November, 1936
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
417
God and making the employees acquainted with the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever business successes have accompanied this plan—and there have been many—are merely by products.” You have never before heard a business man talk like this, and you realize that you are conversing with no man of small affairs, for the Le Tourneau plants in Peoria, Illinois, and Stockton, California, represent a total physical valuation of $550,000.00 including machinery and real estate, and because of patents, Le Tourneau genius and good will, Le Tourneau stock has a market value of $12,000,000.00. You recall that one 12-yard Type Y Carryall Scraper with Power Control Unit for operating it, sells for $5,425.00 and that other items are listed at prices not lower than $850.00. Le Tourneau is a man of big business—there is no doubt about that. You swing the conversation once more into technical lines and find Mr. Le Tourneau delighted to answer your questions. In fact, you have seldom met a more approach able, genial individual. “What is the advantage of the Carryall over old methods of earth moving?” you inquire. Mr. Le Tourneau smiles. “Well,” he explains, “whereas by past methods, earth moved in any quantity was handled several times by several vehicles, the Carryall Scraper loads, transports, unloads, and Spreads the earth itself.” You discuss other items of equipment—Bulldozers, for use in clearing trails, making pioneer roads through brush, stumps, and fallen trees; Angledozers, Rooters, Buggies. How the P lan W orks You are impressed with the clear thinking, the energy, of this man. He knows what he is talking about! You have almost forgotten about his reference early in the con versation to the Lord Jesus Christ, but he will not let you forget. He interjects: “There is a gospel meeting today at noon. You will stay for that, won’t you?” You accept the invitation heartily, for you have wanted to see this phase of the work. And you conclude that since the conversation seems bound to drift into this channel of thought, you had better take the opportunity to satisfy your curiosity on a number of points. In your mind is the memory of problems in your own personnel department; you seek advice from the man who, in the Le Tourneau organization does practically all of the interviewing of new employees. You ask, “Is religion discussed with the men prior to their employment? Do a man’s religious views affect his appointment ?” “I very seldom ask outright whether a man is a Chris tian,” Mr. Le Tourneau replies. “If he can do the work we require, or if he can learn to do it, he is employed. I never want the impression to be given that a man must be religious in order to get a job here. No record whatever is kept of a man’s religious connections. We have found that twenty-four years of age is the average for our
The King's Messengers' Quartette— all graduates of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and employees of R. G. Le Tourneau, Inc. Left to right: Pete Rutschman, Orrin Rutschman, Norman Dirks, and Bill Eitzen. The men assist with gospel meetings and personal work in the plant, and are heard, with Mr. Le Tourneau as speaker, in church and conference gatherings. personnel as a whole. The reason for this choice is twofold: first, practically every man hired must learn at least one of the trades used in the shop (our methods being a departure from the ordinary), and younger men are more apt at learning. In the second place, we choose young men be cause they have years before them, in the natural order of events, and if won for the Lord Jesus Christ in their youth, they may spend a lifetime of service for Him.” You want to know: “Do you find that a higher type of workman comes to you because of the fact that the Le Tourneau plant is known as a Christian institution?” “Yes,” Mr. Le Tourneau replies emphatically. “In these days of Bolshevism and Red agitation, when class hatred is being freely disseminated, our modern industries need young men with a high purpose in life. The Christian young man has a purpose in living that the average young man of the world does not possess.” Mr. Le Tourneau continues: “There has never been a single industrial uprising here. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches the employer to be fair to the employee and the employee to be honest and faithful to his employer. The gospel makes for contentment, and contented employees are poor prospects for a union agitator. So far as efficiency is concerned, the growth of the plant has been so remarkable that there is no past record on which to base present results. It is significant, it seems to me, that we are able to operate a plant of this size which ordinarily would require 100 per cent skilled labor, with employees averaging less than a year’s experience.” You are just about to launch upon a discussion of other details that vitally interest you, when a young man, a stranger to you, is announced. You meet him, through Mr. Le Tourneau, and learn that he is an evangelist passing through the city, and that Mr. Le Tourneau has asked him to speak to his men at noon. You excuse yourself, to browse about the plant and to read the several letters and copies of the weekly shop paper, NOW , which Mr. Le Tourneau has said might interest you. You understand that these letters contain comments, unsolicited by Mr. Le Tourneau, from men who were saved either in the plant or through the work of Le Tourneau employees outside of the factory. S ignificant T estimonies The first letter contains the testimony of a welder, the message being written in pencil on cheap yellow paper. It reads: “I have been in your employ for fifteen months. It was at the plant that I found the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I was saved on the last night of the special meet ings held when the new addition was dedicated. Testi monies were given, and my foreman spoke. I was greatly moved by what he said. A little later, one of the men said to me, ‘Don’t you want to accept Christ?’ and I said I surely did. Since I took Jesus as my Saviour, my work is more enjoyable, my home is a happier place, and with the help of the Lord, all my burdens are lighter.” [Continued on page 442]
The Shop Men's Chorus, composed of workmen et the Le Tourneeu plant, trained by a graduate of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Norman Dirks (extreme left, first row). The men receive numerous Invitations from Christian groups in Peoria and vicinity.
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