Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-11-18
LABOR CONDITION
LESS FAVORABLE
SOME LOCAL FACTORIES FIND
1T NECESSARY TO REDUCE
FORCES.
PROBABLY 100 MEN LAID
OFF IN RECENT WEEKS
boundaries Hardest Hit. Fully 30 Per
Cent of Working Force Of Two Be-
ina Laid Off-Conditions Normal
in Majority Of Manufacturing In
stitutions--Future Outlook Fair.

Local factory laDor IS Sesih'iiS
TO feel the effect of the general slow
ing up of business, altho the depres-
sion locally has not as yet assumed
anything like serious proportions.
survey of sixteen. of the larger con-
Germs employing labor, including two
railroads. shows approximately loo
men have been laid off recently. or
the sixteen concerns included in the
survey, ten are working full force,
while six have made some reduc-
lions, two of fully SO per cent OF their
normal forces.
In one case. that Of the c. A. Dun
ham Company, the factory force Is
worked overtime. In another, the
Western Grocer Company Mills, the
working day has been reduced from
ten to eight hours, but the force Of
employees has not been reduced below
the average for this time OF the year
This situation confronts labor:
Manufacturing plants, according to
statements by factory heads, have no
desire to uile up surplus of prod
ucts while facing possible marked
reduction In prices.
Railroad Situation About Normal.
The situation at the railroad shops
Of the N. & st. L. Is normal, there
having been no reduction In the force
for several weeks. At the Chicago,
Great Western there has been no re-
cent reduction In the working force.
Employees Of the foundry business
seem hardest hit. and the forces OF
two Of the local foundries have been
reduced fully SO per cent. This re-
duction has come In all departments,
1t is said.
What confronts labor, OF course,
can not be foreseen. the situation
being entirely dependent on business
conditions during the winter months.
The situation locally. perhaps. is not
nearly as serious as in many other
cities.
Condition in Local Plants.
The C. A. Durham Company has
not reduced it's force but on the
contrary has found It necessary to
increase the working day by one
hour. The Marshalltown syrup and
Sugar Company: having much out
side work on hand at the present
time. has been obliged to. put on
extra help temporarily.
The greatest reductions in men
have been made by the Central
Foundry Company and the Walter Fl.
Prier Company where forces have
been reduced fully SO per cent. AT
the Central foundry all departments
have been affected by the cut. At the
Prier plant not only has the working
force been cut in two but the plant
is working only four days a week.
The ourtailment of production at the
latter plant, according to the man
agehent. has been due to business
conditions. The American Machine
Products Company, in reorganizing
Its force has laid off eleven men, and
the Lennox Furnace Company. also
effecting reorganization, has laid off
five and put one man on. The latter
company, however, is running at full
capacity.
Ten men were laid off Saturday
from one department of the Mar
shalltown Trovel Works, and a tfew
men have been laid off at the Mar
shalltown Manufacturing Company,
the latter concern not desiring to
produce more than orders call for at
the present time.
The Rude Auto Company recently
laid off seven men. At the Western
Grocer Mills operations are normal
except for the reduction of hours.
Working With Normal Forces.
The Fisher Governor Company is
working with its regular force and
the prospects for the immediate flu
ture are that the factory force will
not be reduced. The Imperial Fur
mace Company and the Cooper Manu-
featuring Company also are employ
ing forces of normal size. The Mar
shall Oil Company has not reduced
its force and the outlook for the flu
ture Is said to be fair.
The attitude of manufacturers is in