MOTOR FACTORY IS A CITY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 627, 2 April 1929, Page 6

MOTOR FACTORY IS A CITY

UNIQUE DETROIT ORGANISATION “A city within a city within a city.” That’s what they have in Detroit-. It has a population of approximately 18,500, operates its own police and fire departments, post office, railways, restaurants, schools and hospitals, and manufactures products valued at millions of pounds yearly, which are shipped to every corner of the world. The city encased in two others is “Dodge City,” within the city limits of Hamtramck, a separate city within the limits of Detroit. The area of this city is approximately 218 acres, yet nearly every function performed by municipal governments can be duplicated within its boundaries. Here more than 2,000,000 Dodge Brothers’ motor-cars have been built in the 14 years of the city’s existence. Island In Detroit In 1914, Hamtramck was a neighbour of Detroit, dotted with swamps and paddocks. In the open spaces of the village, the present site of the Dodge Brothers’ plant was selected, because it was near enough to Detroit for utility connections, but far enough away to escape the disadvantages of a city location. Since then, Hamtramck has incorporated as a town and later as a city. Now it is an “island” completely surrounded by Detroit. Thousands of employees ride to work daily in their own cars, and they are provided with parking spaces near the plant in charge of special police. Numbers and spaces are assigned to avoid congestion. Four miles of nar-row-gauge railways are within the factory grounds, on which are operated locomotives powered by Dodge Bros.’ engines. Bus lines operate on regular schedules between the plants, carrying passengers and messages. Paid To Go to School

Inside the factory is a school offering courses in automotive mechanics md engineering to students from all iver the world. The course requires Irom 20 to 35 weeks, and students are paid while attending. The happiness .nd co-operation of employees is enured by liberal provisions. Paid-up ife insurance policies are given reguarly to employees, starting after six nonths’ service and ranging to 15 ears, representing values from £4O o £SOO. A welfare department superises the financial needs of employes by loans in sickness or emergences, while a legal department adises employees in the negotiating of outracts, mortgages and deeds.