The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-10-13
Henry Ford's Business Enterprises.


Whatever else may be said of Henry
Ford, there will be few toScontend, in
these days, that he is not a good bust
ness man. He has proved all such
allegations wrong by the most crucial
of all tests. that of success. The
man who build up a business running
into hundred of millions with nothing
but an idea to start on, must be adj
judged to have fairly won the palm of
success. Few dispute 1t to him now,
but it was not always thus When he
first tried out his ''horseless buggy"
on the streets of Detroit, and met
with failure, there was much laughter
and flouting and good natured advice
to go back to his shop and leave such
imDracticable schemes to those who
had the time and money to fool with
them. But Henry Ford had an idea in
his head which he believed in, and he
persevered until he won out. When
the practicability of the automobile
was finally acknowledged Henry Ford
was the first man to see that the pop
ular demand would be for a low
priced, but thoroughly reliable car and
he placed the tin Lizzie on the mar
fNOt' CT q pAACS loL Oyer NAH LIaL
of the more aristocratic and finer An
ished cars. 1t was the car of the COM
mon people, and they fairly fell over
themselves in their eagerness to buy,
until now about every fourth car you
meet on the road is a Ford His high
priced competitors poked all manner of
fun at the "tin Lizzies' all of which
only advertised them the more and
added to the makers profits The
Ford was found to be a dependable
car, able to run where the higher
priced and heavier cars baked, and
the people taxed the utmost efforts of
the factory to keep up with the de-
mand. The factory had to be enlarged
but still the business grew.
Then Henry Ford made a move
which caused his competitors to shake
their heads in doubt and wonder If
the man had gone crazy. He ANNOUNCE
ed that henceforth the minimum wage
in the Ford factory should be So per
day, big wage for those times But
he put it over, and with all the I'M
rest of these troublous times he has
never had a strike. And now, with the
war ended and the burdened people
hoping for a return to normal condi-
lions. he again points the way by vol
UNFAIRLY reducing the price of his
'flivvers" and that without reducing
the wages in his factory. OF course
other manufacturers had to follow his
lead, but being the first, he gets all
the advertising. Who shall say he is
not a good business mani And again
he has planned for the future in a way
that presages a still further reduction
In the cost OF his cars
1t is announced that he has bought
100000 acres of timbered land in
northern Michigan. the timber from
which will be sawed in his own mill
near Detroit for use in making Ford
bodies and other purposes. He already
owns coal mine in Kentucky. and
has recently bought railroad. the
Detroit, Toledo and Ironton, running
down into the coal country, and
avoiding the congested centers. Be-
fore very long he win have long trains
of coal cars, loaded at his own mines
running through. without interference
or delay, to meet at the factory the
lumber from his virgin forests in
Michigan. Year by year he adds to
the links of the Ford industries. and
depends less every year upon outside
organizations for his supplies. Al
ready the work on the Ford car and
the Fordson tractor begins with the
ore in Ford furnaces.
These latest moves have added auto
matically 1000 railroad men TO the list
OF Ford employees, who viii later be
entitled TO all the privileges of the
minimum wage and bonus distribution
The direct Ford payroll with these late
additions, now includes 100000 names
Some business man, Ell! - Tampa
Times.
EIoridafs roy4h