Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1900-09-28
IS THIS PROSPERITY?
RUIN OF A GREAT INDUSTRY
BY M'klNLEY.
Rogers Locomotive Works in Patterson,
n. D., VIII Shut Down on December 1,
Impoverishlng About Ten Thousand
Persons


hundred men will be thrown out of
work by the closing Of the Rogers To-
connective works in this city, and TO-
900 persons will be directly or indi-
rectly impoverished thereby. The en-
ployes got notice of this fact today by
announcements posted in the shops at
the very hour when a dozen young men
were distributing through the works
a campaign document entitled,
whence This Prosperity"
The Rogers works have been rightly
considered one of the mainstays of
Paterson, and there is great depression
throughout the city because of the sus-
pension Real estate men and store
keepers regard it as nothing short OF
ruinous, but there is not word OF
blame for the company, its frank
declaration that it could not continue
to run the works at loss leaving no
opportunity for consuming it.
For hundred years, through periods
of war and panic, as well as of peace
and plenty, the Rogers locomotive
works have been running uninterrupt-
eddy. For years before the passage Of
the Mckinley tariff act it was the eX-
ception for the employees to get a Sun
day off. and the great hammers rang
far into the night. The company had
sent representatives to Washington to
fight against the increase of duty on
steel and iron, the only object of which
was to allow the American iron mas
tiers wiring a higher price from their
American customers. Carnegie and the
other mill men had their way, and the
duty was raised on the best class of
steel from 3A to 7 cents pound. The
period of depression then began.
Foreign orders could not be Compel
ed for successfully to the same extent
as before Sunday work was soon
thing of the past, and it was not long
before the shops shut for the day at
p. m. Short time was the next con-
dition, but the decline went no further
then, for the Wilson bill was passed
and the duty was set back to ITO
cents per pound. The business pros
Dingley act, which again increased the
cost Of most of the material used in
locomotives. Since then the decline
of the great factory has been steady.
Jacob S. Rogers, the largest stock
holder, has not taken any active inter-
est in the works since he failed to
ward off the Mckinley blow from his
plant. The death of the president,
Robert S. Hughes, few weeks ago has
fastened the end of the great shops.
The announcement states that con-
tracts now on hand will keep the en-
ployes busy until Dec. l. No more or
ders will be taken, and as fast as those
now on the books are completed the
force will be reduced. If possible, the
works will be sold intact, but il pur-
chaser is not secured within a reason
able time the plant will be disposed
of in parcels.
The Rogers Locomotive company
originated in 1900. when John Clark
came here from Paisley, Scotland, and
started an iron industry. Since that
time it's continued operation has been
maintained with many changes, loco
motive building being taken up in 1852.
when the plant was operated BY
Charles Danforth & Co. The locomo-
tives of the Rogers company are in use
on almost every railroad in the coun-
try, particularly in the south, west and
southwest.