Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-07-29
FORD TELLS HOW
.TOCURE NATIONS
RAILROAD ILLS
Cut Rates, Boost Wages.
Stop Waste, His
Formula
BY E. M. THIERRY
Copyright. 1920

rize my railroad - I'm making it
serve the PUBLIC"
This is the boiled-down answer
Henry Ford gave when I asked him
to tell his magic formula" for cur
ing Americas railroad ills.
Giving two hours out of his vaca-
tion in the West Virginia mountains
with H. S. Firsetone and Thomas A.
Edison, he told me how after pur-
chase he rehablitated the D., T. l..
railroad. And he declared that Ap-
plcation of the same methods would
make all "sick" railroads well,
eve cut freight and passenger
rates." said Ford. "And it won't
take long to reduce the rates SO 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 it.
"Under Wall Street management
the only way they know to make
money is higher railroad rate =
which is the poorest way in the world
to get business" =,
Ford said he wasn't n magicia&
and "didn't WELD magic wand.
This is his recipe:
"Keep the railroad busy and the
equipment busy and all the men on
it busy.
"On the D. f. & I, We are get
ting along fine making money
where the road never made money
before. aallinG il because the men
a plsy az tneir hearts arc IN
their work.
eve elim,naIed waste and o'ad
weed. Al4-saslroadssea sseap---~and- should
do the same thing.
Ford declared he found enough
scrap along the D., T. g. l to pay for
its purchase.
"What is the first thing you would
do if you were given all the rall-
roads to run?" | asked him.
"Slash rates, boost wages, let lot
of the men CO." he replied. I'D let
some of the men go back to the
-farnl-temporarily. They'd be OF
more use there.
Thinkers i4eedcd.
"Tbere are too many men run
ming the railroads who let some
body else do their thinking for The n.
We want men who can think for
themselves. =,
"That's why | made my sen, Ed
sci, president of the Ford Mo1or
company. He thinks for himself
"Another thing is that too many
mon let title spoil them. That S why
| made myself president OF tine D'
T. & l. .alo If
nresident didn't spoil Edsel.
As railroad president toro re-
ccives season passes fron other rall-
roads. But he dosen't use them,
Thev offer to haul his private car
free he always pays for 1t.
"As long al money is the me-
H., 10 of eYchange," said, Il be-
Iicve It ought ID be used. # | want
son, ,othino and haven't got the mon
ey to buy it / ought not to Buy IT,, u,
Too bad everybody doesn't ao'lo"
that plan" >, .ho n
One of Ford's reforms on Ihe ~,
r. & was to take able men out OIL
bis motor car industry and let them
run the railroad.
! Too Much Tradition.
GA lot of railroads would be oetVeI ~
off if they adopted po'-cy aions ,
tbat line" said. "There is too much
tradition in the railroads-doihg
tb;nos in old-fashioned ways.
"What did we ever know a2ou,
,.a;Iroade-except to ride on EN-
Yet we've got our road orgshlz5o l;,s, og y,
that inside of year 1t IS ni'Nlns .5
money. Any railroad could DC ru'
on it's feet in that time :.
- "The- old-fashioned method u. ~
,,,nnino railroads-and in lots Oh
otba, hnsinesses-is to do as nuts
49, w vo,, can and get the money as
fast as possible ,.,,u with
~ see a new era dawn'he' WIN
this creed: Do as much as you tan'
oe @et small returns, and serve the
most neople-and the money VIII
lrv non,o in 50 fast you won't kno"
cJ,,le ..hneo i ;s coming from--it i'll in
/ 4
undate you.
Too Much Manipulation;
asked Ford what he thougft was
the matter with American ralroads'
"roo much stakeholder" he re-
n1ied promptly. 81 mean too lnuch
Wall street manipulation - and toe
niue hweight in the rolling stock
Fundamental principles must he
changed. Designs must be made 1oi
lighter rolling stock.
Il don't believe in government
ownership, because what IS every
4 body's business is nobody : business
There should be private co,ololla
tion of all the railroad systems.
i RAILROADS have been managed b,
\ stoeklolaers. who only figure hov
much they can get out. of them fol
! the. naoment-not what they can d'
In thp future.