The Republican journal., 1918-05-16
The Leonard & Barrows' Sho.
Factory.
belfast's Largest Industry.

Through the courtesy of Herbert H.
stevens, superintendent of the Leonard
& barrows' shoe factory, The Journal re-
porter had the privilege of spending an
nour last Friday very pleasantly in a tour
OF inspection of this busy plant. Supt.
Stevens recently came to Belfast from
the Hazard factory in Gardiner to sue
ceed Supt. Walter C. Shaw, who was
obliged to resign on account of illness.
Leaving his office where five young
ladies were busy with the firms finances
and book accounts, Supt Stevens began
his explanation with the full side of
tanned leather in the stock room which
they buy in the open market. Here he
also explained how some of the other
stock, such as sole leather, came cut and
how the cement in the immediate future
would advance in price as the Govern
ment had commandeered some of it's in
gradients. The side of leather goes first
to the cutting room, where with dies in
a power machine, the different parts of
the shoe is cut with the least possible
waste. In this room the edges are also
prepared for the stitching machine. There
is now no waste whatever of material as
the small pieces, even to trimmings, are
sold at good price.
Nearly all the operatives in the stitch
ing room are girls and women who work
rapidly and accurately on these power
machines, each one doing certain part
only. In the back seam of small shoe the
machine used did two kinds of stitching
in space of about two inches Stand
ing side by side was an old and an up-to-
date cementing machine, wonderful ex-
amples of labor inventions. The
button-hole machine, running so rapidly
as to confuse one not accustomed to the
work, was pointed out as the most intri-
cate in the room.
The factory is at present working on
large orders for boys shoes for New
York firm and in these Supt. Stevens ex-
planned minutely the work of the Good
wear welt method, which requires about
172 processes from the side of tanned
leather to the finished shoe The lasts
used in this make of shoe are wooden and
the nails used to hold the laps in place
while they are being fitted to the soles
are later taken out and leave only ma
chine stitching. The only nails used in
the Goodyear shoe is in the heel and the
machine used for this purpose requires
two operatives. 1t is a wonderful piece
of machinery. When the Goodyear shoe
is placed in the boxes ready for shipment
there is not blemish on the outside or
rough place on the inside The Mckay
shoe looks as well to the casual observer,
but is cheaper in the finish as it is
made on an iron bottomed last and the
nails are left, but neatly covered by kid.
The installation of electric power in
the factory is a great improvement in
every way. Their motors run from a
25 horse power used in the box shop to one
eighth horse power for light machine
work. Each motor drives only one line
of shafting so that in case of a break
down only small part of the work is af-
fected.
All the rooms are large and airy and
the factory as a whole is remarkably
well arranged. Each department has
foreman and a machinist. From the
office to the shipping room everything is
neat and in order and fine example Of
systematic labor.
A large number of the operatives have
been in the factory many years and are
experts in their branch of the work. The
firm recently and voluntarily raised the
wages of all the operatives am ounting to
a large sum in the aggregate.
Supt Stevens is endeavoring to run
the factory to it's full machine capacity
as the firm has large orders at hand for
youths shoes. Many factories of this
size are doing government contract work
exclusively, making the business in
youths shoes the best it mas been for
many years.