W.E.A. AT BLUFF

Southland Times, Issue 19859, 3 May 1926, Page 10

W.E.A. AT BLUFF

HENRY FORD AND "LIZZIE.” GOSPEL OF SERVICE. The Bluff W.E.A. class was well attended • at the bandroom, Bluff, on Saturday evening when Mr G. R. George occupied the chair. Mr George in introducing the sub- I ject, said he would take as his basis the book “My Life and Work” by Henry Ford, in collaboration with Samuel Crowther, which was having a great vogue, and every ; sentence was full of pungent meaning. It i had been said that “genius was an infinite capacity for taking pains,” and Mr Ford was not only a mechanical genius but was a business and organisation genius as well. In 1920-21 Ford cars had sold to about one and quarter million; which was certainly a world-record. Ford was born on a farm at Dearborn in 1863 and is now 63 years of age. He started to -work on the home farm, but was always interested in mechanical contrivances, and served some time to the market repairing trade. His next interest was road engines, and then experimenting with a silent gas engine. The model was a success but it did not seem to be of extraordinary value commercially, as Ford wished to introduce some sort of machine; power-driven to eliminate hard work for man or horse. At this juncture j the future millionaire settled on a forty- ; acre bush farm which he cleared himself | and which enabled him to raise enough | money to get married. that was the end of his farming experience because he immediately took a job in a nearby town I and settled into the mechanical side of i day labour. But all his spare hours were I spent in invention and his neighbours down j the crowded street in which he lived look- : ed upon him as something of a crank. B,ut ■ in 1892 he attained his first motor car | which, was neither elegant nor speedy but I it would go all right. The idea was a ' racing machine and Ford was able to pro- | duce a car which won a famous race and ■ so he became well-known. "Shortly after j this he went into business, the Ford Motor • Company being established in 1903. His j business ideas were certainly without pre- j cedent and he wished to give service first of all with money-making a merely secondary consideration. He did not like speculative business, but considered that a concern should extend on its own profits, and reduce cost of production compatible with reasonable hours and wages. The introduction of blind and lame people was unusual but proved to be a great success, and was a humanitarian advance. Ford did not like the idea of bankers in industry and as soon as possible procured all the stock in his own company. He had always been harassed by others, and was able to face the financial crisis of 1921 on ac- | count of his independence. He held that j both millionaire and reformer are often , entirely wrong in their views on social ; life, the former with no end of money and ! the other without a penny. There was | a middle course and he had proved this ! by his methods in regard not only to his • factories, but his school and hospital as j well. Mr George said he did not know i how much of the book was Crowther or | how much Ford, or whether the whole I work was merely another form of ad- I vertising but he was sure the book was I stimulating and interesting and would re- [ pay study. Ford was original, energetic, clever, and a great success. He was said to be the richest man in the world, and it must be remembered that about twentythree years ago he had no money at all. “But” said the speaker “I would place his service as of more importance than his wealth.” Captain Harbord said that there was no doubt at all that Henry Ford was a great philanthropist, and the fact that I he reclaimed so many cripples and blind ; men was truly wonderful. There was no mistake, he had made money, but he had i benefited mankind, not only in the car i itself, but the manufacturer of it. He had ! certainly broken away from the older busi- i ness traditions, and was a remarkable per- I sonality. Mr John Cameron considered Ford to be ' a great mechanical genius and an organiser, ' and that only one or two such men were born in a century. He was efficient and often efficiency was enabled to avert a crisis. The policy of service had been a qne, but Ford had made so much money out of the concern that there is suspicion that he was also self-seeking. So when all was said and done he might not be such a benefactor. Mr D. MacKenzie said Ford’s work in regard to the blind and crippled was splendid. He had also used new methods of speeding up which were a benefits to manufacturers. New ideas were the main thing and that is why America was ahead of competitors. The book did not seem always consistent and great wealth like Ford’s was not in keeping with universal service. A voice : “Merely American blatherskite!” Mr D. D. Steadman said it was a blatant statement for a man like Ford with any amount of cash to say that money was no advantage and that to give and share service was everything. It was simple enough for him to talk like that, but no one could get away from the fact that .wealth was a big advantage. Mr Ford could not always be taken too seriously because he was liable to forget that most people were poor. Mr C. H. Winter said that Ford seemed to get on with his employees very well. There was a good deal of Yankee about -him, and he was interesting with both his faults and qualities. Some one had said he did not write a line of the book, and J that was often the case with successful I Americans who must have publicity at all costs. Still they could not .be blamed for that decidedly human trait.. Mr W. Hedges said that when you analysed Ford’s life and work, quite a deal of adverse criticism could be offered. The book was one of self-glorification. Motorcars were a luxury and an expensive luxury at that. The car had assisted luxury rather than everyday life. A voice: “No, you are wrong!” The speaker, continuing, said he could speak from experience, and would not accept Ford’s book completely. Mr N. McGorlick said it was all very ! well for the critics in this hall to talk but ' he was sure that any man, socialist or { labourite, would make and hold money if I he could. It was human nature, and you * couldn’t get away from it. The man of a I different opinion was not yet born. Mrs Cameron said that Ford had said that ! the world produces enough for everybody, I and that people suffered through faulty , distribution and organisation and other j speakers each added something to a lively I discussion. Mr G. R. George in summing up said the meeting had been so interesting that they j had exceeded the time limit considerably. All angles of the Ford problem had been touched, and he felt that the subject had been merely introduced. Those present should go deeper into it, as it was a study in modern business administration and method which could not be overlooked. He had found the book to be an eye-opener, and exceedingly well-written. The usual votes of thanks concluded the meeting.

The clan will meet at the bandroom next Saturday evening.