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Show EFFECTS OF THE FORD SHUTDOWN SHUT-DOWN We have emphasized repeadtely in J previous issues of this Review our belief be-lief in the wide-spread unsettling effects ef-fects of the Ford shut-down of business. busi-ness. When an industry which has grown to the proportions of Ford's, giving direct employment to between 60,000 and 70,000 workers, and affecting af-fecting the employment of thousands of others through the business it gives to its supply lines, practically closes up shop for six months, the effect on business in general cannot be other than serious. It is known, however, that there is a large accumulated demand for cars which has been held back in anticipation anticipa-tion of the new product, and which is expected to benefit not only Ford, but other manufacturers as well. How far the decrease of 624,190 in the number of automobiles produced thus far this year as compared with last year reireets solely the interest in the i v Ford iine remains to be seen, but one tiling certain is that a gap i.ns bevr, ' a.ie in automobile output which will have to be made up sooner or later. No one expects the automobile automo-bile industry to resume the rate of expansion characteristic of its early development, but no one believes that j it is going to take any permanent step backward. Unless all signs fail 192S should be a big year in automobile automo-bile manufacturing, with corresponding correspond-ing benefit to all lines of business. |