Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-10-01

greatest manufacturer the world has
ever known. That is Ford. You may
like his notions or you may oppose
his opinions. You may censure his
narrowness or curse his pgejudices
but there he stands with his great
smokestacks in Detroit aud his as
sembling plants scattered over the
face of the whole wide world. He is
the bigges factory builder that Ell
Their Van Loon or II. G. Wells were
liable to find in their painstaking sur
Ivey of the story of mankind.
| Ford is not captain of indus
try;" he is general of industry. When
this general shuts down his factory
the world sits up and takes notice. 1t
now appears that this shutdown
shook the whole nation, and in shak-
ing it shook the coal prices down.
And more-in the shakedown we find
Hoover split out on the floor in hui
initiating mixup with the interstate
commerce commission, which before
has been suspected of not doing its
duty.
The S. O. S. has been sent out over
the country to get your coal for vim
ter, to get the coal for your factory
and mill, and to get it quick before
the prices rise higher.
Ford, who has been investigating
conditions, reports retailers who have
demanded deposit of $40 before
they would even book orders for the
deliver yof anthracite at the tune of
$25 ton. Dealers have predicted
that it would rise to $50 ton. Well,
Ford says it is falling with an ava
lanche slide. If true, everybody will
hurrah for Henry.
Ford went out looking for coal. He
found it. He found it above ground. |
1t is not in the mines. It-is on flat
cars and in the coal piles along the
Ohio and Monongahela rivers. He
tells US that there is enough already |
out Of the mines to take the nation
through the winter.
Ford says the fellow who rushed
to fill his cellar was fool. A fool
because coal is going to be lower and
not higher. Well, perhaps he was a
fool, but Ford must remember that
everybody does not own a furnace big
enouhg to shock the world when the
hearth fires go out.
Ford contends, and not without the
appearance of good reasoning, that
he, interstate commerce commission
~ restricting shipments, and Hoo !
,er by fixing what Hoover called
fair prices" which were not fair
PRICES at all, both played right into
he hands Of the coal brokers who
we're resorting to all the crooked
ricks of dishonest high finance to
'lunder the people and proclaim
heritage that did not exist
These charges are serious. If Ford
las reported true condition, if that
which he presents are the facts, then
Hoover should be requested by the
oeople's representatives in congress
0 quickly get out of office and ev-
ny member of the interstate com
nerce commission should be forced ,
o resign.
Harding's administration has gone
ar enough in its plumber of the peo-
lie.
There is no room for grandstand :
layin this revelation" which Ford ,
rings to the people. 1t is so or it
5n't so. If it is so, Harding must
ret rid of Hoover and get rid of him
With dispatch. He must also be b
rompt yin remaking the interstate y.
commission and in remak-
ng its policy, for it matters not
neither this plan to plumber the peo- }
lie through their coal bins be the re-
ult of dishonesty and treachery or
indifference or ineffi- 7
iency-the people should not be :
made to suffer for either.
If, on the other hand, Ford brings :
n false alarm, something should d.
e done to Henry. If that proves the !
ase, the people will be equal to that
ask. But as it stands now it ap- (;
ears that Ford found something on
he carpet and Hoover and the inter
tate commerce commission were !
mong the things found there.-Jack-
onville Journal.
Smith Resigns as