338X1977352 
 
 R5311 
 
 1924 
 
 Industrial Peoria 
 
 By 
 
 Leroy E. Roark 
 
 T" 
 
 OCT 2^ >
 
 ilLlNOIS HISTOI^lCAl SURVEY 
 
 lO
 
 s/r-^/
 
 SECOND EDITION
 
 Industrial Peoria 
 
 •rnr, I ' 
 
 V Of \au'.c;s 
 
 PEORIA 
 
 J. W. FRANKS AND SONS 
 
 October 1924
 
 Copywrited by 
 
 L. E. ROARK 
 
 1924
 
 11 2H 
 
 Industrial Peoria 
 
 By Leroy E. Roark 
 
 A REVIEW 
 
 OF 
 
 Advantages to Industry 
 Character of Products 
 Co-operation of Workers 
 The Citizens Part 
 Safety First 
 The Future
 
 To the earnest and sincere minded 
 industrial leaders of this favored 
 spot in the Valley of the Illinois^ 
 whose energy and enterprise so 
 generously expended have developed 
 thus far one of the greatest indus- 
 trial centers in the Middle West,
 
 PREFACE 
 
 With full knowledge and appreciation of the 
 incompleteness of this work, and recognizing its 
 shortcomings in dealing with what is believed to 
 be the greatest problem of the generation, justi- 
 fication is still found for publishing this book 
 because of the need for a better understanding 
 of the great strides that Industrial Peoria has 
 made, and to acquaint its citizens with the fact 
 that the industrial phase of Peoria's progress 
 has kept pace with the world at large. The in- 
 dustrial leaders of Peoria recognize fully their 
 obligation and responsibility, from an economic 
 and humanitarian standpoint, to the community 
 which they have so ably aided in developing. 
 The future of Peoria is in the hands of the gen- 
 eration now coming into their majority, and if 
 they will seize the opportunities that are being 
 offered them and carry on with the sincerity of 
 purpose and progressive vision of those who have 
 gone before, Peoria's position as one of America's 
 
 great industrial centers is assured. 
 
 — L. E. R.
 
 Advantages to Industry
 
 There was a time when the prominence 
 of Peoria was due to its being one of the 
 greatest grain centers of the middle west. 
 At a later date it was known throughout 
 the nation as a distilling center and prom- 
 inent in jobbing and distributing of food and 
 general commodities, but in the past few 
 years its greatest renown has come to Peoria 
 by reason of its having developed into one of 
 the most prominent industrial and commer- 
 cial centers in this part of the country. 
 
 Being the second largest city in the third 
 greatest industrial state in the union, there 
 has naturally come to Peoria a lot of com- 
 mercial enterprise that was attracted by 
 reason of its size and general prominence 
 and popularity. Large cities well located 
 
 [13]
 
 are always regarded as strategic locations 
 for ware houses, distributing offices, anH 
 branch offices, but to attract the attention 
 of manufacturers, whose greatest considera- 
 tions are the proximity of raw materials, 
 transportation, power, labor supply and 
 market, a city must have specific natural 
 and useable advantages. In this analysis 
 Peoria has stood up in very good shape. 
 
 Situated in one of the richest coal produc- 
 ing regions of America and in the very 
 heart of one of the greatest distributing and 
 consuming territories of the middle west, 
 with an ample supply of good water and 
 transportation facilities, the next step for 
 a manufacturer to undertake is the analysis 
 of the labor market, the adaptability of the 
 class of labor in a community and its gen- 
 eral productive ability. 
 
 This having been found to be far above 
 
 [14]
 
 the average for an industrial center has 
 been readily recognized as being possibly 
 one of the greatest assets the community 
 has to offer manufacturers, and the fact that 
 Peoria labor is productive and thrifty is not 
 an accident. It is the logical outcome of 
 years of study and consideration on the part 
 of employers whose plants have been located 
 in the community and have been the cause 
 of and a part of the gradual industrial de- 
 velopment. In Peoria today approximately 
 thirty of our largest manufacturing insti- 
 tutions are under the direct supervision of 
 the man or group of men who founded them. 
 This is a remarkable record, and is one of 
 the highest testimonials to the spirit of in- 
 dustrial Peoria that can be related. It is 
 generally recognized by authorities on in- 
 dustrial subjects that the industrial expan- 
 sion of a community comes from within and 
 it is evident, therefore, that Peoria's future 
 depends upon its industrial progress and the 
 
 [15]
 
 development and prosperity of the institu- 
 tions already located there. 
 
 There are many reasons why commun- 
 ities do not prosper, but there are only a 
 few reasons why a community cannot prog- 
 ress and one of the reasons is the lack of 
 proper appreciation by the citizens of the 
 community as to what the mills and factories 
 and workshops mean to a community from 
 the standpoint of regularly employed man 
 power and the distribution of earned wages. 
 Fortunately, in Peoria, there is a growing 
 consciousness of what the industries mean 
 and a greater number of citizens find 
 the time to take an interest in the policies 
 that control the management of our local 
 industries. For the past few years there 
 has been competition between industrial 
 communities for the securing of additional 
 industries, railroad terminals and business 
 houses, and the greatest success and prog- 
 
 [16]
 
 ress has been experienced in those commun- 
 ities that recognize the importance of indus- 
 try and whose general civic and industrial 
 policy is one of encouragement rather than 
 discouragement. 
 
 Prosperous conditions may only be ex- 
 pected in communities where an enlightened 
 public understands the economic value of 
 uninterrupted and unhampered industrial 
 operations. As an industrial center, Peoria 
 has unlimited possibilities, but its advan- 
 tages and desirability as a place for new in- 
 dustries to locate will be measured and de- 
 termined by the prosperity of the institu- 
 tions already established, and progress 
 they have been able to make. 
 
