The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 81
The Republic as a Trade School
The Republic as a Trade School
Last year the Republic entered upon a new and very important era of industrial life. For several years the Industries—farm, bakery, laundry, plumbing shop, furniture stop, printing shop etc. had been doing good work considering the very limited equipment at hand. Our hum, with 350 acres of land, 27 cows and 11 horses did not provide for our needs as it should, because, in the first place, there were too many demands upon the time and resources of the head farmer and teams: and in the second place there was not nearly enough stock to con-some the hay and fodder raised or to produce nearly enough butter and milk for our own use.
This condition on the farm was typical of every department in the Republic; there was just enough machinery and equipment in each one to "name the place" but not sufficient to carry out the work with efficiency and satisfaction, to say nothing of profit.
It is the theory of the present management that our industries can be made to pay a good profit in money and turn out a very much higher grade of workmanship by bring properly equipped. Many good friends of the Republic have come to coincide with us in this belief with the result that funds have been furnished by Mr. John D. Rockefeller and Mr. V. Everit Macy of New York City for the purpose of completing such equipment. Much has already been done. Our dairy has increased from 27 to 60 head; our horses from 11 to 14. A blacksmith shop is m successful operation. The laundry has a complete outfit of the best made washing machinery.
The bakery has a new "Ordway" oven with a capacity of 300 loaves of bread: the furniture shop has $300 worth of new tools and machinery; the plumbing shop has new quarters and many new tools: a sewing school has been started and several machines are in operation; the printing industry has been moved into a beautiful new brick building and its equipment completed.
Nevertheless, with all of this new machinery and with a better grade of help our advance along the lines of industrial efficiency has not been quite satisfactory. It is true that we have greatly decreased the operating expenses of many departments: it is also true that those departments showing a loss, show a much smaller loss than in former years. During the year just closed, for the first time, each and every department had to bear all expenses chargeable against that department: such items as stationery, printing, sundry supplies, repairs, rent, heat, light, power, etc., have all been charged against the department and not against general maintenance, improvement, equipment, etc., as in former years.
Two other very important factors also entered into our affairs of 1910 which greatly handicapped the work of the regular departments: one was the large number of collateral enterprises going on in the Republic, the building of the gymnasium, the hotel and the new addition to the school house. These operations called for a great deal of work from the boys and teams: our Carpenter Shop, Repair Department, Plumbing Shop and Machine Shop were constantly crowded and interfered with by the extra work they were doing for these buildings. This extended over a period of seven months. In the second place the demands upon the time and attention of the Superintendent in connection with the extensive building program greatly interfered with the supervision and general oversight of the regular department work: therefore the plans and policies so carefully worked out the year before were not fully, and in some cases not wisely, worked out. It is not to be expected that we shall ever again face so many difficulties in one season. With the time and thought of the Superintendent free to carefully and constantly direct the affairs of the several departments and study their needs, it is to be expected they will make much better progress.
The following is a comparative statement which shows the increase or decrease in the operating expenses of the several departments.
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Comparative Statement of Operating Expenses
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A Few Figures taken from the Department Ledger, October 1st., 1910
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Exterior of the Franklin Print Shop
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Interior of the Franklin Print Shop