The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-12-30
Forbes Business and
Financial Analysis
BY B. c. FORBES.

BY B. c. FORBES.
We are a great nation for hero
| worship. We also worship bi5ness
If a man is not the greatest leader
! in his line or if a corporation ism
the largest in its line, We are little
| interested in him or it.
First-or nowhere. That's the
American motto.
It's curious to reflect how great is
the difference in our attitude between
the greatest and the second-greatest,
between the largest and the second
largest, between the fellow at the top
and the fellow on the next step of the
ladder.
Perhaps this indifference to any
thing short of the greatest or best or
biggest is a stimulating national trait.
Perhaps it does something to spur in
dividuals and organizations to in
crease their efforts to reach first
place.
Every schoolboy has for years
known the name Of the richest man
in America.
But who knows or bothers very
much about who is the next richest?
Everybody knows that Henry Ford
makes more automobiles that any
makes more automobiles than any
But how many people, outside the
industry, could tell which concern
makes the next largest number?
1t is rather generally known that
Marshall Field & Company is the 1arg-
est dry goods house in the United
States.
But which ranks next?
Grand Rapids is universally known
as the largest furniture manufactur-
ing center in America.
But how many Of US would ever
guess that the second largest center
is High Point, n. c.? q didn't know
it until yesterday
For a generation the PENNSYLVANIA
Railroad has been accepted as the
premier railroad in America. But
very few of US have ever stoppped to
ask which road ranked next
I know, and you know that Texas
is the largest state in the Union.
Find out for yourself which comes
next. Il would have to look it upO
We have all been taught for many
years that Pittsburgh was the great
steel city Of America.
Not many of US have known or
cared which city occupies second
place.
In the oil industry Standard Oil has
so completely occupied the public's
imagination that not a thought has
been given by the public to which
concern trailed along in the second
place.
Edison has for a generation been
acclaimed as our greatest inventor.
Who ranks next to him? 1 don't
know and I'm fairly certain you don't
know.
Any ten-year-old child can imme-
diately give You the Correct reply
when you ask, which is the tallest
building in the v'orld?"
You would probably be stumped il
asked to name the next largest.
The United States Steel Corpora
ton is referred 10 as the Largest iu-
dustrial organization in the world"
But there are several claimants OF
the second place-GeneraI Motors,
American Telephone & Telegraph,
Swift & Company, to name few.
Which is the greatest banking house
in America?
Anybody and everybody would.
without hesitation. reply, j. P. Nor
gan & Company" Not many would
would venture to offer a name for
second place.
The National City Bank and the
Guaranty Trust Company Of New
York are we'll known as the largest
bank and trust company in the coun-
try. But few could name the next
largest.
When we think of cash registers. we
think only of the National Cash Reg
cameras and films, we immediately
lllIlIh VI Tue Eastman hOUak COM
pany. When we think Of exquisite
jewelry, Tiffany is the name that
springs into mind. Powder and the
name of dupont are almost synonom-
Gus. When we think Of mail order
houses, Sears Roebuck & Company
comes into our mind in a flash. The
International Harvester Company is
about the only one most of US know
anything Of in that particular line.
Baldwin is the name that comes to
mind when We think Of locomotives.
Sugar and the American Sugar Re
filming Company always so together.
Cigar stores and the United Cigar
Stores are rarely separate in our
minds. The only enormous fruit
company most Of US think OF is the
United Fruit Company.
The moral Of it all?
Become the undisputed leader in !
your line. OF course.
copyright. 1922, by B. C. Forbes.