South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-05-21

DETROIT. May 2o.-Heury Ford.
worlds master mechanic, Is working
20 cut the nations transportation
costs IN half.
Railroad men are eagerly waiting
70 see what he offers. for Ford has
. way OF solving mechanical and
organization problems that have
bafnsd the wisest men OF the gem
Grafton
The trouble with the railroads is
that they are spending far too much
for upkeep," was Ford's diagnosis
OF their disease.
He went out and bought two loco
motives He's tearing them apart
now in his experimental laboratories
at Dearborn. Mich
He's seeing just wherein they are
so heavy and cumbersome.
There's too much dead weight
In the world" he says. II see no
reason why a locomotive should be
200 tons in weight instead OF 100
tons.
And there's no reason why the
weight OF freight and passenger
cars should not be halved."
In a word, Ford plans to "jitney-
ize" the railways.
Lighter engines. cars. roadbeds,
bridges-with cOrrespondingly light
er costs OF operation and upkeep-
these are his aims
II Ford brings these things TO
IL he
built IN months instead OF years.
Freight rates and passenger fares
will be cheaper.
Thus every commodity transported
by the railroads will be cheaper
The business Of the country will
have to be reorganized.
Wouldn't Abolish Steam.
Ford does not propose to abolish
the steam engine in favor Of the
gas-driven railway car. He plans to
coordinate the two.
He recently purchased the Detroit.
Toledo and Ironton, 5OO-mile rail-
way. That road offers the material
for his experiments.
He has built The Dearborn" a
gas-driven passenger coach. It's a
street car MAAAAOuN a II 0AANgs
Weighing half as much as the or
binary electric car, IL holds the rails
while rounding a curve at SO miles
an hour. The total weight Of the
car Is IL "a tons.
Ford believes the gas-driven cars
should be used for passenger serv-
Zee. long and short runs. Steam
propelled trains would be used for
freight.
II the scores OF long transcont!-
mental passenger trains were replac-
ed with Individual cars II would
mean a ten-minute-apart schedule
between New York and San Fran
cisco.
Was Poor 20 Years Ago.
Industrial emperor. That's what
they call Henry Ford in Europe.
and many in this country look upon
him in the same light.
Twenty years ago he had nothing
OF this worlds good. To-day
He owns the largest factory in the
world.
He is the only individual in the
world to own a real railroad.
He owns the most thoroughly
equipped hospital in the world: IL
Is also one OF the largest.
He had orders for 200. 900 cars in
April. The monthly maximum out
nut is 90, 900. This means
He has put his industry back TO
normal before any other man IN the
country.
He has done more than any other
individual IN the world 60 relieve
unemployment and business stagns-
don.
He will pay a bonus OF one DAVIS
wages every two weeks. beginning
May is.
Ne has reclaimed thousands OF
conv1cts and other "down-and-
cutters"
BE founded the Ford institute OF
Technology for the training OF tech
meal experts
He founded a boys trade school
He owns an s.e00-acre farm on
which there is neither COW nor
horse.
He publishes weekly paper. the
Dearborn Independent
He . erecting a sT.50o.o00 plant
a. Troy. ~. Y, 20 make farm trac
tors.
He's miller. grocer. butcher. dry
goods merchant. legal adviser teach
sr and doctor for $4,000 in his en-
pioy.
Makes Many Products
Ford's miIe-iong factory at River
Rouge. Mich. Is the greatest manu-
featuring plant IN the world. II Is
the central unit OF the most self
Tuficient industry in the world
Ford ships and Ford trains. trav-
cling on Ford trucks. bring in tim
her Srn-n E,rrd forerfa coal frnm