Anti-Ford

Among the public at large, the name Henry Ford has become synonymous with all that is desirable in an employer. How is it with the Communists of the community? Far otherwise. How they look upon Ford was made evident last week by The Daily Worker, Communist journal published in Chicago. It drew up a bill of grievances against Mr. Ford. Some of the items:

Spirit. "To the tens of thousands of production slaves out of whose very hides are tanned the hundreds of millions of Ford profits, he is looked upon as a mean, heartless miser and a hypocrite par excellence. A great spirit permeates the Ford organization (from the foremen up) known as the 'Ford spirit.' "

Cuspidors. "The Company for years has supplied paper cuspidors and sawdust free to those who chew tobacco or want them, but about a year ago, in line with the Ford spirit of profits, the men were charged 1-c- per cuspidor.

"A few months ago, when his royal parasiteness the Prince of Wales visited the plant, Ford issued strict orders against spitting that day and so cuspidors and sawdust were not sold, and all receptacles for holding turning and chips were covered with white canvas.

"A special bridge over the motor assembly line was constructed with white canvas carpets to protect his royal eyes and princely feet from proletarian contact. All painters worked four hours overtime the night previous, touching up the locations of honor. The British and American capitalist flags were flying over the administration building that day.

"But to return again to the Ford spirit, no more sawdust was given out and only what cuspidors that were in stock were sold and again more orders against spitting."

Casualties. "One worker (an ex-service man) who happens to work close to the main aisle leading to the factory hospital, said that, for the same length of time, he saw more wounded men carried through on stretcher-carts than he saw at the front in France.

"When a man is very sick or seriously injured, he is sent to the Henry Ford Hospital, some three miles away--not in a modern comfortable ambulance. The too frequent calls of the ambulance would not look well in public, and so a Ford sedan is fitted up with secret doors in the back and just a driver's seat and space for a stretcher.

"On this, the patient is shoved in, head first, the rear door closed, and behold, the camouflage is complete; the old can jerks its way to the hospital; the rough riding is offset by the excessive heat on the patient's head from the engine."

Digestion. "Only half-hour for lunch and the men squat around on benches and floor like coolies. Where departments work three shifts daily, only 15 minutes . are allowed for lunch,;..this necessitates stuffing of food down and invariably results in stomach trouble for those men."

Espionage. "In some departments, a watcher is stationed at the toilet door to 'discourage loitering.'"

Search. "At every exit door are watchmen who scrutinize each man as he leaves; if he carries a lunch kit, it is lifted and shaken; every soiled apron or shop coat carried out for laundry is felt and squeezed; also men's pockets that look rather bulky are felt to make sure that a radiator or fender is not concealed therein."

Here and there across this broad country, a grave communist father sitting at eventide beside his supper table read this expose to his sad-eyed wife, his attentive family.