Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-04-23

refer to Improbable organizations. for
such white elephants we know are fire.
quently transported.
I do not wish to ignore the fact the oc-
caslonally through some enterprisins
spirits, local capital sometimes succeeds
in bringing in a desirable industrial estab-
lishment, but since this process seldom
results favorably, it is not one that /
| should advise. 1t is certainly not the royal
road.
Instead of speaking Of all Of the indus
! tries of Springfield, l shall omit three very
| important manufacturers, namely: Park
! & Woolson Machine company, makers of
| textile machinery; John II. Slack Corpora
! ton, shoddy ma nufacturers and Gilman
&c Son, Inc, makers of last turning ma
chimes and ! shall coniine remarks to
the machine tool companies with when
have been more or less identified.
The machine tool building plants of
Springfield and Windsor have grown from
a single root The parent tree or plant
| started it's growth at Windsor. 1t was
| first known as the Robbins S Lawrence
! Machine company, and was started over
Go years ago-that IS, in the later fortles
And although the transfer Of the original
company and most of its men from Wind
sor. II miles to Springfield, Vermont may
seem to contradict the foregoing state
ment that profitable industries cannot be
| transported, yet as matter Of fact it is
not contrary to it, for 1t was not then or
! Immediately after, a profitable concern
| The company that succeeded the old
! Robbins II Lawrence company sold its in
terests to Springfield parties in ISIS, and
was known as the Jones & Lamson Ma
chine company. 1t had a capital of $4,000
which by the most liberal inventory was
| impaired about % per cent. Its stock
| could be bought at that time for - cents
on the dollar. This company and the COM
panie.s that have grown out of it, in these
two places have capital and surplus
| roughly about two and one-half million
over one-half of which is in the Jones *
Lamson Machine company, and the stock
of the older company instead of selling for
| IS has been sold at an average of about
! $50 on its capital of approximately one mill
| lion. This means an increase of over 30
times it's original value. This has all been
accomplished while running under a gen.
| eral policy Of paying one-half of the earn
ings In dividends.
The growth in assets of these companies
has been accompanied by liberal dividends
so that as far as the money making side
is concerned land we must consider that,
if we wish to make anything permanently
these organizations are certainly in good
health
These companies furnish positions for a
great range of types of men The work
men have the most healthful environment
and the work calls for a wholesome exer-
l.,ts,D - TO lA1 "a ,,nt frolHr
on the part of the skilled workmen,
| craftsmen, and executives but all the way
through the plant for every man so far as
possible should be employed at work that
is best suited to his ability.
| 1t Is also true that there is work of an
ordinary character that does not require
much brain exercise, but we must remem-
Der that such work is just as necessary
as some that calls for very active brain
or skilled fingers, for there are men who
are not fitted for the more strenuous eX-
lstence and these men must be provided
with work.
The way to duplicate these plants is to
! follow the method that has been carried
on in increasing their number-namely to
| encourage one or more men as a nucleus
! to start out from one of the existing or
| ganizatons and gradually build up by
| small beginnings other organizations
| The present Windsor organization which
is enjoying such a prosperou run was
| built up by Mr.. Gridley who came from
| the Springfield organization. 1t is tru-
| that he :ouad a small plant already in OPP
| Grafton When he went to Windsor, but it is
| equally true that his success is due to his
| ability.
| In the same way the other two plants in
! Springfield are offshcots from the older
| company.
| The question of raising capital and the
| method of procedure in such things Is one
that does not involve any great hazard for
! these things should nrst prove out without
| the risk of a great amount of capital. or
: course much depends OF the men who UNI
dertake the new work. They must be wec
| grounded in machine SHOP practice and in
| industrial economics.
Such men can best be found in prosper
Gus organizations, Invention must fur
nsh the starting point, but good manage
ment true to the doctrine Of specialization
| is absolutely necessary.
| Before summing up think IL is clear to
| assume that there is Il great human need
| for congenial work FOR the natoral me
| chaniclans that constitute such a large
part Of the population OF Vermont
| l think that the success of the Spring
| field and Windsor concerns in the machine
| tool business clearly indicates that this IL
! a line of industry that may be advantage
ously developed, for these industries no;
1 only meet the needs OF many Vermonters
but their very success has shown good
return for the money invested. Tho record
of these industries should make a good
basis for starting similar organizations
The machine tool industry cnvers rath-
er wide range of machines for cutting
metal and there seems to be great oppor-
tunity for invention in this field.
/ have indicated bow IL is posSibla ia