Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-27
CALAMITY HOWLEUS,
LED BY PENROSE, PUT
DAMPER ON TRADE
Kensington Textile Men
Deprecate His Speeches.
Shopkeepers Cheerful, but
a Few Manufacturers Dis
approve Evening Ledger.

Calamity howiers" Of whom tho oh,.,
is United States Senator Boies PENCE.
are responsible for the comparativ.lv
slight business depression existinv I.
kensington, Philadelphia's vast ,ex,uo
district, according to bankers, business
men and workers
Penrose Is being criticised todo.. o.,
kensington even by the men who dac,asa
their intention Of voting for him In tbc
belief that he will protect business in,.u
ests. His talks of business depressIon
these men say, are doing more than anv,
thing else to hurt conditions.
comparison Of the conditions existinv
now In Kensington with the records -
employment, bank deposits and mill.
working In 1910, not TO mention the panIc
years OF 1907 and 1908, indicate that Ken.
sinstoh is not experiencing hard times
PENRosE SPEECHES HARMFUL,
short-time schedules are being used al
many of the mills, but this does no,
mean that the workers are being sinh.
jected to hardships. The average textns
worker on short time is working five
days week. Comparatively few have
been laid off, and none of the really lar.o
mills has been closed
Bankers and others in a position +o
know, even some of those who will vote
for Penrose, openly declare that t,vn
things are responsible for any depression
that may exist at present. The first ia
Renrose and his speeches and the second
Is the lack Of initiative on the part OF
the business men, they assert.
BUSINESS GOOD IN KENsINGToN.
Most of the plants closed in Kenslngton
are those of small firms employing on the
average about 20 workers. Careful in.
vestigation by the EVENING LEDGER in
dicates that 70 per cent. of the 100000
textile workers are on short time aver
aging four or five days a week. Rec
ords show that in the panic years and
In some instances in 1910 these workers
were laid off altogether.
Small storekeepers In Kensington laugh
at the idea of business depression. They
say their sales show a natural increase
The same thing applies to the moving
picture houses, all of which are doing q
good business. Restaurant proprietors
also declare they see no reason to OBJ
ject to present-day conditions
MANUFACTURERS CRITICAL.
Some of the larger business men in
Kensington criticise the EVENING LEDGER
for its fight on Penrose and Penroseism.
n typical instance is the statement made
by John w. Snowden, vice president and
general manager of the Stead & Miller
Company, manufacturers of upholstery
and draperies. at Cambria and Leithgow
streets. He said
II won't tell you whether we are work.
ing on half time. full time or what we
are doing. I never speak to the Ledger.
don't like the Ledger because of its
attitude toward Senator TVnrose.
Harry Lonsdale. of F. a. Bochmann
Company Inc, dress goods. I'd and Cam
bria streets, said:
We have dropped many men. The
present depression is due to the tinkering
with the tariff, attacking Penrose, too
much legislation and restrictions on the
railroads."
Investigation at the Bochmann plant
led to the information that but few OF
the workers have been dropped" Most
of them are on short time Mr.. Ions
dale declined to give any figures as to
the number of employees now as compared
to records of 1907, 1908 and 1910.
OUTLOOK BRIGHTER.
Many manufacturers were seen at the
Cosmopolitan Club, Lehigh avenue and
2d street frequented by textile men, The
statement of Thomas ]. Keon, Of the firm
of POllitZ, lie Fort & Keon, manufac-
turers of lace curtains, at Sd street and
Columbia avenue, is as follows:
"A Republican change at the present
time wouldn't help. Things could be
worse. | believe that with the change OF
weather conditions will change. The
weather often plays an important part
in the business world. We are paying
better wages now than before
81 know Of many who said they were
going to close their plants, but they
haven't so far. Chicago is giving our firm
a better trade than ever before. be-
lieve the conditions have been eXagger-
ated. This calamity talk must cease.
II might he well TO find out how many
mill hands paid Sc each for worlds series
tickets. l don't know of a single plant
that has been closed. We now employ oO
persons They are working on three
quarters time. but with the change OF
weather feel certain that business Will
pick up"
AGAINST CALAMITY HOWLs.
A similarly optimistic statement is
made by Leon Worms, president OF the
Lehgh SILK Hosiery Company, or jasper
and Orleans street.
"All our regular help is working" said
Mr. Worms. 1--WE have bought new ma
Our force is working on 1ull
time. Calamity howlers are inJurins
little depression, but why do political
speakers continue to give that feature
publicity? We haven't discharged any OF
lur help since this depression talk start
I'd. business is better today than IN
9O7 and 1905"