Evening star., 1914-08-09
Experimental Plants
Now Have Deveiped
Into Great Industries

WALKERVILLE, Ontario. CANADA,
August Situated on the banks of the
Detroit river on Canadian shores. ana
not a great many miles from Detroit, the
hub of the automobile industry, are
two American industries where the
built annually thousands of motor cars
for use on Canadian soil. They are the
Ford Motor Company of Canada, Linz
tied, and the Studebaker Corporation OF
Canada Limited. Foreseeing the op-
portunities which lay in wait for them;
these two concerns purchased ground
and today there stand two OF the lare-
est automobile manufacturing plants In
the British empire. From modest De-
ginnings. patterned on the system OF
the parent plants in Detroit they
have grown into tremendous factories
At first the plants were in the nature
Of experiments and naturally the way
was felt very carefully by those re-
sponsible for the outcome of the propo-
sition. By producing motor cars on
foreign soil, the rate Of tariff. which is
about Sc per cent, is entirely eltmtnat-
ed and the machines are constructed
from the ground up on the opposite
side of the river from "the City of the
Straits
Years Sales s., 100000.
The Ford Company was organized in
shipped by express, in February. 1905.
The entire sales for the first year
totaled $4,000. One can realize the
sales last year were vastly over $5,
100000. The Studebaker Corporation
also had an excellent year, with
large volume of business and immense
profits at the close of the year.
One of the most interesting sights is
tn u,ifr 40 in
at night time. The plants are located
directly along the river front and as the
big furnaces belch forth sheets of flame
the appearance to the eye and reflection
on the quiet waters of the Detroit river
give more the impression that con-
hagation is in progress. SO bright is the
illumination. Several Of the larger
buildings are thus engaged in the heat
treatment of metals. The history Of
iron. it is said. began with Tubal Cain,
but Tubai would find himself In unfa-
| miliar surroundings were he alive today
and should visit one OF the immense
| heat treatment plants where practically
| all the wrought Iron and steel parts are
| put through their various processes be-
| fore they are sent to the machine shop.
Parts Scientifically Treated.
The only similarity would be the ply
sique of the workmen, for there is need
| ed great strength and endurance to han
| die the red hot, heavy iron parts. In
| spite OF the yawning mouths Of the fur
naces and the great heat, the places are
| comfortable for workers. The parts are
| scientifically treated each one receiving
| the treatment that makes 1t most eff
Client for the work it is destined to do.
| In fact the heat treatment Of steel might
| be compared with the making of bread.
| Bread is made OF dough. baked In an
oven. Steel is made of ore. submitted
| to heat. All bread Is baked; all steel is
| heat-treated. There are different kinds
of bread to suit different tastes. The
expert baker mixes his dough OF differ
| ent ingredients and subject it to differ
| ent processes to secure the desired re-
| suits.
Similarly. there are many different
! kinds of steel. each the possessor Of
qualities all its own--Qualities which fit
| it for some duty and unfit 1t for any
other. To build an automobile of one
| kind of steel would be a recipe for fall
ure To develop each kind Of steel to its
| highest point of perfection and to put
| the right kind of steel in the right place
| in the car Is the secret Of success.