The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-03-02
owosso FACING A POSSIBLE LOSS
Can Owosso Afford to Lose the Vincent
Valve Company?

For some time the 0fhcialS OF the VIM
cent Valve Company have been studying
means for putting off as long as possible
the day which they felt was surely COM
ing when it would become necessary
for them to move to some other city.
That this would become necessary the
officers have thot certain because they
had no idea that they could secure
suitable buildings in Owosso for their
work. Of course the moment that the
first suspicion leaks out that an institu.
ton of this character may be got by
some city, offers of bonuses begin to
come in from all directions and the case
in hand has been no exception. The
officers of the company felt SO certain
that Owosso would not feel able to assist
them to the extent of even a sin gle
dollar that they have scarcely mentioned
the matter to any in this city, almost be-
lieving that Owosso tax payers would
prefer to lose the factory than to add to
burdens of like character which they
have already placed on themselves.
N brief then the situation is this:
The present quarters of the company,
the lease to which soon expires, are en-
tirely inadequate and unsuited to the
needs of the business. The quarters are
so small that the company finds its out
put limited to a much smaller figure
than there is any excuse for. There
are no sewer privileges-which is a very
necessary feature in draining the pits
in which the brass pieces are cast. Be-
sides these features the matter of the
lighting is another serious objection to
present quarters. With the. fine adjust
ments and accurate workmanship re-
quired on lathes, shapers, and planners,
to turn out the iron and brass parts of
the valves of the necessary eXactness, a
great deal of light is needed and instead
of the greater part of the sides of the
machine room being made of brick wall
there should be only enough brick, as it
has been expressed, to hold up the
buildings, the windows should be as
close to each other as possible. Such
are the disadvantages the company is
laboring under SO far as the building
itself and its immediate position is con-
cerned. A further disadvantage which
certainly cannot be overcome at pres.
ent is the higher freight rates which the
company is forced to pay, rates which
are fully third higher than the ship
ping rate from either of two places from
which definite propositions have already
been made. Such are the facts which
appeal to the stockholders and officers
of the company urging them to move to
better location where bonus of $lO,.
600 is already practically assured them.
On the other hand the company is not
DESTROYS of leaving Owosso unless the
advantages TO be gained are much
better than the ones that can be offered
here. and while the company has not
asked bonus of any kind it will be we'll
for Owosso to ask herself if she can
afford to let Adrian or any other city
get such an industry away from her,
especially when she already has the
advantage of present possession and can
doubtless hold it at much smaller figure
than a competing city would have to
offer to get the plant away. The ques-
ton is, can Owosso afford to lose the in.
dustry.
At present the company employs a
force of about thirty men. But while
this number sounds small it should be
borne in mind that these thirty men re-
ceive every day as much as about twice
that number in some other factories.
The average pay is two dollars per
day. With sufficient and suitable space
for its business, while it has no spread
eagle prospectuses to offer as to the
number of men it would employ, the
company would largely increase this
force of thirty men while the average
wages would continue at the same high
mark. No one needs to be told that
lTOu anu UTdSS WOTk6TS T6C6lV6 ROOu
pay, or that they have to be of the most
intelligent class of workmen, and the
advantages of keeping an industry here
which has already gained strong foot
hold, and which holds and brings more
such men with their families to this city
is not an industry which Owosso can
now afford to lose. If it is worth a
single dollar to any other city it is
worth a dollar to Owosso and the
chances are, as said before, that 1t can
be kept for less than the dollar. 1t is,
in fact, almost certain that if a suitable
location could be guaranteed the COM
pany and provision made for the erec-
ton of a proper machine shop and
foundry, the company with its flourish
ing trade could be kept. As to the per-
manence of its trade it may be stated
that the company has already disposed
of all the goods it can manufacture dur
ing longer period than would take for