THOMAS BATA'S GENIUS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20647, 9 September 1932, Page 12

THOMAS BATA'S GENIUS.

CAREER OF CZECH SHOEMAKER. ENGLISH MANUFACTURER'S STORY. Interesting comment, on tho remarkable career of tho great Czechoslovakia industrialist, Thomas Bata, who died recently, was given by Mr W. V. Cross, an English manufacturer, when addressing representatives of tho boot and leather trade in Chmtchureh last evening. Mr Cross visited, on several occasions, Bata'a great shoe factories, established in his own country on model lines. He expressed tho greatest admiration for the Czech's great organising ability, aud in an informative address indicated how New Zealand manufacturers could easily follow along Bata's lines. The started as a small shoe-maker, and ended his career only after he had laid siege to every market for boots arid shoes in the world. Reverberations of his great trade were felt even in New Zealand. Mr Cross sought, to dispel tho rumours, winch had often been given currency, that Bata worked his men and women under "sweated" labour conditions.

"Bata started in Czechoslovakia as u piuall shoe-maker. He went to America, and there learned more of the trade," said Mr Cross. "When he returned .to his home country he started the factory which has grown so enormously. That success was built up by real genius of organisation. Bata was a little man, but a deep thinker, and very lovable. He had undoubtedly built up around him a wonderful organisation of brains, picked and chosen for specific 1 jobs, which were carried out with the utmost efficiency. / • 70,000 Pairs a Day. "During my last visit to the factory Bata was turning, out 70,000 pairs of boots and shoes a day. There were nine to twelve big blocks of factory buildings, in <lvhich Bata made his own leather and boxes. He had his own rubber plant, and used aeroplanes a great deal in transport. One never gets a letter from Batas. It is either a postcard or a telephone message." Mr Cross stated that he had had the opportunity of being at the factory when work started. Ha had travelled to the village with thousands of the workpeople whom Bata employed. The factory Btarted at 7 a.m., and every worker, no matter what his position, executive or operative, had to clock in at 7 a.m. One minutei after the hour, every gate was shut, and was not opened until 7.30 a.m. The factory worked a 48--hour week. Within two minutes after seven o'clock the factory was a beehive of industry, said the speaker. The output per person was very high. The system —the carrier system was used extensively—allowed of no slackness. Marked-TJp Wages. Another factor which made for great efficiency was the system of marked-up wages. On the wall of each productive department was marked up the wage of each employee—the highest earner at the top, and the lowest at the bottom. The remarkable fact was that there was always a fight to get up to the top. This system became an important factor during periods of slackness, for the lowest earner was the man to be put off. The whole syjtem of Bata was onol of incessant activity. j

Technical Hostels. Bata first drew his workpeople from the peasants in his own district, but eventually had to engage thousands from outside, continued Mr Cross. Then he could not accommodate his people, but; for the boys and girls instituted a system of hostels in which their technical education was undertaken. In this way he trained his young people to become very able araf tsmen, thus increasing his output, aid improving the class of the goods his factories produced. It was wrong to say that Bata had instituted a system of "sweated"' labour. His wages were certainly not as high as those paid in England or elsewhere, but, the speakor believed, it was not so much the amount of the wage paid that counted, but the standard of x living which the wage allowed. Bata had given his workers a wage which allowed them to live at a higher standard than formerly. Mr Cross belioved that Batas allowed their workers houses at 2s a week rent, electricity at 30s a year, the services of highly qualified doctors, and of fine hospitals. "'Bata laid seige to every country in the world," Mr Gross concluded. "In Gormany, two years ago, the manufacturers were wondering what to do to stop him. I don't believe that it waß possible to stop him, except by the prohibition of the importation of his goods. And yet, if Bata could attain that success, I think that the rest of us, having tho same opportunities, ought to be able to do it." CITY PROPERTY SOLD. U'aCSS ASSOCIATION TJSLEOBAM.) WELLINGTON, September 8. It is announced that a Wellington company lias purchased the property of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association situated at the corner ot Featherston and Brandon streets. On this site,- and an adjoining section in Featlierston street also acquired by the company, will bo erected a five-storey building costing about £20,000. The new building site will have a frontage of 70 feet to each street. The old wooden building on the Returned Soldiers' Association property was destroyed by fire in May last. SHEEPSKIN # SALE. Pyne, (iould, Guinness, Ltd., held their weekly sale yesterday. There was a belter tone in the market, with prices showing a dedecided improvement. For sound skins they were as follows: ' Pelts, Jd to Id; crossbred, lSd to 2Jd; three-quarterbred, 2Jd to 3id; halfbred, 2d to sid; lambs', 2d to 3d; hoggets', 3d to 4Jd; merino, 2d to 2gd. Butchers' abattoir Bkins, Is 2d to 5s 8d; haggets\ Is lOd to 2s Bd.