The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-08-09
HENRY FORD GIVES SOLUTION
TO PRESENT TANGLE BETWEEN
AMERICAN RAILROAD INTERESTS

In Camp. Via Oakland, Md. Aug J..
- am not trying to burglar2e my
railroad-l'm making it serve the
public
This is the boiled.down answer
Henry Ford gave when asked him
to tell his magic formula" for cur.
ing Americas railroads ills.
Giving two hours out Of his vaca-
ton in the West Virginia mountains
with II. : limestone and Thomas \.
Edison he told me how after pur.
chase he rehabilitated the d. T. /.
faiIto And he declared that appl.
cation Of the same methods would
make all sick" railroads we'll
we cut freight ana passenger rates
20 per cent and We boosted wages, -
said Ford. And 1t won't take long
10 reduce the rates 80 per cent
All Could Cut.
"All railroads could cut their rates
in half We have shown them how.
But I'm afraid they won't do 1t.
Under Wall street management
tho only way they know to make mon.
ey is higher railroad rates-which is
the poorest way in the world to get
business"
Fo,d said he wasn't magiciou. "
and didn't WELD magic wand. This
is his recipe:
'Keep the railroad busy and the
equipment busy and al the men on IL
busy
"On the u T. 4 l.. we are get
ting along finc--making money whers
tn, road never made money before
making 1t because the men are busy
and their hearts are in their work.
We eliminated waste and dead
wood Al iIlcoads cln-and should
do the same thing
Ford declared he found enough
scrap along the d. r. " l.. TO pay for
its purchase
What is the first thing YOU wouli
do II YOU were given all the railroads
To run'' ! asked him.
slash rates, boost wages. let lo,
ot the men 20" ne said. "Id let some
Of the men 30 back to the farm-tcm
porarily. They'd be Of more use there.
Thinkers Needed.
There are too many men running
the railroads who let somebody else
CO their thinking FOR them. We want
men who can think for themselves.
That's why | made my son. Ed
sci, president of the Ford Motor Com.
fany, lie thinks Tor himself
Another thing is that too many
men let titles spoil them. That's why
made myself president OF the u. r.
4 |.
"lm glad to say the title or prcs.
idont didn't spoil Edsel"
As railroad president Ford rc.
ccives season passes from other rail-.
roads They offer to haul his pri.
waite ear free. lie always pays for L..
AS Ions as money Is tho medium NJ
exchange" he said. n believe lt
ought to be used II want some
thing and | haven't got the money 20
tuy 1t | ought not to buy II. Too had
everybody doesn't follow that plan"
one OF Ford's reforms" on the ~
T. n l.. was to take able men out Of
his motor cat industry and let them
run the failrold.
lou Much Tradition.
~ lot IT railroads would be- yct.
tor oS II hey adopted policy along
that line" he said. There Is too
much traction In the railroads.&c.
ing things IN oldfashioncd ways.
What did We ever know about
'ailroads Except to tide on cm9 Yet
we've got our road organized 80 that
inside ~ sear II Is making money
Any railroad could be put ON its feci
In that time.
"rhe old-fashioncd method of run
ming tailroads-and In lots OF othci
I lusinesses-is to do as little as you
can and get the most money as fast
as possible.
Il see a new era dawning. with
this creed DO az much as you can.
set snail returns. and serve the most