THE HUMAN ELEMENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 28 June 1926, Page 9

THE HUMAN ELEMENT

AS APPLIED TO INDUSTRY

STARTLING PREDICTION UV A

PROCESSOR

(D? Telegraph.—Special to The Mail.)

CHRISTCHURCH. This Day

“Henry Ford’s idea that human beings in the million can he satisfied with doing one mechanical thing all .‘.v.r days is going to cause the most violent revolution the world has ever seen," declared Professor Smilley in an address to the Society for Imperial Culture on Saturday night. “It seems so plausible and Ford makes out a. wonderful case. It must be remembered that the number of people who are not required to think in industry is far greater than the number who wish them to be unthinking. The revolution will be the death of civilisation and the death of the human race if it succeeds. The lesson is along these linos. It is a lesson to show that you cannot give voting power into the hands of unthinking automaloms, and then give them power to- rule you. There is only one possible choice of Govern ment. If you are going to regard the majority of human beings as machines, and that is government by a small eutocraey, the chances of such autocracy being,, able to get into power at the present time with the franchise so extensive is practically nil,”