Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 1938)
PAOE TEN BEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD. OREGON. SUNDAY. OCTOBER 30. 1938. The Fords Tell Their Plans ' . ,..,, .rrn.-i-, - UUI .U.II8W!: f;4 JT WWW) i Henry an J EJscl Ford, oh the occasion of the tftb anniversary of the founding of the ford Motor Company, June 16, 195S for 1939 If WE KNEW anything better we could do for the country than make good motor cars, we would do it. By every one doing his best in the job he thinks most use ful, this country is going to regain its momentum. We have tried to do our best in our job. When business was suddenly halted in its recover)' more than 4. year ago, we determined that we should keep going anyway, if not at full-volume motor car production, then at getting ready for greater mptor car values that would help future production. EXPANDING TOR THE FUTURE We began to build 34 million dollars' worth of new plants and equipment. We felt that if we could not employ all our men building motor cars, we would employ as many as we could building better production facilities. We were told, of course, that this was no time for expan sion, that a wiser business policy would be to "hold everything" which means, stop everything. But no one ever got anywhere standing still. Besides, we are not defeatists. We do not believe this country has seen its best days. We believe this country is yet in the infancy of its growth. We believe that every . atom of faith invested in our Country and our People will be amply justified by the future. We believe America is just beginning. Never yet have our People seen real Prosperity. Never yet have we seen adequate Production. But we shall see it! That is the assurance in which we have built. Business is not just coming back. It will have to be brought back. That is now becoming well understood in this country; for that reason 1939 w'ill be a co-operative year. Manufacturers, sellers and buyers will co-operate to bring back the business that is waiting to be brought back. This construction program is almost completed. It has increased activity and payrolls in a number of related indus tries. It has given us better facilities for building better cars and trucks, and eventually our new tractor which is being perfected. THIS MEANS MORE VALUE The current program has provided a new tire plant, which will turn out a part of our tire requirements ... a new tool and die plant that will help us cut the cost of dies . . . and a steel-press plant that will enable us to make more of our own automobile bodies. These are in addition to the plants we already had for producing glass, iron, steel, plastics, and many other things. We don't supply all our own needs, of course, and never expect to. The Ford engine is one thing that no one's hand touches but ours. Of nearly everything else we use we build some quantity ourselves, to find, if possible, better and mo.rc economical ways of doing it. The experience and knowl edge we gain arc freely shared with our suppliers, and with other industries. We take no profit on anything we make for ourselves and sell to ourselves. Every operation, from the Ford ships which first bring iron ore to the Rouge, is figured at accurate cost. The only profit is on the finished result the car or truck as it comes off the line. Some years, there is no profit for us. But we see to it that our customers always profit. A basic article of our business creed is that no sale is economically constructive unless it profits the buyer as much as or more than the seller. Our new plants have helped us build more value into all our cars for 1939. That means more profit on the purchase to the purchaser. We have not cut quality to reduce costs. We simply will not build anything inferior. NEW TESTING EQUIPMENT While we were putting up new plants to produce cars, we constructed new equipment to test them. The first weather tunnel of its kind ever built for automobile research went into operation at our laboratories this year. It makes any kind of weather to order.' The weather it delivers every day would take months to find : 1 Nature. Our cars arc weather-tested to give you good service in any climate anywhere. In other tests, every part of the car is punished unmerci fully. Then our engineers tear it down to see if they can find abnormal wear or any sign of weakness. The money we spend on tests saves you money on repairs. And your family car is safer and more dependable when we put it in your hands. THE NEW CARS We have two new Ford cars for 1939 better cars and better looking but we also have an entirely new car. It's called the Mercury 8. It fits into our line between the De Luxe Ford and the Lincoln-Zephyr. It is larger than the Ford, with 116-inch whcelbase, hydraulic brakes, and a new 95-horsepower V-type 8-cylinder engine. We know that our 1939 cars are cars of good quality. We think they're fine values in their price classes. With new cars, new plants, new equipment, (be whole Ford organization is geared to go forward. FORD MOTOR COMPANY, DEARBORN, MICHIGAN
