Thomas
Watson - A Model Employer?
New York, December 8, 1922
Mr. T.J. Watson
President
Computing Tabulating Recording Co.
New York.
Dear Mr. Watson:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for
the leave of absence granted me to bring my mother home from England and also
to express my regret that I was out after my passports when you wished to see
me.
My mother is upwards of 80 years of age and you can
imagine the joy it will be for her to have me to have me to look after her on
the homeward trip. I am looking forward
to the pleasure of seeing you on my return from England. I received Mr.
Braitmayer's message relative to seeing Mr. Stafford Steward of the I.T.R.
Company and will make a point of doing so when I am in London. Again thanking
you Mr. Watson, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Walter Jones
Working
Through HR Issues in Paris
November 12, 1933
PERSONAL
Mr.
Walter Jones, European General Manager
Societe
Internationale de Machines Commerciales
29
Boulevard Malesherbes,
Paris,
France
Dear
Mr. Jones:
When
you first talked to me in Paris about Mr. Packard I was under the impression
that he had made a very serious mistake in his letter to Mr. Rottke requesting
certain information. Since my return, I find that Mr. Packard was simply
carrying out Mr. Nichol's instructions. Even if those instructions may be
debatable it is very unfair of us to criticize Mr. Packard for carrying them
out, as we was simply doing his duty.
I
could not help but sense a feeling that you and Mr. Packard were not
co-operating; because at the time I was under the impression that Mr. Packard
had made trouble with the German organization on his own initiative I did not
give the serious thought to his side of the case that I have since learning
that he was merely carrying out instructions.
Frankly
I worry about the lack of espirit de corps on the part of the organization in
Paris. It does not seem to measure up to Berlin or London. We sent Mr. Packard
to Europe to assist you at considerable sacrifice to the American organization,
and, of course, Mr.Packard made some personal sacrifice in moving a very young
baby, and then to find himself in an atmosphere, which I cannot help but feel
must worry him, it does not seem fair or in keeping with the IBM family spirit.
I
greatly admired Mr. Packard's attitude while I was there, especially when he
pleaded for an opportunity to go to Berlin and meet the men face to face who
had criticized him. As I observed the meetings in Berlin and in London it
seemed to me that Mr. Packard is well able to gain the friendship of all men.
It
is hard for me to write this letter, because what I am saying is based largely
upon what I sensed in connecting with the general atmosphere. Knowing that you
want to be fair at all times with your associates I am asking you to put
yourself in Mr. Packard's place and
review with yourself his experiences since his arrival in Europe and if you
feel that you have not been giving Mr. Packard the exact kind of treatment you
would expect, were you in his position, I will sure you will take him into your
confidence and put him in the right light in the eyes of all members of the
European organization, and get out of him his best efforts in assisting you to
do the big job which is before us.
With
kindest personal regards, I remain
Sincerely
yours,
Thomas
J. Watson, President
TJW:BW
Paris, December 5, 1933
Mr.
Thos. J. Watson, President
International
Business Machines Corp.
270
Broadway,
New
York City
Dear
Mr. Watson:
Thank
you very much for your letter of November 22nd which I have taken
seriously to heart.
It
has always been my desire to help and assist in the development of men in the
interest of the business and I will do everything in my power to cooperate with
Mr.Packard to this end. I have had this intention and desire since the moment
he landed in Europe.
He
has much in his favor. I find him keen and interested in every phase of the
business and anxious to accomplish the results that you count upon us to do.
You
are right. The Paris organization has not yet acquired the same espirit de
corps of Berlin or London. During my stay in Paris I have tried in every way to
improve it. Meetings, reunions at my house etc. have found it difficult to get the French organization to pull together
as a team. You can do a lot with them individually but our organization in the
past seemed incapable of the true IBM spirit.
M.
Virgile is bringing into the business men of a higher grade and when you see
the organization on your visit next year, I am confident you will see a big
improvement.
In
regard to the American representatives, we would be much better able to handle
the continental work if we were working together as a detached unit rather than
attached to the French organization. I believe as soon as it is possible to
establish a headquarters apart from them, after M. Virgile is able to handle
the responsibility, that there would be much better morale and better results.
Here
is nothing that I desire more than to weld continental Europe together in
accordance with the strong and sound organization lines laid down by you, and I
will work to this end to the limit of my ability.
Thanking
you sincerely for your letter,
I
remain,
Yours
very truly,
W.D.
Jones
Paris, December 1st, 1933
Dear
Mr. Watson:
I
sincerely regret having to advise you that after several weeks' silence Mr.
Jones simply notified me that I had to go and accept his proposal about taking
over a territory. It is a matter of great concern to me to see that several
younger men with much less service stay with the Company in executive positions
and I am sent away after almost 30 years. It is my firm belief that my services
and experience in the Paris office, if properly recognized and made use of,
would have been of some value to the business and I would willingly have made a
financial sacrifice to stay.
However,
I have no other alternative and must accept my definite removal from this
office to go out on the road and build up a sales organization at my own
expense. The twelve months salary awarded to me will have to serve for that
purpose.
With
the coming holidays in mind, I wish to thank you once again for the numerous
proofs of your kind interest in me and for the great kindliness you so often
and still recently showed me. I wish you and Mrs. Watson and your children a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and I hope that 1934 will bring health and
happiness to all of us.
Meanwhile
I beg to remain, with many respectful regards,
yours very sincerely, (unknown
signature)
Walter
Dickson Jones (1878 - 1963)
Breconridge -
W.D. Jones' farm just north of Toronto. Early 1950's.
Walter Dickson Jones (born 1878) entered the employ
of the CTR Company in 1912 as a salesman of tabulating machines in Cleveland.
In 1917 he was made Assistant-Treasurer of the Tabulating Machine Company, the
Chief Subsidiary of the IBM Corporation. In February 1922 he was made manager
of the Cleveland office of the Tabulating Machine Company and was promoted in
1923 to be IBM Manager for the Eastern District, having charge of all
subsidiary companies - including the Tabulating Machine Company, The
International Time Recording Company and the Dayton Scale Company. Mr. Jones was made Assistant Comptroller of
the IBM Company in 1924 and in 1927 became Treasurer and Comptroller as well as
Director of the corporation. In 1930 he was made Manager for Europe with
headquarters in Paris in which position he remained until 1934. In 1934 he
assumed the Vice Presidency of the Canadian organization of the IBM Company. In
1938 he was made Chairman of the Board of Directors of IBM Canada. He passed
away in 1963.