Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1913-03-28

Martinsburg, i also has about ex.
hausted the available help OF the
surrounding country. Neither do
you give consideration to the hous-
ing of additional families which
might be secured in this way, Surely
you could not hope to bring families
into Martinsburg without having
houses to offer them; and even more
certain is, it that there are not SUN.
Gent unoccupied houses in your
city at the present time to take care
of any appreeiable numher Of new
families.
As to how many additional work
ers we viii want and when We will
want them, We expect to require
from 600 to 500 additional hands
within the next two years, about
200 of which will be needed between
this date and the end of the current
calendar year These will all be re-
quired to operate machinery now
built or under construction; and, if
the number of employees we now
have should for any reason become
smaller, it would, of course be nee
essary for us to Immediately ar
range to operate a portion Of the
machinery now at Martinsburg at
SOME other location, the machines
having been constructed in small
units in anticipation of such contin-
gencies.
1t is a we'll known fact that the
knitting trade pays about as high
wages as any line of employment in
the country and that the interviewer
Mills pay very liberal wages as com
pared with the knitting mills located
in other communities and l think you
will find that you cannot secure any
other industry for your city which
will pay nearly as high wages per
capita as the interviewer Mills and
/, therefore. assume that you VIII
agree with the writer in his conclu-
sion that Martinsburg would be
most benefited by first supplying to
the interviewer Mills al OF the en-
ployees which they can possibly
engage before attempting to iutro-
duce further new industries, in pre-
ference to forcing the interviewer
Mills to move portion of the ma
chinery they now operate at Mar
tinsburg to some other locality,
AS indicated by previous cores
popdence. the subject of consider
able additional employees is partic-
ularly opportune at this time when
we are expecting to make a much
larger increase in our manufacture
ing facilities than We have made at
any time during the past. The de-
mand for our goods, so exceeds the
supply that we are forced to cancel
for want of sufficient goods up
wards of one million dollars OF Dus-
mess on orders actually placed for
delivery during the current year.
We have just completed large
addition to our Machine Works at
New Brunswick and, as a result, our
output of new knitting machines in
1918 will be more than three times
as large as in 1912. The company
enjoys the strongest kind of financia;
t.. in IF ftIMf 20
to carry out any one of the plans
proposed above. 1t is engaged in
great fundamental industry the
manufacture of one of the most
staple of all articles of wearing ap-
parel, widely distributed throughout
the United States and in many for,
eign countries, through its own sales
organization and under its own
trademark, 9nd is about as little
subject to depression of general
trade conditions as any business
could be.
We believe that it is lack of sutti-
cient houses more than any other
one thing that prevents the manu-
facturers already located at Mar
tinsburg getting the number of work
ers they require, and it does not
seem to us that there is any likeli-
hood of further developing your To-
cal industries until you have con-
structed quite a aumber of new hous-
es, and so we say to you, if you want
to hold the Increase of the Inter
woven business at Martinsburg, you
must build the houses. which Will
enable us to draw labor on large
scale from other cities instead OF at
tempting to secure it in an insig-
nifcant way from the surrounding
country.
As you published my previos let
ter, would respectfully request that