FORD CARS.

Opunake Times, Volume LVV, Issue 3675, 23 October 1923, Page 3

FORD CARS.

Secret Of Success. Just over 40 years ago a young American mechanic foreseeing the immense possibilities of mechanical road transport, then in its inlancy, set to work to build what he called a “gasoline buggy. “ It was to be easy to run, cheap to construct and reasonably strong. After 12 years of patient experimenting the youthful mechanic—whose name was Henry Ford—succeeded to entire satisfaction (says a writer in “Pearson's Weekly. “ ) A week later he had formed the Ford Motor Company, of which he was-the president, general manager, superintendant, designer and head engineer.

This was in 1893. Twenty-eight years later, on Mav 31, 1921, this company completed Car No 5,000, 000, this five millionth car was constructed very much like the first.

Herein lies the secret of the sue cess of one of the • greatest modern captains of industry. He spent 12 years in perfecting his first car, and, having done so, he changed nothing, removed nothing.

There was no need. He had thought out everything down to the smallest detail. It remained only to make as many cars as he could, all of one pattern, and sell them at as low a pries as he could consistent' with a reasonable rale of profit. The result is seen to-day in his vast factories at Detroit, where 4000 completed cars are turned out every working day of the year by an in dustrial at nay of 14,000 workpeople.

In his newly published autobiography, entitled “My Life and Work" Mr Ford has much of interest to tell us concerning his business methods; as well as his outlook on things in general. He attributes his success in great part to the fact that he is always thinking about his job. A big French car was wrecked in a motor race. After the wreck, Ford picked up a little valve strip stem. It was very light and very strong. He asked what metal it was made of. Nobody knew He set his experts to work, and thus discovered what he wanted for his own cars—vanadium.

Mass production 1 Standardisation! These constitute, according to his view, the secret both of cheapness and efficiency. It is not a question of buying, low and selling high, but of buying materials fairly, and, with the smallest possible addition of cost, transforming these materials into the finished product and selling it cheaply to the consumer. No need to consult the purchaser beforehand. According to Mr Ford this is sheer waste of time. “If you ask a hundred people how they want an article made, “ he writes, “eighty will leave it to you, and fifteen others will only answer to say something ; these ninety five constitute ths real market. “

“There is my car, “ he says in effe:t, “ light, handy, tough, cheap, easily replaced in ariy of its parts—take it or leave “ adding with true Am irican humor. “Any custom n can have a Car painted any color, that he wants so long as it is black."

Advertiser wants to soil gig and harness in good order

This is a genuine schoolboy howler from one of our 'oca! institutions, says the “Taranaki Heraid. “ Piovwas th • subject of the lesson, and the question was asked if anybody could complete : Mui proposes— 11 “Woman accepts, “ came the startling reply from a boy, evidently the possessor of very modern ideas.

When the weather is hot in New York, the municipal authorities adopt various methods for giving relief to the rear r penple who live in tenement houses and cannot help themselves, The children especially are well looked after. There is sometimes a free distribution of ice and the fire brigade turns out with a special kind of hose to give a shower bath to the small folk. Anybody who likes may sleep in the parks, and there is not too strict a rule about the amount of clothes proper to the occasion.

Considerable interest is being displayed in Petone in the decision of the local Boy Scouts Committee to send a boy to the Empire Exhibition, From reports received, it will not be a very difficult matter, to raise the necessary ;£ioo. The different sports bodies, clubs, and societies etc are being approached for assisstance, and whenever the subject is mentioned referece is always made to the willingness of the Boy Scouts to assist in any local function,

Banking in Canada has its precarious moments these days. According to a message from Toronto, the public are nervous because of the recent failures, and an unprecedented rush has started on the Dominion Bank in the various Toronto branches. The Dominion is one of Canada's smaller banks, and the officials claim that it is absolutely sound. On Saturday a foreigner presented a- worthless cheque, the payment of which was refused, and word got abroad that the bank was in trouble. Thousands of depositors stood in line and withdrew their credits, while the other banks futilely attempted to stem the tide. Subscribers who do not receive the “Times” regularly are requested to kindly notify the office. *