New Britain herald., 1927-02-03
FORD'S WEALTH IS
 MUCH OVER BILLION
May Be Worth Couple Of Bl- lions, Former Official Says

Washington, Feb. B. (UP) - Henry Ford. the worlds richest man, is a billionnaire and perhaps a mul- ti-billionaire.
 Ford is worth at lease $1,50o,- 100000" Norval A. Hawkins, De- troit accountant. formerly sales manager for Ford, told the United Press today. "He has about s4o0,- 600. 900 in cash in banks
 The fliyver king may "even be worth a couple of billions," Hawkins intimated. He said that in estimating the billion and half he dd not in clude Ford's railroads, mines, or holdings in the Ford Motor Company of Canada and the Ford Motor Com pany Of Great Britain.
 Joseph Mccoy. actuary of the treasury, in analyzing income tax re- turns, recently said America now has it's first billionaire. He men toned no names, but Hawkins state ment showed that Ford lis in that classification"
 Hawkins Is a witness for the de- fense in the government S6,000,000 tax suit aganst Senator James Cou- zens, Mich. and ten other defendants who sold Ford the minority stock in the Ford Motor Company in 1919 for s107, 100000.
 All defense witnesses so far have painted a romantic tale of the story of the rise of Ford. They pointed out how he produced low-priced car and from the years 1906 to 1913. never made less than S170 on each machine sold. His profit per car one year ran as high as s250.
 Dr. David Friday. economist. characterized the Ford business as the seventh wonder of the world" He placed the value of Ford stock on March l, 1913, at SIP, 900 share. The government contends the stock was worth only s3,500 and that is the main problem in the entire suit. for it the government valuation stands, the defendants must pay about sS6.o0O,oo0 more taxes.
 Fred Cries, Detroit accountant and partner of Hawkins, probably will be the first witness for the de- tense today. Later in the week the defense may call Senator Couzens.
 The government has seven attor- neys, while the defendants have IS. So far the defense has offered 93 exhibits to support it's case.
 Counsel for the defense come to the court room each morning with a trunk full of data and brief cases loaded with information.
 Doesn't Like Wall Street
 New York. Feb. {9 = Henry Ford's refusal of one billion dol lars for his automobile business was seen in financial circles today as further evidence of his antipathy to Wall street. the billion dollar offer was giver by John M. Prentiss at hearing in Washington yesterday in the against former minority stockhold CTS of the Ford company.
 Wall street circles recalled tha even in the "dehation" of 1s2l WHeIl NIT, Y OTu was plHCncu lol cash he declined assistance from New York bankers.
 Except for one instance of hand ing to a Wall street financier tht 1inancier's hat. Ford has been 2 good host to callers from the New York financial center Several New York financiers at various times have been his guests in Detroit but only on the stipulation that talk of buying his company was barred
 Ford has been a big lender oi call money in Wall street through banks in which he deposits but there Is no record of purchases ol sales by him through any stock exchange. Edsel Ford his son. al various times. has been credited with being a large buyer of Hud- son Motors.
 My company will never 20 tc Wall street." Henry Ford has said
 Stock of the Ford Motor com pany is not available in any mar. ket. but the Ford Motor compan, of Canada IS quoted on the New York curb, presumably agains Ford's wishes.
 "Oh. you are one of those Wal street guys" was his greeting tt Mir. Prentiss, now senior member of the Wall street firm of Horn blower and Weeks, when Prentis went to Ford with the first of hi! sensational offers which flnall, touched the 10-hgure sum.
 Made Great Fortunes
 One of the younger generation