The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1921-08-14
HENRY FORD TELLS HOW
TO SAVE THE RAILROADS

III 20 ~ WI
ttfrriee.)
IN CAMP. VIA OAKLAND. MD
As,H. fA.~-l am nj trying 20 burglar
~ my raiirond--t'm making Il ssrs.
the rubicr
That IL the boiled down nnrwc,
Henry Fore rave when I asked hin
- tell his magic formula for cur
ifE Aherica's railroad MIA.
uiyins tao hours out Of his vaca
tion IN \ West Virginia mountain
with II. Y. Flretsone n Thomas a
tidinpn. he told me how after pnr.
chase he rchnhiiitnted the ID. 4. s.
railroad. And he declared hat APP
pticnticn OF the same methods would
make all 'nlck" railroads well
we cut freight and passrnEel
rates 10 per cent and we boosted
ssAees," said Ford. And II won.i
take long 10 reduce the rates 80 ~
cent. q
An Could Cut.
"Aii railroads could cut their rate,
IN half. We have shown them how
rnt I'm afraid they won't 30 ".
Under Wall street management
the only way they know 10 make
money N higher railroad rates.
which IL the poorest wgy In the
world 10 get business"
Ford said he wasn't a magician
and didn't WELD n magic wand
This ~ his receipc:
Keep the railroad busy md the
equipment busy and all the men on Il
busy.
son the D., + a 7 we are getting
along fine-makIna money where the
road never made money before. max
lne u because the men are busy and
their hearts are In their work.
W. eliminated vast and dead
wood. An railroads can-and should
do the same thing"
Ford declared he found enough
scrap along the D.. T. 4 l. TO pay for
~ purchase.
what Is the first thing you would
do II you were given all the railroads
20 rum" ! asked him.
Slash rateE. boost wages, let a
lot OF men co." he replied. "f'd let
some Of the men 70 back TO the farm
temporarily. They'd be Of more
Thinkers xccded.
There are many men rum
ning the railroads who let somebody
else do their thinking for them. We
want men who can think for them
nelves.
That's why I made my son. Edsel.
president OF the Ford Motor COM
pany. Ifc thinks for himself.
Another thing Il that too many
men let titles spoil them. That's why
made myself president OF the
D.. r. A I.
I'm glad 10 say the title OF pres
ldent didn't spoil Edsei."
AZ a railorad president Ford re-
celves enson passes from other rail-
roads. But he doean't use ahem
TnAa.s ANTaa a. Aoa4I Ala warIasunA aur
free. He always pays for H.
"As long az money Is the medium
az exchange" he said. II believe u
ought 10 be used. IL I want some
thing and ! haven't got the money TO
buy Il ! ought not to buy II. Too
bad everybody doesn't follow that
plan"
One OF Ford's reforms on the D.,
T. a I. was 10 take able men out OF
his motor a industry and let them
run the railroad.
Too Much Tradition.
"A lot OF railroads would be better
off ~ they adopted a policy along
much tradition In the railroads--do-
ing things 30 old fashioned ways.
.Syhat did we ever know about
rniiroada--except TO ride ON 'emy
Yet we've got our road organized NO
inside OF a year it n making
money. Any railroad could be put on
iia feet In that time.
"The old fashioned method In run
ming railroads-and In lots OF other
busincsses--ss 70 90 as little as YOU
can and get the most money as fast
as possible.
Il see q new era dawning. with
this creed: DO as much as you cnni
get small returns. and serve the most
pe0pie-and the money will come IN
10 fast you won't know where its
coming 'front.' will inundate you"
Too Much Manipulation.
a4ked Ford what he thought was
the matter with American railroads.
'-Too much stockholder," he re-
piled promptly. II mean too much
wall street manipulation-and too
much weight In the rolling stock.
Fundamental principles must nc,
changed. Designs must be made for
light rolling stock.
II don't believe In government
ownership. because what ~ every
body's business n nobody's business
There should be private co-ordina-
ton OF all the railroad Hystems.
Railroads have been managed by
ntockhoiderH who only figure how
much they can get out OF them Tor
the moment-not what they can do
IN the future.
"No, 1 am not against a great mass
OF atockholders-if they are the right
kind. The right kind OF stockhoider
IN a railroad or In any Industry In
ONE WHO is DOING THE WORK
WHO HAS HIS HEART IN IT.
"Forty years ago my father used TO
say something that applies TO that
very thing:
" He who by the pillow would thrive
Must either hold the pillow or drive
Ford pointed 10 the great number
Of employees who are stockholders In
his motor car and tractor corpora
tions.
aIn all our plants and branches
we have from 10000 20 $1,000 men,
he said. '"Two-thirds OF them have
between 1900. 900 and s~f0,o0O.000
invested In the companies they work
for. This plan has been In operation
two years. An employe can " an
investment certifieate-which Is non
transferrable-oniy 80 long as he
works for US. When he leaves he
must sell. WHEN HE ISN'T WITH
US PHYSICALLY AND IN SPIRIT