New Britain herald., 1923-10-05

New York. Oct. 6.--Who are the 10
greatest business men Of America con-
tributing most TO the public service !?
The question was put to Charles
r. Flint, widely known as the Father
of Trusts" friend and confidant OF all
the big business leaders OF the past
century. who at 7S has just written
a book on his unique career Memoirs
of an Active Life"
Henry Ford is the greatest bust
ness wizard of history" says Flint.
what heights he will reach cannot
be foretold.
People used to be suspicious of
trusts and hated them. I acted as
organized in forming Fl industrial
consultations. which have often been
confused with trusts / think the
public has now come to believe that
industrial consultations have really
brought low prices to the consumer.
Ford has done the same thing in
dividnally as a large industrial con-
solidation has done, reducing manu-
featuring and distribution costs by
similar JuetlOuS.
Flint, who drives his own flivver to
his Wall street Office, says Ford is
great because his product has gone
far to prevent class distinction in
America"
industrial managers of today, he
says, have arrived at the age of wis
dom. Their public service is In stand
ardizing quality and in creating vol
ume and quantity production.
That's the test of a BUSINESS wizard.
Rockefeller was the first; then came
Carnegie. But of the living Amer
leans / would put Ford first. and
Rockefeller End. They are both In the
one man trust class, though Rookie
Teller later added to or absorbed
other companies after setting up In
dividually the same kind of produc-
ton organization that Ford has more
recently created.
"Schwab Is third in the list be-
cause he has been the greatest steel
master in standardizing metal pro-
duction. l would put forth a man
not so well known-George #. John
son, president of the Endicott- john
son Company, whose contribution to
the shoe industry is comparable to
that of Schwab in steel, j. Ogden Ar
mour in meat, and Earl d. Babst in
sugar. Armour, head of the packing
firm Of Armour g. Company, and
Babst, president OF the American
Sugar Refining Company, are fifth and
sixth on my list.
II would put seventh another man
with whom the public Is not generally
acquainted j. Watson, pres
ident of the Computing Tabulating-
Recording Company, because his bus
mess machines which seem actually to
think, are saving millions in systema-
thing office work.
Eighth, ninth and tenth are men
who in their fields have done work
similar to Schwab, johnson, Armour
and Babst; these arc William II.
Wellington, head of the cotton tex
tile firm of Wellington, Sears a. Com
pany, Charles A. Coffin, chairman of
the board Of the General Electric
Company, and George Eastman, presi-
dent OF the Eastman Kodak Com.
pany'
Flint gave his list of business wiz
ards to NEA Service in an interview
simplifying views, in his Forthcoming
book, on changing conditions in bust
ness. He pays tribute to the intel
ligent cooperation of labor leaders,
adding:
THE evolution of industrial pro-
gross has now reached an advanced
stage where its continued development
must be through industrial consoi-
dation; these facts are being gener-
ally realized by wage-earners.
This is the great lesson of econ
omics: The more easily each of us
can produce the more there will be
from each of us-of goods and lei
sure
Flint, though himself the organizer
of the chewing gum trust" admits
In chapter of his book that William
Wrigley is the greatest single busi-