Evening star., 1926-04-13
By-PRODUCTS HUGE
BUSINESS OF FORD
Chemical Output Most I'm
portant Single Item of
This Trade.
BY j. C. ROYLE.


Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, April 13.-Intensive
study of new methods of mass pro-
duction is being made in score OF
industries today. This study is being
led by Investigations of the Ford
company, regarded as the parent OF
modern mass production, according to
DISPATCHES received today from De-
troit.
Since 1920, prices of Ford cars have
steadily been lowered, but production
has gone up with equal SteadineSS.
The fragmentary figures fled in Mass
achusetts recently indicate that the
margin of profit on each car has been
reduced in the past year. There are
ample reasons, however, why the
company has continued to yield
huge income. 1t is due in no small
part to the improved use of by-prod-
ucts.
In the last year $11, 100000 worth
Of by-products we're sold by the COM
pany, which used in it's own opera
tions fully as much. More than
S4, ,OO0, 900 was realized from products
formerly counted a total loss. The
most important single item was chem
ical products, which yielded $1,939,-
776. Some of these came from scrap
wood treated at the Iron Mountain
distillation plant, and others from the
coke ovens at River Rouge.
Charcoal worth $206,466 was pro-
duced from scrap wood and concrete
was made from blast furnace Stag.
Surplus coal mined in the Ford
properties and sold in the open mar
ket returned the company S2.719,SS1,
while the company itself used about
an equal amount. Surplus glass pro-
duced above the amount needed for
Ford cars found a ready sale. Farm
products and livestock brought in a
revenue from the companys expert
mental farm at Hamilton. Ohio.
The concern has started the manu-
facture of cloth at it's Highland Park
plant. This fabric is used for in
| terror upholstery of Ford cars. At
present only 6 looms are in opera
| ton, and output is 900 yards a day,
but "A looms will be added and by
| August daily production will run
| about $500 yards. The company's
cloth requirements run about 10000
yards a day. The plant is largely
the result of an experiment. 1t was
| started in a section left vacant by
removal of the camshaft and crank
shaft departments to. River Rouge.
! The wool used is obtained 50 far
as possible from Michigan farmers.
! L he ClOlu Is oo pei CCHI WOOl dIlu ~
per cent cotton.
Minnesota farmers expect to bene-
| fit materially from the operations of
the Ford st. Paul plant, which will
| furnish an additional market for flax
| straw, in addition to the revenue re.
| ceived from f1aXseed and linseed oil.
| It is known Ford experts are expert
! menting on machinery to make linen
directly from the raw flax straw. Ford
has purchased a farm in northern
| Michigan, on which he will expert
ment in fax culture.
| The Ford lumber camp, No. 4, in
| the upper peninsula of Michigan, is
| probably the first logging camp in
the state to operate entirely without
horses. Tractors handle the logs in
every operation from the time they
are felled until they are on the rail.
road cars. The camp is in the midst
of a magnificent stand of timber, 80
| miles from the Ford sawmills. The
| production of the camp in the last
! Winter and logs purchased from other
| operators are now decked along the
shore of Lake Michigan awaiting
| opening of navigation to be towed to
the mills at PeQuaminS and Lanse.