The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-11-07
BY JOHN sCHMIEs

NURING the existence of the Ford
" Motor Company, Henry and
Edsel Ford accumulated unheard Of
wealth and Injuries, all at the Bit
ter expense of the Ford workers and
their families. But that is not ALL
The system of mass production in
the Ford plant which is called
"F'ordism is based upon the most
inhunan system Of speed-up and
general mass exploitation of the
Ford workers. This system has
created on one hand one of the
most powerful and gigantic capital
hand, it has also created misery and
actual. hunger for its tens of thous-
ands of workers Here, want to
give the following two examples
which will explain the position of
the Ford family and the Ford Motor
Co. and the position of many thouS-
ands of Ford workers:
THE GROWTH OF FORD
l. On its 25th anniversary, We
find the growth of this company to
have been phenomenal. From $780,
900 its authorized capital stock has
been increased to $100, 100000; from
a factory of % acres of floor space
it has now extended until it covers
more than 1900 acres Its branches
and assembly plants have grown to
Sc in the United States and others
in South America, Cuba, Mexico,
Europe, Egypt and the Orient.
From an annual production of 1,708
cars the company has enlarged its
facilities till it has produced over
5000 cars in a single day and more
than 100000 cars in one year.
The above picture was the sit
uation of the Ford Motor Co. on its
25th anniversary, a few years ago.
Since then additional expansion and
methods of exploitation were intro
duced on considerable large scale
by the company. In addition to
this, may add that the yearly
net profit was as high as, for in
stance in 1880, $54,0o0,Oo0.
2. The position of the Ford
workers, especially since the econo-
mic crisis, and as a result of the
Ford methods which are being
forced upon the Ford workers in
order that the company maintains
and increases its profits, was
clearly expressed by the workers in
the Ford Hunger March.
BLOODY MONDAY"
Hunger, cold, sickness, starving
babies, evictions, foreclosures, caused
the five thousand former Ford
workers to march on the Ford
plant on Bloody Monday March 7,
1882.
For years, Ford told them to live
on the high American standards, to
buy homes, automobiles, etc. Ford
told them Your jobs are steady"
Then Ford gave them enforced
vacations, one and two days week
work and finally laid them off to
shift for themselves. Dark months
of unemployment passed by and
grew to years. Murphy gave no re-
lief! Hoover gave no relief! Ford
gave no relief In the winter homes
were cold. Food was growing scarce.
The little bank accounts disap-
peared, or the bank failed. Little
babies grew sick and died. Mort
gage payments were due but no
money to pay. Rent was behind
and many were evicted. Mortgages
we're foreclosed. The clothes grew
shabby. Some starved to death.
And few committed suicide, but
many still had faith in Ford,
Murphy and Hoover.
They came to ask for jobs, for
bread from the fabulous profits,
they made Ford while working for
him. They came to demand the
right to live. Ford's answer was
machine gun-fire.
His policy is that Ford workers
should vote for Hoover and his
entire program, that of the Repub-
lican Party. This, Of course, is also
the program Of Ford and expresses
itself in wage cuts, additional in
creased speed-up and more lay-offs.
This was shown on September 6
when Ford announced that many
thousands of workers would be
NollCd 'JdNh. dNIllel 1dCOO d1C
that instead Of hiring, the COM
pany, actually fired approximately
$4,000 workers from the payroll lists.
The workers were inStruced to turn
in their badges and they were told
that they might be called back at
some future date. The small group
which were put back to work are
working on one, two or three day
schedule with wages as low as $3.50
and 81 per day.
Henry Ford is openly campaigning
for the hunger program of Hoover
and makes statements to the effect,
that after all. the situation is good
out many few people realize it, OF
course, it is true as far as Henry
Ford and his like are concerned