The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-06-16
WORK RUSHED
 ON 34-M|LLI0N
 FORD BUILDING
Plant at River Rouge and Several Branches Are
 Being Expanded
By, ROBERT LA BLONDE

United Press Staff Correspondent)
 Dearborn, Mich., June 16-(UP)-- A $34,oo0,0o0 building program one of the largest eyer under taken in private industry during a period of economic recession--is be- ing rushed to completion by the Ford Motor company.
 Construction work on new build ings and the expansion of old ones is being carried out for the most part at Henry Ford's vast River constructed to the present buildings at Somerville, Mass. and at Norfolk, Va. A new carburetor plant is being erected at Milford, Mich.
 The Ford building schedule Is reported to be the greatest in American industry at present. Five new units to the vast Ford indus trial system will cost $27, 300, 900. Im- provements and additions to exist ing units will cost an estimated $5,- 225,00O.
 Biggest project in the program is the new press shop which will cost $13,500,0o0. Huge presses are being erected at the River Rouge plant that will dwarf their oper- ators as they stamp body panels from sheet steel. Operations in this building will supplement those in the present pressed steel building, in which 100000 pound of steel per day are formed into body sec- tions to be welded into steel bodies.
 Electric Furnaces Installed
 New equipment is being added to tho rolling mills completed in the 1884 building program. A hot strip mill will be equipped to roll 60- inch sheet instead of a 48-inch sheet now turned out. Two new slab relocating furnaces and new finishing stand will be added. In the cold finishing mill, 8 78-inch continuous pickler and 12 sets of three Bell-type bright anneal elec- trio furnaces are being installed.
 A new tool and die building is under construction at a cost of ap- proximately $2,o0o,0o0. Equipment for the shop will cost another $1,- 100000. The structure is 300 feet long and 1,200 feet deep. More than 900 tons of steel piling and 5,7OO tons of structural steel were re- quired for the building.
 Another $5,600,000 has been ex- pended for a new tire manufactur- ing plant now virtually complete. The amount covers the cost of building and equipment.
 The electric power plant at the River Rouge location is undergoing alterations for installation of a new 13000-kilowatt turbo-generator and high pressure steam boiler. The new generator will be sister unit to two similar turbines already in serv- ice. hen installation is complete, the Rouge power house will embrace the largest high pressure system in tho world. Electric power produc- ton increases will cost $3,500. .000 when completed.
 Coke Ovens to Total 6l
 A new battery of 61 coke ovens to increase the production of fuel gas for heat treating and melting furnaces will cost another $2,000,- 00o. The plants available supply of fuel gas will be increased to 40.- 100000 cubic feet per day by the new ovens.
 The present 16-acre foundry is being altered and supplied with new equipment at a cost of $550,000.
 Other minor projects in the pro- gram include an addition to the Rouge plants paper mill and in- stallatjon of giant hydraulic press and drying unit for production of resin and stanoite board. Construc- ton of service lines to accommo- date enlarged power and fuel facil- ities includes water lines up to 54 inches in diameter and gas lines up to 48 inches in diameter.
 Additions to the company branch plants at Somerville, ass. and Nor folk, Va, will cost $l,075,000. The carburetor plant at Milford, Mich, will cost $600,000, including equip ment.
 The Milford plant is one of the dozen Ford village" industries located within 8 short distance from the Rouge plant and maintained to produce small parts needed for tho automobile. Men in nearby vil- lages and surrounding country are employed in the plant or hired to maintain gardens and farms in keeping with Ford's theory of in dustrial decentralization.