Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-29
FORD PLANT CLOSING
To AFFECT 100000

~ ~ ~ b~~ ~ " ~
| DETROIT, Mich, Aug. 26.-One
hundred and five thousand employees
of the Ford Motor company through
cut the country will be without Jobs
after September re-. In addition,
several hundred Thousand other
workers employed in industries fur.
nishing materials for the Ford
plants will be affected.
Henry; Ford gave these figures to-,
day in announcing that his three big
motor plants at Detroit and his as
sembling plants throughout the
country would be closed on that
! date because Of the coal shortage.
| The announcement was the most
severe blow that Industrial Detroit
has received since the industrial
depression Of two years ago. 1t
I means, according to Mr.. Ford, that
5000 men employed in the plants
| of the company here will be with
out work. Thirty thousand others in
the assembling plants scattered
throughout the entire country will
be thrown out Of employment. How
long the plants are to be idle will
depend on the coal supply, the De
troit manufacturer said.
Mr.. Ford declared he chad not
the remotest idea" when the plant
could be reopened. 1t was announc-
ed that the normal daily consump-
| ton of coal in the Ford industries
was $500 tons, and although declin-
ing to- state the amount on hand
at this time, officials said it would
be impossible to do more than
keep the furnaces and ovens warm"
| Only a comparatively small mum.
Der Of employees will be retained
uring the shutdown it was an.
nounced.
| Ford's Statement
| Mr.. Ford's statement follows:
. hC SOol 04IhoI4Oi1 DCNO11lO I'LL
/ possible. For the last several weeks
we have seen a situation approach
| ing that we feared would force us to
close. We greatly regret having to
! take that step. Edsel, (Edsel B.
Ford, president of the Ford Motor
company, and I returned from our
eastern trip, and, night before last,
with every possible date and infor-
nation bearing on the subject be-
fore us, we strove until daylight,
trying to find some way out without
closing down.
Every way we turned we were
confronted by the situation that un-
| der the present handling of coal
there never would be time when
1--WE would have enough coal to oper-
ate the several departments of the
plant simultaneously.
1--WE, therefore, decided that of
necessity we must close down soon
er or later. We wish to keep enough
coal on hand to keep our furnaces
and coke ovens warm; to let them
get cold would cause US loss of
At the rat eve are betting coal now,
| September 16 will mark the time
when we will have only enough coal
| left to keep our furnaces and ovens
warm.
"Our reserve stock by that time
will have been completely exhausted.
We, therefore, will close down the
entire plant on September 16.
| Last night we wired 900 houses
| that supply us with material to stop
shipment and this morning letters
land kilograms were sent out to about
| 1000 more.
| 1--WE appreciate the great loss 1t
| will mean to these hundreds of sup
| ply houses, but it also will mean a
tremendous loss to us. At present,
we are producing $500 cars a day
and we can sell $500 a day. We
have to close down at a time when
we are doing a greater business than
ever before in our history"
Running at Capacity
Effect of the Ford shutdown will
be felt on industry in every part of
the country, according to officials of
the company. The number of work
ers employed by firms supplying the
Ford company with various parts
and raw materials, including iron
6and steel, was variously estimated
at from several hundred thousand
to three million"
The Ford plants in Detroit's SUI
burbs were closed for a number of
weeks during the industrial depres-
sion, nearly two years ago. Mr.. Ford
re-opened with a comparatively
small number of workmen, adding
to them rapidly. AS conditions i'm
proved, the employment figures rose
to the height attained during the
peak period" days following the
war.
/ At present, it is said, the company
is manufacturing automobiles and
tractors at greater rate than ever
before in its history.
! Announcement was made recently
that Mr.. Ford had installed oil burn.
ing furnaces at one of his plants as
an experiment. 1t developed today.
however, that only the furnaces in
the machine shops had been convert.
! ed into oil burners.
Business men and manufacturers
here were unanimous that the clos.
} ing of the Ford plants might have
: far-reaching effects on the national
economic situation.
! BIames Money Barons"
Industry the country over must
| throw up it's hands in surrender
within few weeks, if the rail an(
coal strikes continue" Mr.. ForC
said.
Mr.. Ford held financial interests
: responsible for the industrial tie-up
declaring the Money Barons" were
manipulating the labor unions ant