" meth
DDS by liberal educators.