The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-31
A Message from Ford


in Indianapolis with interest. He also found
time to elaborate the messages he is giving
to readers of conservative papers, who,
otherwise might not discover that new
ideas are abroad in the world.
Henry Ford does not believe in charity.
That was one of the things he told the
editor Of The Times as he sat in the judges
stand at the Speedway and recalled the days
when he was driver in races and not the
largest manufacturer Of automobiles.
Charity, he believes, is a degrading
thing not only to the man who takes, but to
the one who gives.
"Ihe only men in my organization that
| have ever been compelled to have arrested
for dishonesty were men to whom had given
money" is his basis for believing that there
IS something wrong in a charity system.
More unsual is his theory about money
He does not believe that the present depres-
sion can be cured by tinkering with money.
I'VE have the wrong idea about money.
We have treated money as a commodity. We
have believed that money ought to make
money and dollars breed dollars. Money
should be used as means of exchange" is
the comment of the man who has great
deal of money and who, if his mind was of
the banking type might be expected to make
his dollars work for him instead of using his
dollars to create new and useful things.
Most of all, Ford has great faith in the
future of this country. He has his own
plans and schemes for making things better.
One of these is that every man should pro-
duce apart of his own food. That is the rea-
son that he will extend his policy of having
parts of his automobiles made in small fac
tories in many cities, including many fac
tories in Indianapolis and Indiana.
At the present time, so ne told the editor
of The Times, over 5000 factories are con-
tributing parts to the new automobile.
That means that men Will live in smaller
cities and be able to get near the soil.
Ford has faith in the regenerating power
of Mother Earth. He believes that the man
who gets his toes and fingers into the soil
gets something more than the food he grows.
That is one reason why even his $4,000
year executives this year are working in
their own gardens. Ford is advising them
to do so, and what he advises happens, espe-
cially with his $4,000 year executives.
Ford has faith, and he finds it in the fact
that the American people, so he says, have
heritage of the pioneer blood Of all other
nations. He believes in pioneers because of
their courage their vision and their determi-
nation.
Incidentally Ford is the one man who
owns his dollars and who does not let his
dollars own him.
Right now, he is spending many thou
sands of his own dollars to tell the people
what he believes about charity and employ
ment and the way back. What he has in
mind will not appeal to the fnanciers. 1t may
not appeal to the jobless or to those who see
no way of life except through a handout.
You can be sure that he will not give the
dole system or private charity of social
workers as remedy. 1t will be something
connected with work and the elimination of
the taxing power of money.
Perhaps Ford can persuade the people
to change their ideas about money and con-
vince them that money should not be a COM
modify but convenience.