[Newspaper]
Publication: The Muncie Morning Star
Muncie, IN, United States
vol. 45, no. 272, p. 1,3, col. 1,3
SLOW BUT STEADY
PICK-UP IN LOCAL
FACTORIES NOTED
Manufacturers Are Not Able
to See Big Improvement
for Some Time Yet.
HOWEVER, SITUATION HERE
IS MUCH ABOVE AVERAGE
By Paul Fitzgibbon.
The prophet who visions a boom or even a marked increase of activity in industrial circles within the next few months would find little sympathy in interviewing Muncie manufacturers, practically all of whom brand as false prophets the professional optimist who set March 1, or July 1, or harvest time, as the date when business will again blossom out in full glory.
These industrial leaders, almost without exception, subscribe to an expression of optimism. tempered with judgment, however. A survey of the situation shows that there is already a slow pick-up in most lines of manufacturing here, with an outlook for a continual betterment at a slow rate. Some factories will probably not experience any improvement for three or four months and others are dependent on outside agencies, which are uncertain. Not the least encouraging is the fact that no Muncie plant is falling off in operation, nor is such a condition expected.
Will Be Influenced by Crops.
All manufacturers who were Interrogated on the point gave the opinion that the automobile industry will hold its own with other lines when the improvement comes. In view of the fact that many of Muncie larger industries ire in this or allied lines, such predictions are encouraging.
In several instances. the future, for the next year, at least, will be influenced by crops, the extent to which the railroads repair and add to their equipment, the popularity of the automobile market, etc. This is true of the makers of food containers and shipping packages, foundry products and auto parts.
The general situation was clearly set forth by D. O. Skillen, general manager of the Muncie Products Company, when interviewed yesterday.
"There will be no boom and those who say there will be are foolish," said D. O. Skillen. "Industries will not get back to normal until fundamental factors, such as freight rates and coal prices, are righted. Manufacturing cannot be resumed in full with coal at $9 per ton and freight rates much too high. There will likely be a continued slow improvement, as there is now, but no big increase is to be expected until the next crops are harvested."
Foundry Business Picks Up.
Mr. Skillen stated that the Muncie Products Company is doing a little additional business and adding a few men to its force at intervals. The outlook is promising, though not brilliant, and if the conditions continue for the next four months as they are now, it will be a satisfactory situation, he added.
Compared with last year, the operation of the Muncie Malleable Foundry Company is booming, for both in production and number of employes there has been an increase of 300 per cent, but the plant is not yet back to normal. Approximately 200 men are now employed. Inquiries recently received here from railroad centers give rise to the belief that orders will be forthcoming within a few months. The recent opening of the immense railroad car shops in northern Indiana of the Pullman company, which was consolidated with the Haskell and Barker Company, indicates that the railroad companies are planning to add to their rolling stock and other equipment and this will mean business for the foundry companies.
The Chicago auto show is awaited by the officials of the Muncie Foundry and Machine Company as an indicator as to what may be expected by that firm during the coming months. The production of the foundry and machine company is largely in automobile parts, so its business depends upon the motor car manufacturer, and the latter, in turn, founds his plans largely upon the atitude [sic] attitude of the public as seen at the great automobile shows. Customers of the local firm say that they anticipate successful displays at Chicago, which would mean a material pick-up in the factory here within the next six or eight weeks. The production is considerably greater than at the corresponding time last year and between 157 to 200 men are now on the payroll.
Warner Corporation Is Busy.
The Muncie manufacturing concern enjoying the greatest activity at the present time is undoubtedly the Warner Corporation, makers of auto parts, which is now at 100 per cent capacity, according to Warren M. Sample, general manager. Not only that, but two shifts of men are at work and the factory in Avondale is busy twenty-one of the twenty-four hours of the day. About 250 men are employed, and this number is increased as equipment is added to the plant. Since the automobile buying season opens within a couple of months, this company expects to be able to secure as much additional business as it can handle, because of the natural seasonal improvement.
The production at the Ball Brothers’ Glass Manufacturing Company is about the same as usual at this time of year, the output being stored in anticipation of the spring and summer shipping season, which begins in March. It is yet too early to predict the success of the year's fruit and vegetable crops, but the season’s outlook for the Ball Brothers’ firm is favorable.
Conditions at the Warner Gear plant are similar to those elsewhere. Business is increasing gradually and a few men are being taken on occasionally, as has been done for a considerable time, until a few more than 300 employes are now listed. The gains that are made are substantial and Warner Gear officials believe the prospects to be promising.
The work at the Hemingray Glass Company plant is only a little below normal; but this does not mean that the activity of the past two or three years is approached, for it must be considered that the war time business was above normal. The business of the Hemingray company has held up as well or better than had been expected and there is apparently no danger of a let-down. Contrarily, there is a probability of a betterment in the spring, although it is no certainty, for the selling period for the products of this firm, glass insulators, begins when the weather opens to permit telegraph and telephone linemen to work outdoors. The Hemingray company now employing 170 men.
The structural iron and steel business is dull at present, but the Indiana Bridge Company has secured orders which will keep it fairly busy for the next thirty days at the least. Forty-five or fifty men are now working in the shops and a slightly smaller number on outside work. It is the normal dull period for structural steel builders, and there is no particular activity in sight after four or six weeks, but when the building season opens, more work will likely be forthcoming.
Future operations of the Hinde Dauch Paper Company, which is now idle, are in doubt, but officials state that the factory will probably start about March 1, in order to be able to make shipments of cartons in time for the canning season, which opens in June.