The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-08
DECLARES FORD |S
 CLOSE bARGA|NER.
Calls Him Cold -BIooded In
 Business, But Favors Him >r For President

Chasing Henry Ford as "shrewd bargainer'' and declaring his real purpose in getting Muscle Shoals is not to sell fertilizer to the farmer. crease his power, Charles A. Brow nell, for II years advertising man. ager for the Ford Motor company, Monday told a joint meeting of the Exchange club and the Birmingham Advertising club that notwithstand- ing this "if Henry Ford were nomi- mated for President he would win by the largest majority ever given any candidate"
 MT. Brownell. who was one of the seven original founders of the Ex- change club, is in Birmingham as the guest of his sons, Ted and Blaine Brownel1, of the Brownell Auto com pany. -.c
 For my part, would rather see a company like the Alabama Power company get Muscle a Shoals ;i u than, Hsd for Ford for such paltry sum as s5.ooo. .o0o." the speaker said.
 "The United States government should not endow the family of Henry Ford for 100 years by giving them Muscle Shoals for s5.0oo. .00o." wanted Muscle Shoals he should pay for 1t just like anyone else. There would be a mighty protest against the Ford offer if the people of the United States understood its terms thoroughly" the speaker said.
 Henry Ford is . shrewd bargainer and you may be certain that the proposition be submitted to the gov ernment will work no" hardship on Mir. Ford or on his representatives. He guarantees to make fertilizer at profit of only per cent. but we have no assurance that he would make fertilizer at low prices to the profit.
 Getting Favorable Publicity.
 MT. Brownell declared that in the early days Ford motor cars were sold on advertising and that many of the policies of the company were adopted with view of creating good will and favorable publicity. His Idea was to create good will for the Ford Motor company and for. Henry Ford. thereby increasing production when he adopted the profit sharing and minimum wage of $5 per day, Mir. Brownel said.
 posed Mr. Ford stood out for $3.50 as a minimum wage, but James Couzens. then a partner of the firm, and now United States senator from Michigan. insisted upon s5 as minimum. Finally he persuaded MT. Ford to come to $4.50 when MT. Ford stood pat and would not. consent to higher minimum wage. It was at this point that MT, Couzens told MT. Ford that ih he were good sport he would agree to a minimum Of S5 per day and 1t was on this basis that MT. Ford consented to the $5 plan
 "on this stroke alone , we received se vorable advertising on the front pages of newspapers and thousands and thousands of editorials and in- dorsements, and 1t was declared that this was Fords billion dollar adver- Using stroke. This was the greatest movement ever made by the Ford Motor company and 1t was the best financial stroke ever made in the his- tory of the organization.
 O O O.
 Business Investment.
 MT. Brownell declared the move was "pre -eminently cold-blooded business Investment and added that he could not understand why all business firms do not adopt some such successful plan. Satisfactory re- suits have been obtained by many corporations throughout the country through similar plans. he said.
 Discussing war profits. Mir Brownell declared that out of busi- ness of $107.000. 900. his war profits equivocaliy for Henry Ford for Pres- ident. not that I consider him a great statesman, but because I be- lieve that Henry Ford could put to work his great business efficiency in government affairs. There are six teen million officeholders in the United States and am for Ford be- IaIt h out hay out" Mir Brownell said.
 MT. Ford Is shrewd bargainer." the speaker repeated in discussing Muscle Shoals from it's political as- pect, "and you may be certain that this contract which he offers the federal government takes care of Mir. Ford and his successors Before water power to him he should be made to pay something like it's fair value. If MT. Ford gets Muscle Shoals he will sell the power wher- ever he can do so at a profit to Henry Ford just like any private cor poration, would do."
 MT. Brownell has been a frequent visitor to Birmingham and predicts for\ this city and district 20 years of almost uninterrupted prosperity.
 There has been great void in the resources of the world due to war destruction. and there is no dis trict on earth better situated to sup ply this void than the Birmingham district" he said. When I first came to Birmingham many years ago I was favorably impressed and Il have never had occasion to change my opinion"
 James A. Simpson was installed as president of the Exchange club at the luncheon Monday. Others taking office were: Allen Loehr, first vice president; Bob Nelson. second vice president, and Leon Bradley, third vice president.
 New members of the board of con- trol are Cad Jones. Harold Robinson and Clinton Decker.