GREAT ORGANISER

Hokitika Guardian, 15 July 1932, Page 6

GREAT ORGANISER

HUGE BUSINESS ENTERPRISE. Writing in the May number of “Overseas,” the monthly journal of the Overseas League, “E.W.” clesbribed Bata, whose death was recorded this week in an air accident, as the Henry Ford of Europe—one of the great organisers of the world. He employed siornie ■■ 20,000 workers at Zlin, and exported each year twice as much as the whole British boot and shoe industry together. Special interest Was at that time taken in Bata, in view of the fact that it had purchased some 600 acres near Tilbury, where he proposed tio erect a British factory.

“E.W.” was taken around thle world-famous factory at Zlin, amort % the hills of Mojravia, at. Bata’s South African manager, who was' shortly to fly out to .South Africa on one of his periodical visits. For Bata national frontiers did not exist. Recently, at a moment’s notice., he flew off on a business mission, only to find when he got, to the frontier that he had forgotten h : s passport. 'One of his secretaries had to fly-' back to get it. He was a. kind of We]lsian super-organiser of the future. He had his own fleet of aeroplanes, and liis managers flew to all parts of Europe and the East at a. moment’s notice. He believed enthusiastically in flying as essential in the modern large-scale business enterprise. Hie. sent his s'eventeen-year-Olld son, Tommy, to take out his pilot’s certificate in England last summer. THE SON OF A COBBLER. , , Much' that “E'.w.” _ heard a limit Bata' reminded him of Lord Northcliffe. He had* done for the prod’ lion" of hoots and shoes what Northeliffe did for newspapers; H© was po-isesed of an iron, constitution, and never rested. All hits waking hours were devoted to extending his vast enterprises. He was the son of a cobbler. There was nothing that the people in Iris factories were asked t" do that he could not do himself. He “checked on” like an ordinary workman, and worked longer hours than anv of his employees < i When the siren went at twelve o’c'oek, “E.W”..'watched the thou-: sands of, workers pouring oiit for th' ir lunch hour. What A we 1,1-dreused and youthful crowd they were; both men and women were certainly dressed better and tidier . .than they would be in the case of an English, factory. 'Side bv side with girls in ngh h/?els, and young men in coats with waists to them, however, jostled Slovakian peasant girls with shawls over theirhp.n' 1 “E.W.” remarked that a book could not tell the full story of th'e Bata enterprise; how all the time Mr B° 4 was per fleeting his machinery and reducing his cosbs.