FORD £2,000,000 BONUS.

Clutha Leader, Volume XL, Issue 70, 10 March 1914, Page 7

FORD £2,000,000 BONUS.

BABIES AS WAGES BASIS. Mr Henry Eoi'd informs mo that lie has now decided to extend the benefits of his profit-sharing scheme to the English employees of the Ford Motor Company at Manchester (stated the New I'ork correspondent of 'The Daily I\|aii' recently). His proposal was to distribute £2,000,000 of the firm's annual profit to 22,000 employees. "I cannot say," he observed, "that the.floor-sweeper in our English works will henceforth receive £1 daily, which is the amount his brother in Detroit is to enjoy, for you must remember that money has a greater purchasing power in your country than here. The profits distributed in England will depend 011 the earnings of the English factory, which runs independently of the American factory. But you may say that approximately 50 |>ev cent, of the n<?t profit in England will be divided among the employees, whom we already pay at a rate considerably higher than the market price." _ Mr Ford said lie was a thorough believer im paying high wages, as workmen who were, paid above the Ordinary rates were far more efficient ancti. far more considerate of their employers' interests than those who received 110 special privileges.

£1 a Bay Father. In the coiirse of conversation MiFord, a man of slight figure with grey hair, who started' life as a mechanic, referred repeatedly to the case of the floor-sweeper. "Our theory, 1 ' he said, "that a man who sweeps th-a floor is worth £1 for an eight-hour day as ttot only sound business but social justice. It costs just as nvuch to feed the babies of a. floor-sweeper as it does to feed' the babies of a motor-construction engineer. "I am convinced' that before long many other lines of business will be compelled 1 to realise the fact that they must share equitably thetir profits with the melt who make those profits possible. We have been for years as familiar with the home life of our men as we hava been with their factory life, and' we are convinced that they will not abuse this good fortune. I can see no good! purpose in one man, or a few men, accumulating colossal fortunes. "We start our women workers at £8 a, month, which increases by decree® to £l3 or £l4 a month. Our £1 a, day minimum l for supporters \of families will be given- also to women and' to boys under 22. whose families are- dependent on them. The new scheme will come into operation on Monday at all our factories."

I asked Mr Ford if he considered 1 himself a Socialist. "No," he curtly replied. "I doa't kmow 'vjj&t tto word wmfl ' ■