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MAN OF THE MONTH
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camped on their trek to the Northwest. The people of Kansas City, Kansas, had long planned to erect a monument of some sort on the spot; something fitting in size and shape, with a few bronze or chiseled lines of commemoration. But Harry Darby gave them a memorial in production lines, and Kansans felt the all-out production said more in the causes of freedom, progress, and America than any bit of delicate verse. Boats built on this spot were going out across the seas of the earth, and were carrying new bands of young adventurers to the shores of Los Negros, Tarawa, Salerno, Iwo Jima. Lots of little places no one had heard of.
Throughout the war, the Women's Chamber of Commerce sold war bonds to purchase invasion vessels. Elaborate ceremonies were held at the Darby Shipyards as another and another squat bearer of warriors would sail off to join its comrades.
The steady flow of equipment amazed even those who knew Harry Darby and the capabilities of his employees. The answer lay in improvisation, creative imagination, and the spirit of trying the hardest. Whatever credit was forthcoming, Harry Darby passed on to his men. They have a 'know-how,' he would say. Or, "They understand trick welding and the use of new metals. They're hard workers.
Harry Darby's willingness to share credit has always stood him in good stead with his employees, his friends, his co-workers on civic projects. In an era of industrial strife and flaming labor-managerial relations, the record of the Darby Corporation is almost
incredible. There has never been a work stoppage, the threat of a stoppage, or even a misunderstanding in any of the Darby ventures.
When Harry Darby walks through one of his plants, word doesn't spread : "Pssst! The boss is coming!" Men don't scatter back to their machines and get to work. Chances are they're already working, because Mr. Darby is a severe taskmaster. But if they're at the fountain, or gathered for a smoke, they stay where they are. The boss understands.
They might ask Harry Darby how to perform a certain task; beginning, "Say, Harry — " If they don't ask, he probably won't advise them: but you can bet he knows!
On these little strolls, Harry may pause beside a lathe to chat with the operator. Farther on, he'll stop to talk to a Negro janitor. He knows every man by his first name. He knows who his wife is, how many children he has and where he lives. This adds the personal touch.
Professionally, Harry Darby knows the value of every man he employs. He knows because he can personally supplant any one of them : he can take over and operate any machine he owns.
Charles MacGowan, President of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, which is the bargaining agent for Darby plants, says that there would be no labor trouble anywhere if all industrial leaders were like Harry Darby. He has praised Mr. Darby in public speeches, and in editorials in the union trade paper.
Now that the war contracts are completed, the Darby Corporation is