The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-12-12
A VAST INSTITUTION.
A Visit to An Immense Shoe
Factory,
IN WORCESTERSHIRE, ENGLAND.
One of the Results of Cooperation
The Poor OF the Old Country
How They Live.
70 the Editor OF THE HERALD:
SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 5, 1884

SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 5, 1884. :
On the 18th of July last, Elder George
Goddard and myself availed ourselves of
the favorable opportunity and pleasure
of visiting the largest boot and shoe
factory in Europe, if not in all of the
world. Stead, Simpson & Nephews form
the firm, and their imposing factory Is
situated on Belgrave-gate, in a very
prominent part of Leicester, England.
After very pleasant interview in the
Office of the firm, and they, finding that
we were travellers and missionaries from
Utah.and.were interested in home in
dustry and. cooperative institutions. !
they took pleasure in showing us
through their factory and explaining to
us the grand variety of machinery and !
its utility and accuracy The first room (
we were shown was the sole cutting |
department, which is 100 feet by so |
and in which 100 hands are employed, +
In this room there are fifty machines |
1t was a grand sight TO see so much or !
der and precision; everything working /
like clock work. The second room was /
the clicking room, 100 feet by 90, with /
100 hands employed, LOCO varied pat /
terms, 800 knives or cutters for vamp |
tOe-caps, etc. The third room was SUP /
piled with 200 sewing machines, and it /
Is 120X33 feet, with 40 of the fair sex /
operating those machines. which was !
an admirable scene TO gaze upon, and /
impressed upon the mind reflections |
never to be obliterated. While our |
curiosity was in high glee we were /
uShered into the fourth room, where |
120 hands were engaged in the turn /
shoe and lasting business. seventy /
hands in the turn-shoe and fifty in the /
lasting; they last $50 dozen pairs per |
week We were delighted to visit the !
fifth and riveting room, where 20 900 .
pairs are riveted per week; the fu Aca- /
pacity is $4,000 pairs. 1t was very I'm /
teresting 10 see three heelers and pair !
erS. One man manipulating one OF |
them said he heeled $50 pairs in /
day; one single stroke of the ma
chine riyeted the heel on complete. and /,
then d turn or two trimmed the hele I
which was seemingly done in less time I
than it takes to tell how it was done.
We enter into the sixth room, which /
is the store room. and has capacity OF |
10000 pairs of great variety, and they |
look very pretty and comfortable. The |
seventh room was the export and [
packing room. and the amount of cases /
exported may be judged of when we .
understand tina: 10000 to 10000 pairs /
are turned out weekly. and the storing I
capacity is only $4,000 pairs. The {
eighth and last room was the trade +
room. All the rooms were complete. /
well warmed and ventilated, and well /
liz hted, and adapted to the business. !
We was shown the two small rooms for !
giving out work. and hereeeiving room. /
both with open windows. When a mis-
ia occurs. each workman may be
traced by known marks at any time.
The door OF the little room is closed
and the person reprOved is left alone.
that his shame may not become public,
and time given for reform. or discharge,
thus gaining the good feelings am
esteem of the wSrkmen. Twelve hundr d
persons find employment at the ia
tory OF Leicester. and in their employ
in the Leeds and Daventrv, Nnrthamp-
ION and elsewhere are about 3 900 per-
sons.
The amount of boots and shoes ey-
ported yearly amounts to about 20 600
900, or about $4,000 900 worth. No re-
tail business was allowed at the
Leicester factory, but retail dealers are
in London and various places.
We passed down the elevator into the
basement, where we were shown about /
$Se GOO worth of heavy leather Mem /
bers of the firm have our sincere thanks /
for cOurtesies and favOrS shown us
Some further details may be gained by
reviewing their jubilee, held July 4th
1881, near Birmingham. About, and
really more than 1000. participated
! 200 men, women and children from
Leicester in two trains. go from Iced
$50 from Daventry, 142 from North
amptOn, twenty from Wellingborough
md forty from Lancashire. besides
oilers from various other places.
CD person, over 40 years of age, took
his first railroad ride on this occasion.
A SumptuouS dinner, and various
games, with several speeches soon
passed the day away. The mayor of
was one of the speakers.
who said, gatherings of the kind inter
ested him, embracing employers and
one could not do without the
other. Some people thought all ought
to be placed on the same foot
financially. If this Was pos
sible, how long would it remain
so. An lrishman said he would like 10
divide, and to divide often, and the
Mayor was afraid there would be q
similar feeling IN those days If they
were put upon the same footing
The firm stood IN high est nation ana
50 years of age upon it. (ApplaUSel.
he was appearing there, pc.
haps, rs an outsider, he might say that
it had been his pleasure to have done
some business with the firm for many
years past, (applause) and he was free
to confess-and he did not say it be
cause Mr.. Gee and other members of
The firm were present-he had never
net with a more honorable firm than
Messrs. Stead IL Simpson. (Cheers.l He
only wished he could do more business
With them. (AppIause.) He believed
he firm stood very high indeed. not
only in the labor market, but IN the
market in connection with the manu-
actureS OF the great country. CAP
)lause.) lie thought it was a very good
hing for them to celebrate their jubilee 4
n a manner similar to that. 1t was
very nice for workpeople to meet to-
,ether in that way, for such meetings,
f properly carried out, left very
unny memories behind them; he
Wished to see extended the true
ceiling of cooperation and con-
.;J;,4;ou (bea-f baarD apd faIt that |