The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-12-30

During the business year closing to-
day every one of thirty-one listed man.
ufacturing concerns of this city operat-
ed successfully with profits ranging
from ten to 100 percent in excess of
1915 profits. Thus the year 1916 will
be recorded as one of the most, if not
the most prosperous in Richmond's 8
industrial history
No local factory employed as many
as 1000 men during the past twelve
months but at least IS percent Of them
operated with capacity forces most of
the year and the majority of the fac
tory workers, mechanics. clerks and
laborers, received higher wages than
the preceding year.
Promise Further Increase.
Several industrial concerns in state
ments which they have submitted to
The Palladium announce that wage
increases will be provided for their
employees next year. Without except
ion the managements of the local fac
tories anticipate that business next
year will be as good, il not better, than
the year just closed
Data secured by The Palladium in
1,
year, and December / there was an
approximate 25 percent increase in
the number of factory employees.
Statistics show that at the close of
the year there were 4,185 men and wo-
men working for the thirty-one listed
manufacturing concerns against total
of 1886 employees the first of the year.
Plants Build Additions.
The closing year was featured by
an unprecedented amount of plant ex-
tension work. New additions were
constructed by the Fry Brothers COM
pany, auto body manufacturers; by
the Pilot Motor-Car company; by the
Standard Pattern company; by the
Eiliott-Reid Fence company. which ac-
quired the old Richmond Manufactur-
ing company plant and by the National
Automatic Tool company.
The F. & n. Lawn Mower company
took over the remodeled one of the
largest buildings of the Rumely group
and after building a large addition to
it for a new industry, malleable iron
foundry. prepared to begin operations
the first of the next year.
Starr Builds Photograph Plant.
During the year just closed the
manufacturing concern which now has
the largest number of employees, the
Starr Piano and Phonograph company,
completed the construction of an i'm
mense new sixstory factory building
in which it is now manufacturing its
The Starr company, the
first of this month was employing 700
people.
Work has just begun by the Rich
mond Underwear company on the con-
struction of factory building which
is to be almost an exact duplicate of
the large and model factory the COM
p2ny now operates in. With the COM
pletion of the new building this COM
pany can increase the number of its
women employees from $50 to over 400. |
Nateo Ranks as Largest.
A large new factory building for the !
National Automatic Tool company, to-
day the largest concern of its kind in |
was completed the past year. |
The Reliance Foundry company last |
took over one of the large |
buildings Of the Rumely group and is |
now operating two plants.
Two new buildings were constructed !
for the w. N. Johnson company, manu- |,
facturers of automobile parts, and the |
Davis Motor Car company doubled the |
size Of it's plant by leasing the fac
tory formerly occupied by the West
colt Motor Car company, which was !
moved to Springfield, o.
Occupies Rumeiy Building.
Richmond has secured two large |
concerns the past |
twelve months, the Richmond Male
able Iron foundry. organized by John
NJ. Lontz, and the United Refrigerator
moved to this city from Peru.
This concern is located in several |
buildings of the Rumely group and is
now employing 200 men.
The United Refrigerator company
came to Richmond as a result of a big
deal put over by the Commercial
Club whereby all the buildings of the
NJ Rumely company were purchased