New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-18
Loss Of War Orders May Mean
Reduction Of Working Forces
MACHINE co. AFFECTED FIRST
Section of Female Force at This Fac
tory Will Be Released Tonight
Other Concerns Anxiously Await
Word From Washington.

"A
been received as yet, local manu-
facturers are anticipating the can
collation. of practically all the wax
orders being worked on in this city,
and in the event Of such action by
the government it is believed that the
labor market will be affected serious
ly. In fact one of the local concerns,
the New Britain Machine company,
begins to decrease it's working force
tonight by dischaging a number
of the women employees of the factory,
and it is the plan of the officials to
decrease the force gradually for
some time. The scale of decrease.
of course, will be determined by the
rate in which cancellations are re-
ceived. other manufacturers are
planning upon the same course.
Machine Co. Affected.
The working force of the New
Britain Machine plant will in all
probability be affected most seriously.
The plant has been working, since
the entry of the United States into
! the war, upon war orders on hundred
per cent If the war cancellations
continue or increase as they are ex-
pected to, it can readily be seen that
the surplus employees on the plants
pay roll will have to be gotten rid
| of and it will be some time before
| the plant will be able to resume
| normal operations on peace time pro-
! ducts. President H. L. Plat and
| Treasurer H. H. Pease are out of
! town, and it was impossible to get
! a statement regarding the extent Of
| cancellations already received. but
! other officials of the factory admitted
i that the cancellations have given rise
/ to a serious problem in the way OF
! labor. Whether this will or will not
| affect the wage scale at the factory
| cannot be determined as yet Re-
! Gently the wages of employees of the
| factory were cut almost in half by
| the adoption Of the eight hour day
and the cutting of overtime pay, and
! it IS hoped that further cuts will not
| be necessary.
At the Corbin Screw division of the
American Hardware Corporation to-
day it was admitted that number of
minor orders have been cancelled by
! the government. AS in the case of
the New Britain Machine factory,
| further cancellations are expected
| and looked for by the officials.
screw Shop Loses Order.
One of the first cancellations re-
| ceived at the Screw shop was that of
a bayonet nut order The factory has
| been working on an order of bayonet
| nuts used in attaching the bayonet to
| the rifle. The order is not a contract
| made with the government, although
lit is government work, but a sub-con-
! tract let out to the Screw shop by
| ENYr,,~ TIc, IL
| the bayonet order was given. In this
! factory, it was stated by an official,
the cancellation will not have such
serious consequences, as the work be-
! ing done for the government is along
! the same lines as has been followed in
! times Of peace. Practically the only
| war work done in that factory is on
| nuts and screws which are CONNER
| cial staples and can be put on the
market and sold again as in days be-
| fore the war.
Hardware Corp. Not Hurt.
Speaking for the American Hard
ware corporation as a whole Presi-
| dent H. c. M Thomson said today
! that while some orders have been
cancelled, the corporation is not yet
! affected seriously. Large cancella-
! tions will most likely come, but how
| soon is matter of conjecture Mr..
| Thomson stated today Minor can
| ce1lations have been received by all
| the divisions Of the corporation but
| none of great import as yet.
| The order for bayonets which is in
the kands of the Landers, Frary &
| Clark plant, and which is one of the
| largest war orders in the city, is in
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