Evening star., 1923-03-02
FORD WAY BEHIND
+ IN WILLING ORDERS
Output of $4,000 Cars for
March Not Enough-SteeI
Plants Swamped.
BY j, C, ROYIE.
Special Ujsnstch IN IT,, O..

Speeini Dlspatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK, March 2.-The Ford
Motor Company plans to make $4,000
cars In March, as compared with 125,-
ooo In February. Ford dealers have
sent In acquisitions for 200, 900 cars in
March, and according to telegraphic
reports from Detroit today the COM
pany is further behind on untitled or
ders than at any time In its history
Those facts and the trend they
show in the automobile and other
businesses are having far-reaching
effect on scores of Industries. Steel
prices continue to move into higher
territory. Mills are breaking produce
ton records. yet Pittsburgh reports
they are having difficulty in meeting
the Ford demand. Automobile body
builders are fighting for preference
on aluminium and glass orders. An In
crease in wages. affecting 10000 nom
union miners and workers in indus
trial plants in the Birmingham coal,
iron and steel section was in effect to-
day.
Water Transportation Sought.
Freight tonnage on the railroads IS
at record rate with equipment still
cramped to handle it. AS a conse-
quence new boat lines are planned for
this season between Detroit, Buffalo,
Milwaukee and Chicago. Already au-
tomobileS are being driven overland
to Muskegon and shipped by boac
from there to west Lake Michigan
ports. Automobile manufacturers eX.
pect to start boat shipments to an
available ports April l.
Newport News and Norfolk. business
rivals for years. are bidding against
each other for the handling of at
least part OF Ford's Atlantic export
business. Ford, according to business
men of Norfolk. wants a site some
where on Hampton Roads for trans
atlantic steamship terminal TO NIL the
European demand for his cars ana
tractors. Efforts to confirm reports
negotiating for the Army base at NOR
folk have been futile.
Newport News Offers Site.
In response to the reports. however
Newport News has offered Ford a free
site on the water front, which, II il
said he has promised to conslder-
Norfolk countered with another OF
fer, the terms OF which have been
sedulously guarded Ford represent
atives have been in both citles seN
one of the country's greatest nnan,
cial houses recently declared they had
investigated the plant of the Ne"
port News Shipbuilding and Drydoch
Company.
with the Van sweringens control
ling the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad.
which they have linked with tne
Nickel Plate, 1t is pointed out thaG
those lines form a fairly direct ralt
line to Ford facsories yor Kep0ftS p0d pblse hn
deIphia that Ford interests played
some part in financing the acqu,si
ton of the Huntington holdinss M
the Chesapeake and Ohio by the van
SWeringenS
Increased Fruit Fleet.
In anticipation Of the largest fruiL
Iimnorting season in its history. sur
passing even the record establlshen
in 1919. the United Fruit COMPANY
has chartered seven additional steam
ships for service between New Or
iaeans and Central and South Amer
can ports This will make a total or
thirty vessels in commission in this
trade.
The French line and the Holland
American line have entered competl-
ton for passenger and freight traftlo
from American gulf ports to Europe,
offering luxurious accommodations
heretofore obtainable only out of At
lantic ports.
Sugar Mills Active.
Cuban sugar mills continue to
grind at capacity and very consid-
erable proportion OF the Cuban crop
remains 10 De llldThtled. lie "cSt-
ern and middle western beet sugar
companies have not yet sold more
than 50 to 65 per cent of last years
production. and as the grower is paid
by the factories on a basis of the
price for sugar. a very decided ad-
vantage is accruing TO the beet farm
ers from present prices and conditions.
which, however, are subject to change
as more complete information as 10
| the Cuban crop develops.
Copyright, 1921