Evening star., 1937-08-01
EMPLOYER SHARES
WITH EMPLOYEES.
Head of Manufacturing Con.
Germ Believes Business
Is Like Family.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

BUFFALO, July 81 (NA.NAD.-|
Months ago, when it was appar-
ent that employer -employe relations
throughout the country were in such
state of flux that crisis was not
far away, Edward j. Barcalo, presi-
dent of the Barcalo Manufacturing
Co., decided 1t was time to develop
constructive program in his plant
to prevent breakdown in the con-
fidence between management and
workers that had been 40 years in
the making.
The result was a decision to induct
the employees into all the Barcalo
companys business secrets" to let
them know how much money the COM
pany had in the bank what its as
sets were, how it made profits and
how much they amounted to.
But the program went further than
that. 1t included repeated explana-
tions to employees of what all these
things meant; how costs were figured,
the mechanism of borrowing capital
a surplus meant and how it was in
vested-in fact, all the aspects of
business management.
Business Like Family.
1t is Mr.. Barcalos idea, he said,
that business house is like q fam
lily in its domestic problems. AS he
sees it, the interests Of employer and
employe are mutual-to satisfy the
customer so that living may be
made for all. II both groups realize
this, then a free interchange of in
formation to prevent misunderstand-
lngs as may arise within a family
or a business unit, is the way to
obviate waste of time and money In |
purpose.
Mr.. Barcalo's ideas have been
shaped, Of course, by the characteris-
tics of his own comr1ny. Formed in
1896, it has grown from small be-
ginnings into a business employing
about 325 workers. 1t makes metal
beds. bedding, gliders and small tools, |
such as Wrenches.
1t is distinctly not a big corpora
ton. but it is probably representative |
OF the greater part of American indus
try. 1t Is Mr.. Barcalo's conception |
that the labor relations problems of |
such business and those of huge |
concern employing thouSan ands OF men. |
often in widely scattered areas, are
vastly different.
Works Closely With Men.
The Barcalo company. like many |
others employing from 10 to 500 per-
sons, has worked closely over the years
with its men.
we know them and We know that |
their hopes and aspirations. their re-
sponslbllltles and their problems are |
to degree our own Mr. Barcalo |.
said.
Some are limited as to outlook and !
we cannot hope for much more than |
q personalized point of view from a
man whose Job keeps him within four
walls eight hours a day, more partic-
ularly II that job is to stand in front
OF machine performing repetitive
opera tons day in and day out.
We advance a man from Job TO
job as he gets experience, and it Is
our thought that Just as We give him
information pertaining to his job, 50
also should We give him information
that will permit him to understand
the operation of the company for
which he works. Most of us can
stand, and generally do welcome. a
little more information, new point
OF view. new interest in old things"
To get this information across. the
Barcalo company issues to its employees
monthly pamphlet called the Barcalo
Work Shop Bulletin. In each issue
some phase Of management is dis
cussed with utter frankness and in
easy yto-underStand terms.
For instance, the annual statement
has been presented simply, with every
item explained Methods OF figuring
costs have been shown. Inventories
have been discussed. The profit break
down on q typical order for 1000
pairs OF chromium plated pliers has
been reviewed Attention has been
called to the company's various prod
ucts, the materials from which they
are made, where they 90 and how they
are used.
Also such subjects of intimate per-
sonal concern to the workers as the |
company's group insurance system |
have been treated.
The program has been in opera
ton now for about year and a
half. After this experience, Mr.. |
Barcalo says that employees have
proved even better able to under
stand the company's problems than
he had expected.
(copyright. 1897. by the North American |