The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-09-30
WILL YS.OVERLAND
BUYS MOLINE PLOW

ToIedo-P President John NJ. WHY'S
announces the acquisition Of control
by the WHY'S Overland company Of
the Moline Plow Company, rnanufac-
turars of the Moline Universal trac-
tor, with plants at Moline. Chicago,
Rock Island and Freeport Illinois;
Stroughton, Wisconsin; Minneapolis,
Minnesota; and Ploughkeepie, New
York.
The transaction is the most inn
portant in years in the agricultural
machinery industry, the Moline COM
pany, founded in 1865. being one Of
the oldest farm implement concerns
| in the United States. Through the
purchase in 1916 and consequent de-
veIopment OF the Universal Tractor
company it is today, one Of the
largest tractor producers in the
world
The imperative wartime need of
tractors for farm development. the
willingness OF the government to as
sist production through the grant
Of priorities for the shipment OF
STEEL and the desire of John N.
WHY'S to further coordinate the inn
mense factory and distributing ia
cilities of the WHY'S Overland or
ganization in the winning of the
war have brought about the new
union of automobile and tractor in
terests.
The Moline product itself is
unique in that the tractor and the
farm implement are so connected as
! to form a complete unit, which one
man can operate. 1t is the only
tractor which will do all farm work
without horses.
At no time in it's history has the
Moline company been able to supply
the demand for it's tractor, although
shipments are now running fifty
tractors per day.
The Moline Plow company has %
branch houses and 10000 dealers
WHY'S Overland has over 100 dis
trihutors and 5000 dealers. AS a. re-
suit of the probable cessation OF
passenger car production by WHY'S
Overland early next year the entire
selling forces of both companies, as
well as their combined manufactur-
ing facilities, will be available for
concentration on the development OF
the tractor as far as may be com
patible with the desire Of the Food
administration to stimulate food
production.
In announcing the closing of ne
gotiations for the purchase of the
Moline company. President John n.
WHY'S said:
with the present shortage of
man power and horses on the farm
and the acute war necessity. abroad
and at home, of increased food pro-
duction. the farmer is confronted
with the problem of increasing his
crops with less help. The tractor
with power-drawn farming imple-
ments solves the need by enabling
one man, woman, boy or cripple to
do the work formerly required OF
two or more men and six to eight
horses.
with it one man can pillow an
acre an hour at fuel cost on only
two gallons of gasoline
In the purchase OF the Moline
Plow company find not only an OPP
portunity for the WHY'S Overland
company to lend its maximum man-
ufacturing strength to legitimate
war work, but the best and quickest
way for it TO attain lead in a field
which offers the greatest IN this age
of power farming, it seems to me,
must sooner or later enter.
The Moline organization VIII res
main intact and the company will be
operated under the same manage
ment as heretofore f. G. Allen, vice
president and general manager, will
become president and general man
ager.
The WHY'S Overland Co, has SIM
ply bought control Of the Moline
Plow common stock--there is no
thought of a manager and no change
in the latter's financial status lis
contemplated. ADJ.