Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-03-27
BUSINESS PICKING UP
Factory SuperinieDdeDts Say
Low Water Mark Has Passed
in This City.

Business in the local factories
seems to be picking up and in the
opinion of many of the manufacture
ers the low mark has been passed.
Several of the large factories of Wa
terbury were visited by a represen-
| tative of the Democrat to-day and
in almost all of them conditions were
reported to be better than they have
been for many weeks. Moreover, at
the freight depot a big change for
the better has made itself apparent
for the past few days.
Freight Agent Cosgrove stated
| that business had been better the
past two weeks than it had been for
| the previous ten weeks. Ihe
amount of freight we have handled
the past three days will almost equal
the amount handled by US during
twice as many days for the past two
months" he said. Both the incom-
| ing and outgrowing trade has picked
up considerably and the situation as
far as the freight station is con-
cerned has improved many per cent
within the past week.
John H. Goss, superintendent OF
the Scovill Manufacturing Co, said
| that in his opinion the crisis has
been passed and as far as 1t was
possible to judge business from now
on would pick up. He said that
some parts of the factory were pick
ing up considerably, while other de-
partments showed a slight falling
off. "Still we are fairly busy and
some improvement is in evidence. "
He could not say whether this would
be of a permanent nature. Still in
his opinion the outlook at present
is better than it has been for some
time.
William J. Larkin, superintendent
of the Waterbury Clock Co, said that
the factory was fairly ousy. The
company has been more fortunate
than many others and has not been
compelled to lay off any of its help.
The past two weeks it has run five
days and will do so this week. He
declared he thought that the factory
would continue to do as well as 1t is
now doing and that it might within
short time be on full time again.
At the Mattatuck Manufacturing
Co business was said to be fairly
good. There were several more or
ders during the month of march
than for February and the factory
managed to keep going, practically
full time and full force.
The outlook at Benedict & Burn
hams seems more promising than it
has been for some time. The wire
mill is working nights and this week
for the first time since the slump the
factory will run six days. Many
men have been laid off, Dut those
now working will work full time
temporarily at least.
Edwin Hart, superintendent of the
New England Watch factory, said
that the factory was working forty
hours a week and that 1t was not
likely to fall below this unless some
thing unforeseen happens. He said
1t was rather difficult to speak about
the future, but declared business at
the factory could be said TO show
slight increase.
The situation has frightened con-
siderably at the Chase Rolling mill
and it is understood that the factory
will run six days this week. 1t has
been running on only five, but
marked improvement has made it
self evident this week.
Although the Waterbury Manu-
featuring Co has laid off considera-
BILE help, it is now running full time.
Business is said to be increasing at
this factory.
The Waterbury Farrell Foundry
and Machine Co is working four
days a week, nine hours L day. some
departments six days. An official of
the company declared that there
was no sign of any big Improvement
at present, but the factory was like
ly to be able to keep up To the pres
ent schedule. In his opinion the
slump was not as bad as in 1898.
AT that time We had only 200 men
in our employ and we were forced
to go on four days a week and nine
hours a day. At present there are
more than 600 men on tine payroll
and We are able to keep them as
busy as We did the 200 curing the
last slump" A number of en-
ployes has been laid OF. but less
than 90 per cent of the force.
Ralph y. Blakeslee. VINO because
of the amount of trucking he does
in this city is able to get a line on
the labor situation, said that he
thinks business is brushing up a bit.
Mr. Blakeslee since December has
had a harmful of horses unemployed
Business depression Of this kind is
anything but profitable 10 him, and
his losses during the past few
months has been considerable. StiII|
March has been a better month than
February. He said this morning
that the number Of cars that he is
now handling IL much bigger than
for several weeks. u would need to
be. When a man is accustomed to
unload about thirty-five Ears a day
and then drop to two Or three, he
knows that business has been on a
decline.
At the Office Of the adams Ex-
press Co IL was stated that the con-
cern was fast getting back to nor
NAL business