The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-02-17
HAL
BOYLE
SAYS

NEW YORK R-Many an Amer
lean lad still stubbornly clings to
an old-fashioned goal.
Instead of riding with the tide
until he reaches an old age PEN
sion be wants to grow up and
become q capitalist.
But how to do it?
For answer let US turn to q
visitor-Sir william Rootes, at 81
a capitalist in full flower and
cheerful proof that private enter
prise still can earn public re-
ward in Britain. He worked many
a hard day to become a knight.
Before going into his how-to-get-
ahead formula, first let US examine
Rootes himself and see how deeply
he has spread his tendrils through
the soil of success.
Sir william, the son of bicycle
manufacturer, studied engineering,
raced motorcycles, then learned
how to build cars first hand in a
Coventry factory. Next he became
star salesman. He and his bro
Their, Reginald, became top dis.
tributors Of American cars In Bri-
tain.
"Why sell cars for others--why
NOT build and sell our own" the
brother decided.
So they did. In less than quar-
ter century their firm, headed by
Sir william, has become one of
''the big five" Of Britain's auto
motive industry.
Il turns out about 400 trucks
and passenger vehicles q day. The
Rootes tree - the brothers and
three sons - now has branches,
plants, or offshoots on every con-
tinent.
Sir william personally likes to
keep an eye on the growing Ameri-
can market.
Starting from zero five years
ago our sales have risen to about
1000 a month in this country"
he said. II have visited every
state, and feel l am almost as
much an American now as an
Englishman.'
His most popular model is the
small Hillman Mink. Others are
the Humber Super-Snipe and the
sporty Sunbeam Talbot. Biggest
sales point stressed: low upkeep
costs.
But he sees British car sales
here a no great threat to Ameri-
can manufacturers.
"The sale of American cars in
the United Kingdom is many, many
times that of British cars sold
here" he said. 1.-THE British sold
20 900 cars in this country in 1851,
and $1,000 in 1852. / reckon II will
90 to about $1,000 and stay at
that figure"
What does a capitalist do to re-
lax? Sir william, knighted in 1892
for his service to British war in
dustry, is keen on shooting"
Jolly good. too. at bringing down
duck, grouse and pheasants.
He also has a 4.00O-acre farm
in England and a 13,000-acre farm
in Scotland on which he raises
prize cattle and sheep. He insists
his farms be run as efficient, open
air factories.
my Guernsey cattle have the
biggest milk production per head
in Britain" he said.
His other leading interest In life
Is the improvement Of Anglo-Amer-
lean relations, and he has held
many government posts.
I'VE are really enc people," he
said. "And we must stay one peo-
pie"
Sounds like a rich full life
being q self.made capitalist, does
MT 1T Just what is the formula?
Sir william gave these three
rules:
ITO get ahead requires first Of
all the win to work.
Then you have to be enthusiasts
dc, and take advantage Of oppor.
tunities rs they arise.
"And your real goal must be
achievement"
But how about money? What is
q capitalist without money!
s0h, money always follows achi-
evemnt," said Sir William genially.
but the man who simply works
for money itself doesn't get very
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