The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-06-20
FORD COMPANY
20 YEARS OLD;
GR0WTHSTEADY
Production at Biggest Peak
of the Existence of Huge
Manufacturing Concern

.Dctr oft, Mich, June 20.-'The Ford
.fotor Company was twenty years
old June 10th.
This birthday anniversary finds
it enjoying the greatest prosperity
in its history and engaged in carry
ing out an expansion program OF
enormous magnitude, necessary to
bring manufacture up to meet the
Products.
In the score Of years which have
passed since it's incorporation on
June 16, 1908, the growth of the
company has been amazingly rapid
and now its activities extend to
nearly every country on the globe
and the Ford car is in use in prac-
tically every land on earth.
The capital originally subscribed
in the company was 100000 of
which only $4,000 in cash was ac
tually paid into the treasury. Among
the twelve stockholders with the
company in it's infancy Henry Ford
held % per cent Of the stock.
Ford sold" his car to the public
at the very start by practical de-
monstration for he piloted the first
Ford racer himself and won race af-
ter race in all parts of the country
Driving old "999' on an ice track
at Baltimore Bay, Mich, he was the
first to break the mile minute re-
cord.
In 1907 Mr.. Ford acquired add
tional stock sufficient to bring his
holdings in the company up to So
1-2 per cent.
since 1908 when the Model "T'' Ford
Car was first placed on the market
has been marked by unusual sue
cess until now it occupies the fore
most position in the industry.
In 1913, Mr.. Ford set new stan
dard for the industrial world whcr
he announced his now famous SIS {
day minimum wage and the 100000,
900 profit sharing plan, a move thai
gained him international fame.
Many will remember, too, yea
or so later when announcement wa!
made that if sales went to a certain
figure every Ford Purchaser would
receive rebate. The sales passed
the figure and checks went out b!
the hundreds of thousands.
When in 1919 Edsel B. Ford as
sumed the presidency, his fatheI
turned over to him all the RESPONSE
bility Of that office and he has tax
en- an important part in all devel
opments of the company since tina
time. Upon becoming President
Edsel Ford purchased the remaining
4l IL per cent held by outsid
stockholders and on July 8, 1918
the Company was organized un
der the laws of Delaware for an au
thorized capitalization of 100000,
600.
In his ambition to do the great
est amount of good for the larges
number of people, Henry Ford al
ways has kept the Ford Car within
the reach of the person of average
means.
Last October the price of Fore
Cars was again reduced bringing
the various types to the lowest leve
in the history of the company. Ant
only recently the inauguration of tn
Ford Weekly Purchase Plan has op
ened the way to automobile owner
ship for additional millions of PEG
pie who can now buy Fords OIL
weekly payments as low as SIS.
The first car manufactured by tn
Ford Motor Company was on tn
road in June and sold the early par
ofgJuly, 1903. In the initial year
10000, the company produced ITO
cars and each year has seen
steady expansion until i'm 1922 pro
duction totaled 1,351,33 and thi
year will pass the 100000 mark,
figure which it is estimated will
equal if not exceed the combined
output of all other automobile com
panies in the United States.