Evening star., 1936-09-05

cooking. The children jumped on the
boss's neck. We had a look at the
house. 1t was well furnished and clean.
That particular tenant was paying
$l.l0 q month. Food is being bought
from stores which are supplied by the
Bata farms at cost and sometimes less
than cost; tea, coffee, sugar and other
such provisions are purchased direct
by the Bata concern from where they
were produced and sold ct cost to the
families of the workmen.
Uses Less Than $4,000 Yearly.
Bata's income could be very large,
but he is spending on himself and
his family less than s25 1000 a year.
His personal residence, where he, his
wife and his four children live, is just
a modest, decently furnished house
as a well-paid foreman might have
in America. He said: When I de-
cided to build myself a home, the
architects drew extravagant plans.
They wanted to make me palace.
1t would have cost at least 400. 1000
kronen (about 100000. 1 laughed
and told them to spend only 100000.
I was able to use the balance in my
factories. OF course, the hospital
which is the best equipped in Europe,
cost me over 5000, 900 kronen (S250,-
000). But that was legitimate
extravaganza. know that my work.
men are better taken care of when
they are Ill than any other workmen
in the world"
OF course, Bata has no labor trou-
BILE. The representative of the trade
Union visits the factory several times
a year. just to justify his existence.
There can be no labor troubles, /"
Bata said. lin concern where the
empioye can walk into the employers s
Office any time he wishes. There is
no one to stop him. They just walk
in and when I happen to be engaged
I have an electric sign outside in
forming them that cannot see them
at that moment. That does away
with the appointments made by a
secretary and has a good psychology
cal effect on the workmen. They just
wait until the electric sign shows
free And since I am in my Office
from Z am. until late in the evening
sometime until midnight man can
always see me if he has something
to say or complain Of"
May Day Important.
The 1st Of May is an important
labor day in Czechoslovakia Com
munist agitators take advantage to
denounce capitalism and the greed OF
the employers. Bata does not like
agitators, but did not want to pre-
vent them from coming within the
precincts Of his factories. And since
he considers himself workman, toe
only he does not have the flve-day
week and eight-hour day-he issues
on every May day personal invita-
tions to all his employees asking then
to celebrate the day with him. Tht
first time only 80 per cent Of the mer
answered his invitation. Now the at.
tendance is 100 per cent.
Money means nothing concluded
the Czechoslovakia Ford. Work il
everything. Money is useful to create
work. do not have to worry abou
shareholders and dividends. I owr
every bit of stock in my company anc
am using the profits which are quit,
substantial, I believe, to create NOR,
work. When figure that because O
the international trade restrictions
can sell only so many shoes, I branch
on into something else. My lat,
brother and have made out of thi
town of 1900 inhabitants a town witt
$4,000 souls. Before my time is VI
and my boy is of age to take ovel
my work hope to have 100, ,0Ol
happy and contended people II
Zlim.'
This Is the reason why every mar
in Czechoslovakia wants the foreign.
ers to see zlim and know Bata.
(Copyrisht, 1885, by The Evening stal
Newspaper co..