Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-03-05
MINUTES OF EVIDENCE

THOMAS G. PITMAN, General Treasurer.
MINUTES OF EVIDENCE
Taken before the Committee on Manufae-
tures.
TESTIMONY IN RELATION TO WOOL
LENS.
MONDAY, JANUARr FL, 1928.
Colonel James Shepard, admitted and ss-
angined.
Continued from our Iast.1
Question. Where do you reside!
Answer. In the town Of Northampton,
Hampshire county, Massachusetts,.
Question. Are you now, and have you lately
been concerned in the manufacture of wool!
Answer. / am now concerned in that manu-
facture, and have been SO concerned since the
year 1909: in the first place as principal owner.
afterwards as a member Of q company; then for
q time again as the sole owner; and, in 1926,
as a member Of company; but, during the
whole period, as the active Superintendent of
the mau!actory.
Question. What 10 the name Of the establish
mont in which you are. or have been, concern
cd! where is it situatedl and is it an incorpo-
rated company, or an individual interest?
Answer. The company was incorporated in
1909 or 1910, by the name Of the North
ampton Cotton and Woollen nufacturing
Company" but the business, was not carried on
under that charter at all, either as an individual
or copartnership interest, until 1926, when the
charter was renewed, the capital incre ased, and
the name changed to The Shepherd WooIIen
Manufacturing Company" since which time
tho business has been done under the charter.
Question. What is the amount Of capital in
vested in the manufactory Of which you speak ?
Answer. The capital now actually employed
il $4,000, Of which $4,000 is vested in real
estate and machinery, aad $4,000 is active
capital.
Question. When was the mandatory first
put into operation? or, if an incorporated COM
apny, under its present charter!
Answer. We acted under the present char
tor first on the lst January, 1926 but the same
establishment, without a charter, has been in
operation since 1909.
Question. Has it continued in operation,
from the time it was first started, to the present
time? Ifno, at what times, and for what causes,
has It ceased its operatains?
Answer. 1t has, until let January, 1927 but
for Is or Is months, Immediately after the
close of the late war, the factory ceased to
manufacture cloths from its own stock, and
manufactured the wool Of others upon contract.
On the lst January, 1927, on bringing up our
account, we found we had sustained great losses,
but we concluded to 60 on for six months longer.
to see if there would not be change. We,
therefore, continued TO the lst July, 1927, and
found there was continued loss and we then
determined to suspend operations. and did SO,
except 10 close the then existing business and
contracts
Question. What is the average expesne,
per ID. Of cleaning, asserting, picking, carding,
and converting the wool from the state in which
II is purchased, into rolls or bats?
Answer. We make no such division Of labor,
and, therefore, have no account for thess sepa-
rate charges. Our process is first, asserting
for which we pay the man who assorts it Ia
cents per ID. but, as there is superintendent
Of this branch, who is paid, we estimate the
whole cost Of asserting at a cents per lb The
expense Of rowing, which comprises oiling. card
ing, roping, &c. comprises all the expense, from
sorting to its delivery to the spinner, for which
we pay six cents per h. for fine work, and
for middling, FIVE cents. We do no coarse work
Spinning is the next process, and for this we
pay for the finest Of warp IA cents per ID. and
for filling Of the same quality, cents per Id. For
the second quality Of wool, IL cents per ID
and for the filling Of the same quality, cents
per ID. For the third quality Of warp, 10 cents
per ID. and for the filing Of the same quality,
cents per ID. For the fourth quality, which
10 the lowest we spin, 8 cents for warp, and 4
cents for the filling. Some machinery has, o.
late, been brought into operation, which dmin
Ishes the expense oil spinning the third ano
fourth qualities, az here Chased, fifty per cent
or more. We have, for some five or six year,
past, used these machines to spin these qnal
ties. Others have used them for the finer quail
ties Of spinning, and think we'll Of them. 0u
machines are Eve or six years old, and grea
improvements have since been made. The ma
chinery in use at our establishment, althougl
good. is more expensive than that which is usot
by many others, because the one requires tn,
labor Of man, whose wages are higher thar
the wages Of girls, who attend tho others Ma
chinery for the lower sorts are called th,
/" Brewster" We use the jennies for the fine
qualities.
Question. What is the average expense pc
ID. Of converting the rolls, or bats, into yarn
and of cleansing, sizing, and preparing the yarr
for weaving
Answer. The last answer has given the
whole expense TO the yarn. warping and dres
sing follow mex. after spinning, and for these w
have put into use newly invented machinery