Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-11
EDDYSTONEPLAN
LAYS OFF 1000
Making of Rife Parts
Ceases at Midvale Ord.
nance Shops
ONCE EMPLOYED $4,000
Second Cut i'm Working Force
Since Signing of
Armistice

The Eddystone rifle plant of the Mid
vale Steel and Ordnance Company dis
continued the manufacture of rife parts
at noon today. throwing 1000 persons
out Of work. The plant, however. will be
open for several weeks because several
thousand rifles still are to be assembled.
This will give employment to about 500
persons.
When the armistice was signed two
months ago there were $4,000 workers
at the Eddystone plant. The force has
been reduced gradually to a peacetime
basis.
United States Employment Bureau
agents have been stationed at the plant
for some time to place discharged work.
ers in other plants where there .s still
a shortage of labor.
At the height of its activities. the
Eddystone plant produced about $500
rifles a day. Under the terms of the
original agreement, by which the plant
was operated by the Midvale Steel and
Ordnance Company. II will revert to the
Baldwin Locomotive Works after thq
production of rifles Is suspended. The
buildings and r.le-making machinery
represent an outlay of several million
dollars.
Worlds Largest Rifle Plant
The Eddystone plant is the largest
rine-making concern in the world.
Ground was broken there by the Bald
win Locomotive Works on May II. 1915.
Under the personal direction of Samuel
r. Nauclain. first vice president and
general manager of the Baldwin works,
the plant was completed by December.
ON December 81, 1915, the first finished
rifle was turned out.
Originally the factory made Enfield
rifles of the English army model for the
British Government, turning out coo, 0OO
OF these apo When America got
into the war the War Department tool,
indirect control and production of the
Springfield Enfield type of rife was
started.
In the first year of work on this
model the plant turned out 1000, O0(
rifles. Another contract for more thar
500. 900 was obtained. and rifles wer,
being turned out at the rate of about
$500 n day, with three shifts. Tht
largest number of workers employed
was about 1880.
First Lay-OT Followed Armisticc
When most of the dcmand for rifles
for the new American army had beer
met. the force was slightly cut down
II VAS still further reduced followlnl
The signing of the armistice, when tn,
Government placed all war contracts OF
a basis of an eiGht-hour day.
Originally. the plant was operate,
under IN agreement between the Bald
win works and the Remington Arm
Company. Later the Midvale compan,
acquired control. The ground and plan
are still wned by the Baldwin com
pany and will revert to that firm will
the conclusion of all war contracts.
In his last annual report. Alba F
Johnson, president of the locomotiv
works, made the following statement O
future policy, both as to the rifle plan
and the munition plant at Eddyston,
which also is owned by Baldwin's:
The eventual utilization for locomo
tive construction of the buildings no,
leased to The Eddystone Ammunitio
Company and the Remington Arms Con
pany, of Delaware, when vacated b
them, will release corresponding spac
in the Philadelphia shops. The probleI
of finding suitable employment for hi
space has received careful considerable
It is desirable to utilize it in a line G
manufacturing less subject to variation
of cmand than railway equipment"