Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-08-17
HENRY FORD AND HIS VERDICT.

Whether or not Henry Ford tri-
umphed in his million dollar libel suit
against the Chicago Tribue when he
was given a verdict for six cents
damages by jury at Mount Clemens,
Mich, few days ago will always
be a matter of personal opinion
among men. The sum total of dam
ages awarded probably will not be
taken into account by Ford, if he is
able to have the jury's verdict made
the judgement of the higher courts,
and after all it may be inferred that
both sides to the suit have lost, in
asmuch as eminent counsel employ
ed therein must be paid whatever the
result of the court action. That is,
all of them lost if you fail to take
into account the enormous amount of
free advertising the widespread pub
licity given the trial brought both the
Tribune and the fivver builder.
Henry Ford in unique character,
and perhaps, has received more pub
licity at less expense than any other
living man engaged in a commercial
or manufacturing enterprise. On the
stand at Mount Clements, in answer
to a question by counsel for the Trib-
une, Ford admitted he was "ignor-
ant" but judging him by some of his
writings one would hardly believe
this statement to be entirely true.
In 'Mr. Fords Own Page" in the cuA
rent issue of the Dearborn indie
pendent he goes into the food situa-
ton and tell something of the meth
DDS used by profteers in their rob
berry of the ultimate consumer. After
telling of the ability of the earth to
provide an abundance of food for all
the teeming millions of people that
inhabit the globe, and directing at
tention to the fact that nature never
yet went on anything like general
strike, Ford gets down to the meat of
the problem, when he says:
Sometimes our attention is rivet-
ed to this or that commodity, such as
wheat or meat; but it doesn't matter
as to details; the fact is the whole
food supply of the people has been
placed under an exploiter's tax.
when you find that meat is too
expensive because it has increased
100 per cent in two years, you take
to some perfectly adequate substitute
like rice.
"And when you look into the chan
nels through which the rice comes to
you, you find it under the control of
the same forces that made meat i'm
possible to you. You find, moreover,
that due to these modern methods of
merchandising" of which so much un-
truth is told, your rice costs you
rs per cent more than it did year
ago.
1T is certainly a great game that
corners the substitutes. The same
drives people to substitutes, and then
forces that made butter impossible in
hundreds of thousands of homes, has
control of the oleomargarine supply"
Ford may be an Ignorant idealist,"
as he admitted under the gruelling
examination of trained lawyer, but
ne seems to have fairly good grasp
upon the economic situation now
faced by this country when he says
THE food question is the chief
public economic question. 1t doesn't
much matter if our ballot is free,
II our bread is at the mercy of the
profteers.
I'VE can chant about liberty and
equality all We please, but it will not
mean much if an invisible govern
ment of food gamblers is able to
levy eXtortionate tribute on our din
ner tables"
Already there are thousands of
filvver owners who sing praises of
Ford and it may yet develop that his
interest in the ultimate consumer of
toodstuffs will bring more thousands
INTO the overwhelming circle of his
admirers.