The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1917-07-03
EQUIPPING GREAT ARMY
MONSTER UNDERTAKING
INDUSTRIAL AMERICA FACES
BIGGEST TASK IN ITS HIS
TORY OUTFITTING TROOPS.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF WORKMEN ARE AIDING

Great Industrial Cities Which Have
Sprung up in Different Sections of
The Country Are Working Night
And Day.
The force of industrial America is
being flung into the battle against
autocracy. Hundreds of thousands of
workers in arms and munitions plants
are laboring night and day to pro-
vide guns and munitions for the Unit
ed States army and still continue a
stream of supplies to the European
allies. Production Of war supplies in
the United States has increased
enormously during the past year, and
the facilities are being added to
weekly.
Five great states-Connecticut,
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Mary
land and Delaware-are producing
the major portion of the mountains
of supplies. Blazing FORCES and hum
ming industrial plants are adding
their quotas of guns, shells, powder,
equipment and scores of other neces-
sites of war. Men and women are
working together in creating the i'm
plements that the American army
will use.
Workers Getting Big Wages.
High wages are being paid to the
workers in the war supply plants,
the averages ranging upward from
81 to SIS day. There is plenty of
work for all, in fact, a scarcity of
labor is being felt from time to time
by different plants and has been a
deciding factor in increasing wages.
In many cases the companies have
built industrial cities and have sought
to make living for their employees
as cheap as possible so as to hold
the men.
An example of an industrial city
Is found at the du Pont reservation
at Carney's Point, N. j., where thou
sands of powder workers are housed.
Homes of the bungalow type are
rented to workers at from $3.50 a
month upward, and the company fur
nishes police and fire protection along
with the water supply and sewerage
system. The company also has pro-
vided municipal Fairgrounds for the
children. The men earn from % p
TO AZ cents an hour and have been
receiving bonuses. Pianos and other
luxuries are found in nearly all the
homes, and in one entire block there
IS but one home which does not boast
an automobile.
Increased Production of Powder.
The du Pont company at Whining
ton, Del, manufactured 100000
pounds of smokeless powder a day
last year. With better facilities an
added $4,000 pounds is the daily out
put now. Thirteen thousand work
men are employed by this firm and it
is preapring to add greatly to the
production at its Carney's Point
plant.
Another Wilmington concern, the
Artillery Fuse company, is preparing
for a rush of orders within a short
time. The plant has been shut down
for a short time because of the com
piietion of a big contract with Rus
sla. Previous to the temporary ces-
satlon of business the company was
employing 1000 persons and may ex-
coed that number in the rush that is
to come.
Arsenal of the Nation" Busy.
Connecticut, ''the arsenal of the
nation" has lived up to its sobriouet
and Is doing its share in turning out
war supplies. In the vicinity of Hart
ford many new plants and additions
TO old ones are under construction.
When these are completed the pro-
auction of that locality will be about
double what it was a year ago. Pro.
ductlon already has increased so per
cent. and wages have advanced ten
per cent. since the spring of 1916.
One Hartford firm that manufac-
lures revolvers, automatic pistols and
macnlne guns now has weekly pay.
roll OF $4,000, compared with $50.