Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-10-25
Ehrnittg Gl1at

Unless war should come 1t is not
likely that the information sent to the
national authorities at Washington in
response to their request as to what
Dauphin county industrial plants
could furnish in case of emergency
will get much beyond card index and
filing cabinet, yet, the fact remains.
that reports were made showing that
the various works and factories in Har-
risburg and Steelton and vicinity couls
supply many Things without delay.
The information asked was designed to
md out what would be necessary to
put plants into shape to handle orders
or various kinds required for defense.
Ihe information given was that actual
munitions OF war could be made at once
and that important parts could be
made with little delay and that facili-
ties for manufacture could be sup
piled. In shore, 1t was a gratifying
report because it showed that Harris
burg and Steelton were able to swing
| thelr organizations now operating in
the intricate industrial system into
work for the nation. The average
reader probably does not realize that
| this city is center of those men so
essential to modern warfare, the
machinist and that there are half
dozen works in and about this city, not
works, the Harrisburg Pipe and Pipe
Bending Works and the Morton Truck
and Tractor plant, which have been
making some materials for war use,
which could be employed in furnish
ing articles of various kinds for de-
fense. In addition there are shoe.
! stocking, provision and other factories
which are counted into the scheme for
organizing for the common need.
while the government has received full
intormation about Harrisburg's splen-
did distributing facilities and the sup
plies available or quickly so.
Then there is another feature of the
defense information plan, which has
been worked out without much talk
by the people having establishments
hereabouts and 1t is the item of trans
portation. A war being a matter of
mechanism it requires not only roll
ing stock and vehicles but trained
men and it would probably surprise
some of the Telegraph's readers to
learn that they had been counted as
units in scheme of national defense,
even though it call for no more eXcit !
ing work than their daily occupation
of manning trains. Then again Uncla|
Sam is now as well informed as to the
number and ownership of automobiles
and trucks in this community as the
State officials who issue the licenses TO
operate them. In short, the govern
ment appears to have collected about
you and me and how we fit into the
industrial life a surprising amount of
first hand information. Some of the
; data desired is.not complete, but it will
} doubtless be so and the thing to do is
to be ready to give service if the timeI
should come, which, it is to be hoped ;,
} will never be. 1t is gratifying to know
that this district is ready, Just the
same
The use OF money orders and postal
savings system by foreigners who in
times past have been accustomed to
send their money home leads to soma
odd things every now and then Not
long ago a foreigner who had been|
buying money orders found out that
a bank in fine building was as safe
a place to keep money as the post
office and his deposit book was AMI
: object of intense interest not only tdl
J himself but to his neighbors Then
= he initiated friends into the mystefSFoi
: deposits. 1t happened that one of thtl
friends was cautious and only wanted
to make a deposit for a short time. Hel
got certificate of deposit and was in !
dignant because he did not get a booh
with numbers in it like his financia
adviser. 1t turned out that to him NJ
book with numbers in it meant credit
at grocery.
Captain w. w. VanBaman, who ha 81
just retired as head of one of the York;
infantry companies, is we'll known FOL
many here. He has been interested in
military affairs for long time and
helped bring up company which had
been transferred to York from another
place.
! Hugh ]. Harley, who was here as al
Legislative correspondent of the Phila j
delphia Press has been writing an in i
teresting series of signed articles in
that paper. He has been telling of
: the famous living characters of the|
, Quaker City and the other day wrote
about Frederick Gutekunst, the vet i
eran photographer. The mere list od
! the men who sat to Gutekunst isl
interesting.