The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-06-28
FORD WILL BUY
UNCLE SAM s BIC
NITRATE WORKS
Plans to Reduce Cost of FertiIiz-
err For Farmers of America
COMMON LABOR Sc A DAY
This Wage to Go Into Effect on
His Railroad System on
July First

Detroit, June 28.-Henry Ford
is preparing to complete the eco
nomic cycle of his industrial empire
by buying the governments $780,
100000 nitrate plant at Muscle Shoals
Ala.
This plant is still incomplete and
idle, lacking an appropriation of
$15,0O0000 to finish II and put it in
operation
Ford plans to transform this white
elephant into a paying proposition in
the same way in which his wizardy
changed the d., T. g. L., railroad from
a 100000 a month loser to money
maker
Ford's first step in setting up an
independent Industrial empire was
to establish his own parts" factor
les here for his auto and tractor
plants. His second step was to pur-
chase outright his sources of raw
materials His third step was to buy
the D.. T & /. railroad to transport
much of these materials to his factor
les.
Now he is making his fourth step
negotiating for the purchase OF
the great nitrate plant. Why? To
provide cheaper nitrates for farm
fertilizer; thus to improve the farms
and increase the farm market for
tractors and automobiles,
On July /, when other railroads
are to cut wages of unskiled labor
y per cent, Ford viii raise wages
an average Of 40 per cent on MS
railroad establishing minimum
wage OF $6 q day,
Soon Fords River Rouge plant
will begin making locomotives Of
new type that he expects to cut in
half the cost OF motive power. These
locomotives will be much lighter
than those now In general use.
Beginning July l, Fords railroad
employees will have every Sunday
Off. No passenger or freight trains
viii be run ON the d T. & |. on Sun
day, except milk trains. Ford hopes
eventually to work out some method
so that even milk trains will cease
operating on Sunday.
Railroad on Factory Basis.
I'VE are trying to put this rail-
road on factory basis" Ford says
Were going to work the railroad
six days a week with eighthour
sh fits, and rest on the seventh day
There are no titled officials on the
Ford road. Men are bigger than
titles on the d., T & |. and each
man is made to feel direct RESPONSE
bility that the humblest job is as
important as being president OF the
road
Most railroads are ohicered to
death" says a Ford executive
Bonuses for demonstrated eff
cehcy will be paid on the usual Ford
plan,
To Pay For Overtime.
Overtime will be paid, but Ford
will discourage overtime as much as
possible
His orders are, in effect Hire
more men and limit work to eight
hours. Wen get back in increased
efficiency every dollar it costs us.
In eight hours a man can give all
that's in him.
Ford plans to build lighter freight
cars and coaches as we'll as lighter
engines.
we propose stopping this haul
ing of dead weight in the form of
unnecessarily heavy rolling stock. "
the Ford engineers explain. "A
steel tube is stronger than solid
rod. It's durability and strength,
not weight, that counts.
In addition to lighter weight
cars, we're going to limit tonnage
hauled by our trains. That's the
way to get speed. The Nickle Plate
has uroVed it.