South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-09-07
thousand More Men to be
Employed Wien New Ma
chine Shop and FOun-
dry Are Ready.
CONTRACT is AWARDED
TO NEW YORK FIRM
Total Pay Roll in South Bend
now 100000 to be be
lncreaSed-5,0 23 Men
Employed Here.

Announcement was made InurS-
day by the Studebaker corporation
that contracts have beer let to
James Stewart 4, Co. Inc, engineers
and contractors Of New York and
Chicago for the erection Of a modern
foundry and large machine shop on
part OF the site which has been
occupied by the lumber wards OF
the corporation.
According 70 the announcement
the machine shop will be about 900
feet long by 500 feet wide and Will
supply twice the facilities of the
shops now in use. The new foundry
win be LOO feet long by $50 feet
wide. IL will have four cupolas
and a daily melting capacity of 25O
tons This building Will be ready
for occupancy by July 1, 1917.
Present plans are TO erect only a
portion Of the machine shop at this
firae but arrangements have been
made for extensions when business
requires the addition.
The growth and development Of
the Studebaker plant during the
past five years has necessitated these
extensions. In addition to the addi-
tons here others will be made at
Detroh, the total expenditure for
the extensions being estimated at
$500. 600. Provision for this fund
has been made out OF the reserves
of the corporation The officials
state that with the completion of
the additions 10 the combined plants
the corporation will be enabled to
exceed a 100000. 900 annual turn
over.
VIII Increase Force.
1t is the expectation of the man
agement that when the new plant
facilities are completed the average
number of employees OF the South
Bend works viii be increased 20fc,
or 1000 men. consisting chiefly of
skilled mechanics. who with their
families will add several thousand
people TO the population OF our city.
and il is therefore quite evident that
the housing facilities now available
must be increased within the next
u months 10 take care of these
people and thus make them con-
tented and happy citizens.
In making the announcement of
the improvements the Studehaker
corporation officials TNtnted ont the
necessity Of either enlarsing the
facilities of both the Detroit and
South Gend plants or OF losing "a
substantial volume Of business that
was outaiEable.
Cool Showing Made.
Figures were quoted showing
that in 1911 me sales OF the cor
poration amount TO $2S.4S7S4T.e9
and included 22.555 automobiles. In
1915 the sales had increased TO $56.-
$50. OO6.23 during which year &C.
S45 automobiles were sold. Tn tho
current year sales viii approximate
SO 600. 600 and the mum Der OF
automobiles 900 During the FIVE
years under review the real estate
and plant investment account of
the corporation increased from
SIO.554. 5OS.63 10 $l2.40o.493.2q. or
s1.S45.9S9 So it appears that the
corporation was able TO increase the
production capacity of the factories
without increasing the investment in
proportion 20 the increase in bus
mess
Prior 10 1917. the south beuu
works were devoted enNClusively to
the manufacture of horse-draWn We
hicIes and harness. but in the lat
ter part OF that year the corpora
ton commenced the manufacture Of
automobile springs and some cast
ings. and IN 1914 installed the auto
mobile body factory AT South Send,
and last year added some light
stampings. Today the South Bend
works are manufacturing automo-
bile parts for the Detroit factories
OF the value OF over $1e.00O.000 per
annum. and the average number of
employees here has increased from
2701 IN 1912 10 seas due TO the
use on automobile work OF available
facilities at south Bend.
Pay Roll $1,000, 600
The total wees and salaries now
disbursed b. the corporation IN the
ciiy OF South send exceed $4,000. p
0oO per annum while the average
rate OF wages per man-hour has
(CONTINU on PAGE FOUR.J