Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-04-19
Things Accomplished by Three
Commercial Organizations For
Rock Island During Year Given

ICY in behalf of locating small
concerns. We believe that small
factories are more easily handled
and better able TO adjust them
selves to local financial, market
ing and labor conditions. We be-
lieve that the future industrial
growth of Rock Island can, be
| solved by building a gooG founda-
ton now of small factories.
The Phelps Motor company
was brought here from Wilton
Junction, Iowa. They are manu-
facturers of farm power and farm
| lighting engines. They have grown
/ that this institution will become
one Of the city's big Industrial
units.
The Ralco Manufacturing COM
{ pany are manufacturers of electric
irons and electric utensil equip
ment. They were brought here
! from Dubuque, Iowa. and are To-
/ Gated in the Lewis Roofing COM
pany building at the foot of Third
/ avenue.
! &C. U. Scott & Son are manufac-
! turers of steel hardening furnaces
and in addition do commercial
steel hardening. They have been
( located on First avenue between
! Sixteenth and Seventeenth streets.
! New Depot.
! AS a result of the drive by this
/ committee the Rock Island Rail
/ road definitely pledged a new
freight depot for Rock Island. Il
is understood that the appropria-
/ for this has been authorized and
| approved and its erection may be
! looked forward to in the near flu
1 ture
| Through the initiative of this
! committee the Rock Island Metal
/ foundry was sold to the :. ].
/ Ryan company, who have added
! considerably to the physical equip
ment of the plant, have increased
| the number of employees and are
| turning out double the tonnage
4 previously handled.
/ This committee was successful
/ in relocating the Bear Manufactur-
ing company in the Peoples Power
! company building at a time when
| plans had been made for them to
leave Rock Island and go to Daven-
/ port.
Arsenal Employees.
! AT the close of the war the ord
| nance department authorized rigid
curtailment on all orders on which
| arsenal employees were working and
further transferred the leather and
cloth working departments to the
| quartermaster's department. Same
| was ordered by them to move to
| Je1ersOnville, Ind. This commit
| tee, in conjunction with committees
! from Davenport and Rock Island
arsenal workers, sent representa-
/ tIVes TO Washington. who spent
some weeks on the grounds and
| succeeded in obtaining a reversal
| OF the war department order. This
reversal order continues the opera
| ton of the harness and cloth work
/ ing departments at the Rock Island
/ arsenal. 1t further succeeded in
! getting the war department to con-
/ tinue the operation of the small
arms plant until the orders on hand
| for new rifles and repairs have been
completed. The same committee
was also successful in obtaining
considerable work for Rock Island
arsenal employees. The war depart
ment estimated that the employees
at the arsenal would be cut down
to $500 by April l. AS a result of
the work of the committee approx
mately $500 employees are now en-
ployed at the arsenal.
Housing War Workers.
six months prior to the begin
ming of the war the Chamber of
Commerce organized an industrial
housing bureau. This bureau was
created for the purpose of provid-
ing houses, furnished rooms and
light housekeeping rooms for en-
ployes coming to work in our fac
tories and at the arsenal This bu-
reau has been in operation about
eighteen months and during this
period placed approximately $500
employees. 1t is estimated that 80
per cent of these employees brought
with them their families. many of
whom continue to be residents of
Rock Island 1t is estimated that
these $500 employees as a whole av-
eraged 80 weeks employment in
Rock Island. This, based on an
average weekly earning of only S25
per week, would result in increased
payrolls to the amount of over five
million dollars. From this it may
be observed that this department
alone paid a handsome dividend TO
the business men of Rock Island
ard justified the organization of the
Chamber of Commerce even though
nothing else had been accom- |
piished.
Transportation.
This committee in response to |
call from Rock Island shippers /
interested itself in better service |
for L. c. L. freight out of Rock Is
land. The matter was carried be- /
fore local transportation officials /
and TO Washington. AS a result of /
it's vigilance on this matter it has |
been able to better transportation |
conditions.
INDUSTRIAL BUREAU,
j. T. MARION
c. E. SHIELDS.
H. II. CLEAVELAND.
J. NJ WEIGH.
J. L. VERNON.
NJ S. HEAGY."
Civic.
The work of the civic bureau has /
been practically at a standstiI for /
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