Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-07
BANQUET GIVEN
COMPANYHEAD
Fifty ight Arc Guests of r. & "
Wagner Ordnance Company at
Manufacturers Hotel.
RECOGNITION OF PRODUCTION
Shop Managers, Department Lead.
erS and Foremen Gather 20
Celebrate Occasion.

Inc at the Manufacturers hotel
last evening.
Inc dinner was given in TcCOg-
milton OF the achievement of a point
in production at the plant which q
few months ago seemed almost i'm
possible Guests Of honor were
shop managers. department heads
and fOTCmVu. Among the more dis
tnguished Of those present were.
w. A Layman. president Of the
Wagner Electric Manufacturing
company Of St Louis: John Han
ley, secretary OF the Metal Trades
association Of Cincinnati, and Ho-
mer ID. Sayre, secretary Of the Ma
tional Metal Trades association.
Some weeks ago, when the ord
nance plant was just emerging
from the organization stage and
getting into full swing. ". II. Van
Deryoort, president of the company,
was told by ". F. ROhr. one of the
shop executives, that it would not
he long till a certain mark in pro
ductiOn would be attained. Mr.
EanDeTvOOrt doubted the posi- bill
ity Of such 2. showing, but said that
if It was reached he would give the
shop heads a banquet. The mark
was passed in August. Last even
ing Mr.. VanDarvOoTt announced
that other banquets are in pros
pect, In fact, there are three goals
set that promise to be reached
soon.
A T. Miller. superintendent Of
the ordnance plant and the genius
who has been the inspiration for
UnpTecedent achievements IN the
plant, presided at the dinner Mr.
Layman Of the Wagner company
extended to the shop men the con
ordinations of the St Louis end
Of the partnership. He declared
that after the war no group Of men
will be entitled to a larger degree
Of praise than the workers Of the
ordnance plant in East Moline. He
showed clearly that the worker
who is producing guns, shells and
other products essential to the
prosecution of the war, are really
in the war just as effectively and
as vitality as the soldier at the front
is in it. He gave some interesting
Information as to the foundation of
the r. & N.-Waguer Ordnance com
pany. and told of the wonderful
accomplishments Of the company
and the men as an organization.
He also gave a statement of the
war work being done by the St.
Louis plant Of which he is the head
Five important articles Of war
continent are manufactured by the
company. Its plant is now working
d. rrs9y II lT
and 20 per cent on electrical equip
ment, and soon becomes practically
100 Dar cent war manufacture, the
electrical work to be done being
only that required for the other
end Of the business.
Message From st. Louis.
Mr.. Lavman brought a message
I of LOYALTY and patriotism from the
7 81 Louis workers. and read copies
. of Labor day messages to General
7 Pershfng and Admiral Sims. On
Labor day the employees, though a
holiday had been proclaimed by the
company. worked 100 per cent IN
the munitions department all day,
and named a committee to send q
message of cheer to the two war
( leaders,
/ Mr.. TarIev made an eloquent and
thrilling patriotic address, ana was
ro1ndr. chcered when he COnClud-
I ed by thanking the r. & Wv, men
( for their achievements, as father
of a boy in France fighting fpr de-
I mocracv. He paid a fine tribute TO
the loyal and patriotic women Who
( are going into the plants 10 fll the
places left vacant by men called
/ 10 military service.
w. II. VanDeryOOrt expressed his
anDreclation OF the spirit Of the
men and women who are working
in East Moline, doing their best 70
get the needed guns and other war
material to the boys over there and
/ on the high seas. He laid empha-
clio on thc fact that every tool in
1.-The great ordnance plant, the lead
ling one of the kind in the United
/ states III the class of work It is do
ing. was built from the raw metal
|after the contracts We're signed,
and that a year ago IN June the
site Of the ordnance shop was an
uuIeveled grove.
/ he told the workers that he Is
clad they are making big money
mat the government has taken
from war contracts almost every
reward except the glory, but that
ifhe r & V.-WagneT Ordnance com
many and ifs employees are winning
( +hair fun share Of glory ana are
being given recognition IN WASH
/ inetOn- z.4-
/ In France soldiers are on duty
lin engagements q hours day Tor
"a week az a stretch. At home, he
said. q truly patriotic citizen should
/ see II as a duty 20 work as hard
$50 as long as is physically posi-
|bIe T{e showed that al present tAe
r. 4 Y. plants are 80 per cent ae-
voted to government and war VOTE,
and that by Jan ! the plants VIII
he 100 per cent on a war basis.
AT the close Of the banquet the
ishoD men gave three rousing cheers
for Efr VanDaryoort, and with a
Unanimous and enthusiastic vote
pladged themselves TO reach an
even more remarkable production
mark and stick TO the task, stand
ling bv the company the nation ann
.rha bows on the other side. TIL me
war lis won and German autocracF
. forever crushed.
Several Of the shop department
heads were called upon for re
marks. and a1l responded with q
nr9mfsa 0f even more results than
4 "a ~ 81