The Seward gateway., 1921-10-15

troit, where he had been summoned by the automobile manufacturer for a discussion of public matters affecting Alaska, and to help frame plan thru which Ford's paper, the Dearborn In dependent. could be of greater service to the Alaska people. MT. Drayton is the Alaska literary representative of the paper, and while away was made business agent for Alaska in addition to his work as a writer. When asked by the Gateway to tell something of his trip Mir. Drayton said he was agreeably surprised to find that Alas kans were, as a rule, rather better in formed than men of corresponding rank outside. "I can pick out half a dozen men right here in Seward" he continued, "who could instruct the av- craze business man outside on recent scientific developments; on the more notable recent achievements in litera- ture; and who could literally draw rings around the average Outside poll tician in knowledge of domestic and international policy. I'm glad to be home, Alaska, with it's illimitable el- bow room, it's freedom from noise and jars and districtions is plenty good enough for me-"
 "But you want to know something of Mir. Ford. He is the most difficult subject for brief and intelligible dis cussion have ever come across. This is so chiefly because he must be con- sidered as an individual and as an in stitution as well; both remarkable in every way. Personality I have no doubt that history will classify him as OllC Ol GllC GNO OI tIlIe6 HlOSI potent influences upon the civilization of the current era The report of his ignor- ance is merely one of those popular fallacies that invariably gather around the names of unusual men. I have met few college men so well inform ed as Mir. Ford, and never a single one whose powers of concentration and sustained mental effort were so great. I doubt if even Gladstone's mental faculties were under more per feet control. As to the subjects in which he specializes everybody knows that his superior has not yet appear ed on this planet. A great banker in Detroit told me that Mr. Ford is now much the richest man in the United States; but he cares absolutely noth- ing for money of itself. His business ktNSifA OAGClt tO llld1N lOIelgu countsies and invade many widely diff ferent fields. He is one of the great est land ownere in the world; the second or third largest producer of coal; manufacturer of great out puts of chemicals, lumber, glass, mo-
  tion pictures, acids, dyes, and what not. His Rouge river blast furnoces are third larger than Krupp's in Germany, the next largest in the world.
 This month MT. Ford is producing 4,500 cars a day, and 1000 Fordson tractors a day. He owns and operates hte largest private hospital in the world; and of course everything in it and about it is standardized. As every body knows he is the only railroad owner in the country who has been able to maintain hlgh wages, improve his road and enlarge it's equipment, in crease his dividends and simultane- ously lower freight and passenger rates by 25 per cent. In fact he is now petitioning the Interstate Commerce Commission for permission to further reduce passenger rates to one cent a mile on his railroad, saying it costs hum but one-half cent mile and he feels greater profit would be unfair to the public.
 In appearance MT. Ford is slenderly