Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-07-30
HENRY FORD.

Today Henry Ford is celebrating his fifty-eighth
birthday. He was born a poor boy at Greenfield,
Michigan Today he is the worlds largest automobile
manufacturer,
There are those who believe that Henry Ford
has been lucky They will admit other possible
explanation for his business They delight in
funny stories of his auomotve products-stories
which he probably reshes as much as they as long
as he can keep making and selling a hundred thou
sand month.
There are three views of the Henry Ford of to-
day to which the Journal would like to call its read
ers' attention. First, however it should be stated
that the journal has not approved every political
theory Of the Detroit manufacturer. 1t has not APP
proved all of his economic of his
flights in the journalistic field. But waive those
things for moment.
1t was less than six months ago that Henry Ford
was in desperate need of SIS 100000 to finance his
business His warehouses were clogged with unsold
cars, but he could loans from banks There
that huge financial institutions
plotting his downfall-that they hoped to tighten
credit until he would be forced to divide his plum"
with them.
Mr.. Ford had other intentions. When he saw that
a financial "freeze being directed against
him. he decided to stake his future with his agents
and with the general buying public Says the New
York World;
Ford pushed his 1875 900 surplus automobiles
up the hill off his inventory account and into
the hands OF his lI,UUU dealers. lie shipped
automobiles over the world to willing and
willing consgnees and drew against them. The
tide of cash returned - $69, 900 before
April l."
There are a host of details of the Ford triumph
the financial rng-his changes in personnel his
train-load shipments to already overloaded dealers,
his drastic against bank connections In the
first four months of this year, he produced 1SS 900
automobiles and sold 307 900. He reduced his nven-
tory from S105, 900 600 to sea 500. 900
He maintained his high wages to labor, but he
demanded higher efficiency. When formerly $4,000
men had produced average of 1000 cars daily, he
now secures $500 cars daily with 40 900 men,
In bad year, he has gained SSOOO,OOO in assets.
That is one picture. Take the of the Detroit.
Toledo and Ironton railroad, his railroad.
He has cut the freight rates of that road twenty
per cent when his rivals have been urging the Inter-
state Commerce commission to allow them increases
He has done it by office economies and by using his
traffic agents to businessmen merely to main
tain offices. He has applied his factory methods to
the railroad-and it is making money at time when
congress is considering huge loans to aid the railroad
industry in this country
Ford has showed that internal economies not
external paternasm will solve the railroads finan-
cial problems.
Now Ford wants to buy the Muscle Shoals nj
trate plant in Alabama from the government. 1t is
lying idle and is constant cost TO Uncle Sam. Ford
for period of hundred years Think Of an obli-
cation like that
He also wants to purchase two dams for the cleo
trio power they will produce to run the plant He
will be satisfied with eight per yield on his
investment. He proposes to manufacture fertilizer as
private enterprise, but should this country become
engaged in another war, he would put the plant at
the disposal Of the government for war purposes.
What this country needs along economic lines,
Henry Ford seems able to supply at reasonable prices
His tractor has helped solve some of the farmers
problems cheap commercial fertilizer would be of
great help. If 1t meant more money for the farmer
it would mean a wider marker for Mr. Fords cars.
Mr. Ford is seeking to benefit the lot of his potential
customers-which is not bad business sense.
On Fords birthday it might be we'll for his critics
to re-appraise the man. They will find that he has
made his mistakes as all active men do. He is not
monument; he is moving force. But they will also
find that he has made and is making tremendous
contribution TO the advancement of American bust
ness methods, in sales well production.
On basic Of his achievements they must weigh
his value to American life.