The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-04-10
lie EoRp DOMAIN


field of industry to have the Ford
plant closed may be gathered from
a survey Of the mammoth institu-
ton. 1t is the heart OF an indus
trial empire that stretches around
the world, unit so vast that coke.
iron ore, raw rubber and sand ar
rive at one end and emerge as au-
tomobile and blitz buggies for the
Army.
Eventually, too. there will be air
planes for defense.
The plant is as integrated and
self-sufficient as a city. 1t has its
own water and power supply. it
sprawls over 1900 acres OF prairie
which Mr.. Ford purchased when
his far.hung industrial kingdom
was little more than a dream. 1t
has more than a hundred miles OF
railroad tracks within the plant
area, 20 locomotives and thousand
cars OF rolling stock. In peak times
10000 men 90 10 work each day.
Their labor requires 100,0U0,ott gal
Ions of water a dsy-as much as
Detroit, Cincinnati and Washington
consume combined, $500 tons OF
coal a day and as much gas as the
entire city OF Detroit
When Mr.. Ford began building
along the tiny River Rouge il was
little more than a stream. Today
ocean-going freighters come TO the
open mouths OF the furnaces into
which they empty the raw mater
ials which with speed, Characters
tic OF the industrial era here sym
boliZed are transformed into finish
ed products. A fleet OF 20 vessels,
with the Henry Ford II as flagship,
serve the plant from ports through
out the world. The plant has three
turbo-generators Of 10000 kilo
watts each, 125 miles Of conveyors
and 5000 men whose sole job IS
TO keep the plant clean.
Typical of Ford efficiency within
the Rouge plant is the use OF what
ordinarily would be waste steam.
At the Rouge it isn't wasted-lt
is piped into discarded railroad
boilers, compressed, and used
again. Although thousands OF
tons of coal pour into the furnaces
each day there is only one scoop
shovel within the Rouge plant It
is a chromium-plated one presery-
ed as a relic OF bygone days
Luxurious super-highways and
countless street car and bus lines
serve the plant. During normal
operations so many men are en-.
ployed on each shift that a change
OF shifts must be staggered over
two hours.
One Of the principal thorough
fares bordering the eastern rim OF
the plant is Miller Rd Along its
northern fringe is a parking lot for
thousands OF workers automobiles
Then for more than a quarter OF a
mile the road sbuts against a two
story, red-brick outer wall OF the
plant proper At the southern end
Of this portion Of the plant along
Miller Rd. are coke ovens and bla ST
furnaces.
Principal union alterations have
been at the Miller Rd. entrances. AZ
the three major Miller Rd. gates a
majority OF the workers enter and
leave the plant daily. Large over.
passes extend from the plant Itself
to parking lots and street cars and
BUSES across the road so that
WORKERS need not walk across the
road Itself. II was at the Gate
bridge the now-famous Battle of
the Overpass" incurred in 1897
when several unionists, Including
Richard Frankensteen and Walter
Reuther, both now high CAW-CIO
executives, were beaten. Litigation
resulting from the battle was car
ried to the Supreme Court. II was
along Miller Rd. entrances tina,
the most effective recent pickering
occurred. and AT which most OF the
lighting broke out.
Mr.. Ford's ultimate goal Ia,
been TO make his Rouge plant com
pletely self-sustaining. He make,
glass and manufactures rubbe,
into tires" his blast furnaces emil
~ dinerent types OF steel. and In
all there are $50 separate depsrt
ments within the Rouge system.
Across the keystone of Mr.. Ford,
fireplace in his spacious home moi
far from the Rouge plant is tn,
inscription: your own woor
and 1t will warm you twice" Til,
is the theory that has m0tivateC
development Of his Rouge plant
first to benefit by manufacture D
the materials he needs. and ther
TO profit by converting these ma
terials into the fnishnd r.rnh,,.t