SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 24 November 1923, Page 4

SERVICE

BENEVOLENCE IN BUSINESS. "1 do not consider the machines which hear my name simply as machines. I take them as concrete evidence of the working out of a theory of business—a theory that look.- towards making this world a bettor place in which Co live.” The name referred to is the name of “Ford,” a name now being carried round the globe on the bonnets of six million motor cars. Thirty year- ago Henry Ford started in business, ami started scratch, vitn neither money nor intlueiue behind him, Inn with a very definite business objective, and very definite ideas as to how that objective was to lie attained. lie 1- now the richest man and the biggest employer of labour in existence. ihe astounding thing inot Ids world-wide business, hut hibusiness principle; lie has had the audaeity to carry Ivnevnlonre into business, and. what is more remarkable, lias made a success oi it.

In his autobiography Mr ford does not talk of heuvolein c; he thinks in terms of service. 'service ho!are ptolil” is his guiding star. He regain« business as an agency for service, to which money making is incidental. Being greedy lor money is Tin* -uiesl wav not to get it. hut when one serves for tin* sake of service—for the saiislaction of doing that which one believes to he right—then money abundantly takes care id itself. Money. | M . argues, is the natural reward for work, but only when that work is .-•* i.rgani-ed as to promote the moral and material well-being oi all ooiieei ned in worker.-, manager-, and purchasers .-i- the business financially sound. Oi emu-r tin- is a sweeping reversal o! all accepted maxims ol business; to many men il may seem utter nonsense. but Ford’s millions bear witness to tlie soundness ot bis principles. In the scientific organisation of labour lir- lias distinguished himseli. and proved beyond qtte lion tin* reality of hi- altruistic ideas. “X,, workman can be thoroughly efficient unless lie is happy and carefree. and lie cannot lie happy and ettre-free unless he lias a wage s ",m----eient to meet all his family requirements.” Sound logic, but quite impracticable, says the old-time employer. How can we pay the unskilled man a wage il he is incapable ot earning? If the man has qualified himseli for highly paid won;, send him along and we w ill give him a i bailee. But Ford takes a bigger view: “it is my business as an employer In help the man to help himself. Io furnish him with tools or machines' whereby he can do highly-paid work. And tins bo ha- accomplished' In the Ford motor factory Do per cent, of the entphivoes are unskilled unrker.-, men taken from the -tree!, given a lew hours or a lew days training, and enabled to do highly-paid work by the aid ol tools made by the •> per cent, liiglily-skilied craiismen. < Her. is another Fordism : “No workin,aii cun be thoroughly efficient it hts work latigttes him." From first to

last For.!' has bis eye on elliei. my. but be 1- far-'milled enough io see , ibal rite will-being of tbe worker i- an indispensable factor in ellieu-ncy. Con- ■ seqiiently bis clforis are direct-.l to- j v.arils eliminating from work all ; strain and drudgery. He puzzles Ins! brain over the workman's tools, stud- j ies ear'll lgotion involved, simplifies ; ihe work. -ot.-divide- o. . substitutes! tti, tn ;t '• for hand power, keeps on , improvin'.: bis no: ilmds. until at !a.-( a . time exhausted the sirongesi man. J IL-ill: : On, mm i- now si,owing tin- i -nine output ol work which fatigued I "drudgery have bv"ii practically eli- | minuted and , ‘hcn ticv ijnadruple > Of eoitr-e. tin- is Uu-inr.--. liiglily orga ni-eil business, a scientific orgaiii- j snlloll ot labour. \ but in this of- : ganisttlioii the spirit ol benevolence a sci"ii til'a study of the workers' well- ■ being -is the dominant Factor. To what extent betieva boo e may be can iet! into business b seen in Fnrtl’s alliludo the hall and niaitiu d ami , blind. Tim old-time employer mubl. • as a favour, give work to a cripp.e. and pay him a low wage. Fmd regards this us wretched sentiment, imi sound business, for the low wage and s i ns,: or ol,ligation destroy the mans sell -t e-peel a.ud self-reliance. Ih- has b, . u „. w ..<■ He hold: that no man. V.. „ |.. , fi, , u !f| be ft fused employment on m-env' ■■■’. physical incapacity. Iron .1 1 y - 'U'l otlultt t«> b,,' ,-o organise,l that the maimed worker might retain his .sell-respect., liml suitable employment, earn liftuit y in m, way del rail mg Iron uis earning 'power. Tins is idealism tun : w il'l. an imp , '-ib!e llieory. the cynic would sue. Vet F„r,l has proved it js.s-ib!" .' Of his APT..) employees, he w rites:-“A! lit.- lime of the lasi

| analysis of empT-iyd. there were ! crippled '■■' a-epma'/'d arms iofei ;:nn-. (>;' ii.'iuds. tine bad h-oh b.'Mul-' men. b!7 Hli ml in ey. tl.Vf v.ii'n ■ luinl.. cpilt :*[ i< i»j11!• w • t!i l" ! i’i K*;rs nr f«s*t r.P.-MMix, :.VM veui; ou»‘ h> »t or \ou- i*,i- •*ill. Th<- oilhts mii:or ini|)*’<!inio*ii *. Ay: - *, i*iitii'.io,i wo rivers w fro s<> vntnH v <• i n *»! f ’< 1 ih;il thov iTiiVi* llit* •* ’i!i *■ “ o»i t?::i t <>i work :mi! vc ivod tlio ryimr- as .•ihltdiodiotl moil do [jo- lho SMJI.O class oi work. Tin' proli!-sha ring system in V(* tue ,il i'i" b’ra'd motor fnclorv is based on an even higher standard: the ifflimer. in I vi'lue of that spirif mil nualily in 111:111 usually described ;e • iia I actor. ••In the beginning." says Fold, “ill" idea was that there should bn a very definite incentive to heller living.” As long ns a man does his work thoroughly xv hatmines it mailer to his employ-! it li'iw he behaves'himself after busi- ! mss hours l Ford thinks it unit tors tremendously. fie argues Dial the married man who neglects hi- family ‘ and the unmarried Ilian of inip.i'ovidciii j habits are not likely to teach tlie j highc-d efficiency when at xverk. Con- j seipiemiy the bonus given to Hi"! workers is actually a pieiniuni oi’ good ; Ii; iug. Ir, i- u recognition of flu- i.u i j that man's innial character us well as ; in's material xvell-b.'ing are indispen- j sable factors ill cfficioncv. Il is a : pi'actiial application of t 'nose Now" j Tciamont prim-ioles which am Usual- j Iv regarded as anoeb.ryplial.

Henry Ford is n gieat pioneer, not. I only in the motor car enterprise, but in the scientific orguni-ation of industry. Yet be is not alone. In j every city there are men of bis type, though not of bis fiiiiiinial oiniiiruce, 1 who have the wit to sec tlmt a busi- j ne-s com erii is sound aval Miecc.-slnl m I proportion to tlie hoiiofiiiout service it ! renders to the community. These j men stand for a new and belter era in industry. They i.gmd for alti-iiistic j principles—which Ford has proved to I lie sound—principles which sooner or J later will fie universally adopted and business life established on a sounder j foundation.