Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-01-04
Henry Ford a Miracle Man
(Boston Heraid)

(Boston Heraid)
Consider for moment the phe-
nomenon Of Henry Ford. He is an
immensely wealthy man, perhaps
the wealthiest man in the United
States-yet the public scents no
danger to it's liberties from his for
tune. He is an autocrat of the
quintessential type in the conduct Of
his business, labor unions have moth
ing to say in the management of his
plants, there is no industrial democ-
racy" there-yet the public seems
to be satisfied with the situation. If
he doesn't like the price asked for
coal he shuts down-imagine Judge
Gary trying to "get away" with such
thing! He makes huge profits by
underselling everyone else and rules
his dealers with a rod of iron-and
the public thinks well of it. He re-
invests those profits in more factory
capacity because che feels morally
bound to put his money back into
the business to provide more families
with incomes and to enhance the
prosperity of the entire country
and the public acclaims q new
idea! When Judge Gary does it
with the steel coporation's prohts,
made by selling at the lowest prices
in the trade, he is gouging the pub
lie, probably ax-dodging and Gre
ating monopoly, and the public
thinks anything but well OF it.
Ford owes seventy-five millions
and money is tight; the bankers
come offering to lend him money.
Does he borrow it? He does not. he
simply ships out all the cars he has
1oo1apS and draws
on them, thus defeating the machlna-
tons of Wall street. Where do his
dealers get the money? Instead OF
asking foolish questions. state in the
form of percentage the chance that
Judge Gary would have to get by
with a similar operation! Henry
buys a broken down railroad, trades
his freight with its connection 1or
business for his road-and the pup
lie clamors that he show the rail-
roads Of the country how to make
money. He makes bid for Muscle
Shoals and the public uprises to de-
mand that he be given q contract
which if made with any other dig
CORPORATION" would probably be her-
aided as a national scandal from
Maine to California. He thinks MS
tory is bunk" he attacks the Jews
he attacks the Federal Reserve Bank,
he favors rag-money and the aDon-
ton of "banking'-anda Wall street
newspaper (if it wrote lronlcaliy
there was nothing to indicate lt!)
saws he will do for President!
What's the answer?
Well. it is an old prOverb that
saws one man may steal the horse
while another may not even look
over the hedge. There are, also,
good many people in this country
who believe in Henry Ford's idea OF
taking the minutes as read SO Tar
as the past goes. One good thing
about complete absence OF knoWl-
edge regarding the state of the
question" is that everything Is pos
sible so far as evidence to the con-
trary is concerned. Once in While
this leads to achievement of the I'm :
possible. Likewise. the miracle
man" notion has always thriven on
our soil. 1t is nOurished by the same
climatic conditions as those when
equip the patent medicine shelves in
our drug stores. In olden times
medicine and religion produced the
miracle man" Today it is natural
that he should appear in business.
Short cuts to health. short cuts to
heaven and short cuts to prosperity
are all in the same category so far
as their appeal to men goes. Bust
ness has had its captains" its
"barons," it's pirates" it's male
factors" but with Henry Ford 1t
enters into possession of it's first
miracle man." And it is little short
OF amazing how many people of all
ages, ranks and degrees of intelli-
gcnce have fallen under his spell.
Sunday-paper science has assured