Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1919-12-22
Factory lost
TO THE CITY
Hicke, Fuller, Pearson &
Company of Sioux City
Unable to get Fac
tory Building.
WOULD MOVE PLANT
Unable to Reach Agreement
for Brown Skate Fac
tory Building.
WOULD MOVE PLANT

But for inability to reach satisfac-
tory arrangements with g. II. Brown
for the use of the Brown skate factory
building on the north side. the Chamber
Of Commerce would have been able to
bring the Sioux City overall factory Of
Hicks. Fuller. Pearson & company to
Webster City. The KEGS Manufacture
ing company, which recently bought
the Browns skate business and factory
equipment. is moving the plant to
Beatrice, Nebraska, and the Chamber
OF Commerce had high hopes Of getting
the Hicks. Fuller. Pearson & company
plant hore to occupy the quarters be-
ing vacated.
Member Of Firm Here.
f. L. Hicks, .Ir., one of the members
Of the firm. and c. w. Starch. factory
manager. were in Webster City Fri
day They asked nothing of the city,
other than the assistance of The Cham
Der of Commerce in getting girls
enough to operate their plant. They
expected to start IN with fifty, and
later to employ upwards Of hundred.
This company is 4 well known concern.
1t has wholesale house in Sioux City
and also maintains twelve manufacture
ing departments, handling everything
from overaiis up to ribbons and silk
goods. They proposed to bring their
overall department 10 Webster CITY.
owing to labor conditions in Sioux City.
Object to Lease.
The brown skate factory building
was about the only available building
IN Webster City which they could use.
Mr.. Brown asked 1928 rent month.
which the Sioux City company was
willing to pay. Mr.. Brown, however,
asked for a five year lease, which the
company was unwilling to give. They
offered to rent for six months. pay an
additional six months rent if they left
at the end of that time. with the
privilege of making a five year lease at
the end of six months. They claim that
they must TRY OUT any town for SIX
months before locating definitely, thus
giving them an opportunity to meet
labor conditions. Mr.. Brown, however,
would not meet this proposition and
Messrs. Hicks and Starch returned
home. The Sioux City company pays
good wages, starting girls at 81 ana
paying as high as SD Per week Tor
piece work.
The Chamber of Commerce regrets
the position taken by Mr.. Brown for
they were anxious to get the Hicks.
Fuller. Pearson factory here. The lot
upon which the Brown factory stands
was given to the Brown company by
the people OF Webster City outright.
and the Chamber of Commerce is anXi-
Gus, il possible, to have the building ON
it used by some kind of factory which
viii employ a desirable class of labor.
Hicks Makes Statement.
Hicks. Fuller. Pearson & Company
we're quite anxious to come TO Webster
City. Their representatives were well
impressed with the city and the cordial
reception given them here by the bust
ness men. Mr. Hicks, just before leav-
ing, made the following statement TO
tie Freeman-J Journal:
I'VE greatly regret that we could not
come to terms with Mr.. Brown. but II
seems impossible. We agreed to all ms
propostionS. but che, letting him put
his own estimate on both the rental and
value of his building. However, with
the uncertainties facing las, could NOT
tie up the firm for five years, even with
u snb-let clause.
I'VE feel that we would have MADE
splcndid success here and that Web
ster City would have been proud OF
US
r.{c or fhiS 0{Iif.,