Evening journal., 1915-04-16
WAR ORDERS BRING
STIMULUS TO CITY
Industries Benefit From
Furnishing Supplies ior
dupont Plants
MANY MEN GIVEN JOBS
AT POWDER WORKS


Philadelphia newspaper
morning prints the following article.
which. along certain lines OF indus
try specifically affected. is, in a gen
,ral sense. true:
Millions of dollars worth of war
orders from European bclligerents for
smokcicss powder. guncodon, dyna-
mite and other munitions have SGT
tho wheels OF industry spinning In
Wilmington
From discouraging period Of
business depression. the city has cm-
crecd into something akin 10 boom.
War orders obtained from the Eng
lish. French and Russian govern
mcnts by tho DUPONT Powder Com
many. have been variously estimated
10 aggregate from S50,000.000 TO $780,
100000
An Wilmington Is honofting from
tho gold which Is pouring from tho
war chests of Europe into the Golfers
of the DUPONT concern The company
has had 10 have additional machinery
and mon 10 meet the allies demands
'or smokeless powder, dynamite and
triton. new high explosive. The
luponts are getting as much of this
equipment as Wilmington produces.
shops Run Continuously
Machine shops which had been idle for
months are running night and day to
manufacture tools and machinery for the
lupont plants The duponts have
bought aud arc buying thousands OF dol
nrs' worth of supplies from local hard
ware dealers and other merchant.
a few months ago Wilmington had an
acute non employment problem. Thou
sands oi unemployed men hung about
the street corners. a relief committee
was organized 10 aid destitute families
This distressing condition of affairs
was ended almost in day after war
orders came pouring in lrpm Europe
lohs were created Immediately FOR
hundreds Of carpenters. plumbers, ma
chinisis and others OF the trades who
were out of work. All available labor
ing men. whether -killcd or unskilled,
were given chance TO work.
Five hundred Wilmington carpenters
alone were sent over 10 the bic smoke
lcss powder plant az tarncys Point,
pennsero,c ~ j. More than 5000 vii.
mineton workers were given Jobs in the
powder mills here and at pennserovc.
Some ol the workers have removed
their families to pcnnsgro,c. but about
600 men -tll retain their homes in
Wilmington. and Wilmington merchants
are hcnchiine by their trade. II require.
two icamboot. and a icrryhoat TO take
ihcsc inicn 20 mud from their work IN
lennslroye. a y.
Work has hccn resumed az the Hag-
lay Yard plant of the duPonts on the
hrandywinc. This plant manufactures
black powder and is running night
end dav Three hundred men are em-
lployed there. In order TO meet he
lirpcnt demand for more room the du-
Points have leased the plant Of the J.
Morton Poole Company an the foot of
Orange street in Wilmington. Wi,h
the supply of competent labor in VIII
miuEiOn nearly exhausted. the du-
Fonts are reaching out an over tic
country for experts in the manufac-
tnre of explosives. Mon are arrivin 3
from ss far west as Indiana and other
middle western States.
Tho influx of European gold has
Influenced almost every branch of n-
tuAry in Wilmington. which was bad
rs crippled by the business dcprea-
sion Machine shops arc going iuil
swing. Old employees have their iODs
hack and additional mon arc al work.
Nearly an Of the shops have aban-
ocncd their regular lines and arc do
irr work for the duPonts. Here arc
eome of the machine shops which are
manufacturing machinery or paris of
machinery for the duponts:
Pusey and Jones Company. tho
Remington Machine Company. Walk
or and Elliott Machine Company and
r Slocum and Company
Formerly. the Remington Machine
Company specialized in making ice
manufacturing machinery. This firm
enjoyed thriving trade with Brazil
and other South American countries
but the influence of The war virtually
destroyed this business.
Payroll Boosted S2.000.0O0 Year
First great impetus 20 the business
boom In Wilmington came In Marcl
when the powder company made a p
per cent increase in the wages O
workmen. This increase effected
more than $4,000 men employed In al
Of the DUPONT plants in the country
ana meant an increase IN the rOm
pany's payroll OF about $1,000 900 pei
year.
The company followed this actor
on April S by an Increase in thi
shape OF a cash bonus amounting Il
20 per cent to all employees on th
salary list. Tho bonus affected abou
$500 persons. nearly 800 OF whom
arc employed in the Offices oi th
company in tho big dupont Buildin
az Tenth and Market streets Man
ri these salaricd employees arc al
ready giving evidence OF their In
creased prosperity. Some Of thor
have bought automobiles and the sa,
nss hank accounts Of others hay
shown notable Increases
Before the war. DUPONT povde
COMPANY common stock sold as To-
ss li2 Today offers Of $50 have bce
repeatedly turned down A fe
harcs have been offered an 3l0
ln0 day tho stock Jumped $50 IN
o-y ie going the rounds in Wi