The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-11-26
HENRY FORD
HAS GREAT
PLANS AHEAD
Says That He Will
Have Jobs For a Mil
lion Men If Govern
ment Will Sell Him
Muscle Shoals

a representative of the Detroit
Free Press. few days ago outlined
briefly the great plan he visions for
the industrial development of the
south if the government sells to
him the Muscle Shoals project. He
has enlisted the support and as
sistance of Thomas Edison and be-
tween them they plan to bring to
pass an industrial miracle. Mr..
Ford said in part:
eff the government will sell it's
Muscle Shoals project I will put the
south on the map"
Just what do you mean by
that?' 1 inquired.
Il will give employment to a
million men in the south" he re-
pied. Il will establish industries
that will have a beneficial effect
not only on the south, but on the
whole country. will extract from
the air nitrates that will be suffl-
cient in quantity to fertilize the en-
tire cotton belt.
Thomas a. Edison has been
ready for the past month to go with
me to Muscle Shoals and give ne
expert advice with regard to the
nitrate plant. Mr.. Edison and l
will start south the moment the
government decides to turn the
property over to me.
"If the government will let me
go to work at Muscle Shoals l will
establish a great aluminium plant
in which aluminium will not only
be extracted. but manufactured into
machinery parts.
/ will establish plants in which
cotto,. will be spun and woven
into cloth. l will put to work ev-
cry horsepower that can wiring out
of Muscle Shoals. no matter how
many plants it may take to con-
sumo it.
From my experience in other
places l have learned that one man
is employed for each horsepower Of
energy in a plant.
Muscle Shoals is good for 100000
That is why say that
if the government will let me, will
put a million men at work.
Il will give the whole nation an
object lesson. not only in the use
of waterpower, but in modern agri-
culture.
The country is full Of unused
that should be harness
ed and put to work. There is a
fall of 400 feet n the Mississippi
between ST. Louis and New Orleans,
and not dam on the river.
There should he at least dozen
dams on this great stream. No
land worth anything need be food
ed. 1t is sufficient to install a low
dam and then take the water off at
one side in great iron conduit and
carry it along beside the river until
the fall has been sufficient to run
water wheels.
Il have nine dams on g. little
river 80 feet across that runs
through my farm at Dearborn,
Mich. and from this small stream
take between 800 and 400 horse
power. My little stream furnishes
light and heat for my home and
and the rest cf the cur
rent is wired over to my Dearborn
plant.
How many homes could the
heat if its power were
converted into electricity? How
many states could be fertilized with
the nitrates that could be extract
ed? How many industries could
be established? How many mil
lions of men could be employed?
Il tell you it is time that we
awakened to the neglected oppor-
tunities that our country presents.
1t is time that we should do some
thing more than complain Of un-
1t is also time that
we paid some attention to mod
ern methods Of agriculture.
Farmers may not know it. but
the old methods Of agriculture are
about ready to go. The farmers of
he very near future are going to
be bright. snappy young men from
the cities They are going to make
more money while devotlng but
'raction of the time to agriculture
hat the Old fashioned farmers put
IN.
Fully 90 per cent Of the farmers
work today is unnecessary They do
not sufficiently fertilize their soil
md they do not use enough ma
Il harvested three thousand
acres Of wheat on my Dearborn
arm last summer and the operation
-eqrired just four days. Twenty
lays year is enough to do the
work on any farm il it is done with
and in the right way.
The farmer of the Very near fu-
.ure will be a man who will divide
lis time among three occupations
Twenty days of each Year he will
devote to agriculture. Five or ten
lays more he will devote TO trans
)ortation. during which he will
o;d his products on motor trucks
md whirl them over good roads to
lis market.
The rest of the year he will de-
;ote to industry, by which I mean
hat he will be employed in a fac
.ory near his home.
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