The Stroller's weekly and Douglas Island news., 1922-01-21
FORD HAS BIG
 CASH RESERVE Financial Wizard of Detroit Has More Money on Hands Than
 Any Man on Earth

Allen L. Benson, correspondent of Che International News Service. sent out Che following early this month:
 Detroit mch.- Henry Ford began Che new year with Che greatest amount of cash in tho bank that any human being ever had. A few years ago. Russell Sage. with ten or fifteen millions in ready cash used to have this distinction. Two days ago. tho General Motors Company announced Chat 10 had in Che bank S41.OOO.O0O. Henry Ford's bank balance today is in excess Of 8I2lO0O.OOO. He him- self does not know within S5.0OO.o0O or s1O.OOO.O00 Of how much actual cash he has at the moment. because he has not taken Che trouble to in- quire Of his son, Edsol. tho treasurer. since Che foregoing figures were given to him few weeks ago. "Cur balance today" said Mir. Ford. 'is probably between {ls5,oO,OoO and Stl5.OOO.0o0."
 Henry Ford is a billionaire. In reply to a question. he told me today that he had no doubt Chat his hold ings. based upon their earnings. could Doe capitalized and sold for a billion dollars
 Mir. Ford gave me this information because ! asked for it Neither his mind nor bis conversation runs Co money. am sure money means less to him than to any other rich man whom ] ever knew.
 NY property. he continued. "con- slsts of about Sl00.O00.c00 worth of buildings. SiO0.OOO.O00 worth Of ml- chinery and something more than s1OO. O.OOO.0O0 in cash. As % going concern. have no doubt that these assets could be capitalized and sold for a billion dollars But this fi2l,- OOO.O0 or whatever it is that we have in Che banks. means nothing to me except a tool with which Co work. ] might Hken it to a fly wheel on an engine. Che belt from a motor Co % machine. or to the wire that feeds electricity to a trolley ear. A bis balance is required to keep oun wheels going. We pay wages amounting to $500. .OO0 a day and our materials cost us $75O.000 a day Our bank balance is therefore suf- ncient to pay our operating expenses for only about 100 days.
 "An Che money that comes to mo goes into new industries. never invest money in bonds or anything of tho kind. What want is to make this a better country for an of us to live in. That is why ! want to get a chance to go to work at Muscle shoals see the government is going to have third bid for Mus cle Shoals. by the way. wonder if the politicians are playing their old game of comolicating a situation for the purpose of killing @ plan by de- laying action upon it. Well. if they keep me out of Muscle Shoals. win try to get a chance to put some dams on Che Misslwippi They can not bar mo out Of an Che water power sites in Che country. ] am going Co get n a number of places It is to the public interest that the wasted water power Of this country should Doc saved. Enough water power is going to waste Co heat. cook and fur- nish light for an the people of Che country.
 "But ! don't want Muscle Shoals or any other big power site for Che purpose Of owning it. If get Muscle shoals. ] shall contrive plan by which it will eventually become Che property Of Che government with out cost and serve the people forever while bringing profit to the govern ment."