 For many years the farming industry 
 was recognized as the back bone of our 
 national prosperity, but during the past few 
 years since the farming industry has suf- 
 
 [17]
 
 fered such a serious set back, it has become 
 more and more evident to the people of the 
 middle west that the industries have played 
 a much greater part in this prosperity than 
 perhaps ever before was brought to their 
 attention. 
 
 To illustrate this condition, sixty-five 
 of Peoria's manufacturing establishments 
 paid their wage earners $233,228 per week, 
 or a total of $12,127,859.64 for the calendar 
 year ending December 31, 1923. Peoria is 
 one of those rare communities in which a 
 majority of the money earned is spent in 
 the business houses of the same community. 
 This is largely responsible for the present 
 existence of larger and higher grade mer- 
 chandise houses in this city than is found 
 in the average city of this size. According 
 to the average national family budget the 
 following percentages of a wage earner's 
 income go for necessities: 
 
 [18]
 
 43.31 per cent for food. 
 13.2 per cent for clothing. 
 20.4 per cent for sundries. 
 17.7 per cent for shelter. 
 5.6 per cent for fuel and light. 
 
 Hence, the department stores, retail mer- 
 chants, professional men and business 
 houses of Peoria receive 76.7 per cent of 
 the wages earned or a total of $9,302,068.34 
 from the workers in sixty-five of the manu- 
 facturing plants alone. When one considers 
 the many other lines indirectly connected 
 with industry that men and women are en- 
 gaged in, it will give some idea of the total 
 amount of money brought into the commun- 
 ity through the sale of the products of the 
 local manufacturing plants. 
 
 As to the desirability of Peoria as a point 
 at which to locate manufacturing plants for 
 articles of general distribution, the follow- 
 
 [19]
 
 ing is an interesting example. Five inter- 
 nationally known manufacturers have chos- 
 en Peoria for the point at which to situate 
 their manufacturing plant, after making a 
 survey of the entire United States. These 
 plants are the Bemis Brothers Bag com- 
 pany, the Barrett company, the Commercial 
 Solvents Corporation, the United States In- 
 dustrial Alcohol company and the Larkin 
 company. 
 
 As another recognition of the desirabil- 
 ity of Peoria as an industrial city, the 
 gigantic power plant of the Central Illinois 
 Utilities company is now in process of con- 
 struction on the east bank of the river and 
 the electric power developed in this plant 
 will be furnished to many cities in central 
 Illinois for the operation of utilities and 
 industrial plants. 
 
 This is a record that speaks for itself and 
 
 [20]
 
 should be an inducement for the citizens of 
 this community to be ever on the alert for 
 an opportunity to gain an understanding of 
 the industries that have aided in the build- 
 ing of the community and whose progress 
 will play an important part in its future. 
 
 21]
 
 Character of Products
 
 Six thousand car loads of manufactured 
 good were produced in the industries of 
 Peoria during January, 1924. Very few 
 Peorians realize the importance or the mag- 
 nitude of our local industries. 
 
 From all corners of the earth are gath- 
 ered various kinds of raw material that are 
 brought to Peoria to be fabricated and 
 manufactured into finished, usable articles, 
 and after going through the manufacturing 
 process of our local industries this material 
 is sent out as a finished product into all 
 parts of the world. 
 
 From the tropics and the Orient comes 
 the raw material used in the compounding 
 and manufacturing of pharmaceutical pro- 
 
 [25]
 
 ducts produced by a local drug plant. This 
 particular product is one of the greatest 
 boons to humanity in its uses for the de- 
 struction of insects and vermin. Every 
 country in the world consumes this product 
 and its standing as a commodity is evi- 
 denced by the recent national advertising 
 carried on through the Saturday Evening 
 Post. 
 
 Sisal from Mexico and fibre from the 
 Philippines is shipped to Peoria to be 
 made into rope, and after passing 
 through the hundreds of spinning looms of 
 our local cordage plant, it is prepared for 
 shipment. It is marketed and utilized in 
 many ways, from the binding of grain in 
 the harvest fields and the equiping of sail- 
 ing vessels to the hoisting of mighty ma- 
 chinery and building materials used in 
 modern construction. 
 
 [26]
 
 Perhaps one of the most interesting 
 classes of industries that this community 
 has are the local paper mills. Hundreds of 
 tons of discarded rags are used daily in the 
 roofing mills of Peoria for the manufactur- 
 ing and fabricating of building and roofing 
 paper. It is in a large sense a business 
 built upon a salvage basis, since it uses as 
 its raw material an otherwise worthless 
 commodity. The process through which this 
 material passes furnishes one of the modern 
 miracles of science and chemistry. Ton 
 after ton of this roofing paper speeds over 
 rapidly driven steam drums, and carload 
 after carload of the finished product goes 
 to other points east and south for the fin- 
 ishing operations which turn it into a roof- 
 ing cover for our modern buildings. 
 
 In the paper bag industry, of which 
 Peoria has one of the largest and most mod- 
 ern plants, many carloads of damaged rope 
 
 [27]
 
 from all ports of the seas and all parts of 
 the world are used. This rope, together 
 with rags and other ingredients, is cooked 
 into pliable and appearanceable paper stock 
 and further operations transform it into 
 sacks for flour, cement, and jute paper for 
 many other purposes. This jute paper is 
 the strongest fabricated paper known, and 
 by special process can be made water- 
 proof. It is almost as indestructible as the 
 finest linen bag and is preferable to the 
 gunny sack. 
 
 Other products in world wide demand are 
 the many products of our local tinware 
 plants, such as cans, pails, and tin contain- 
 ers of all descriptions, sizes and uses are 
 produced in Peoria by special machinery 
 that almost baffles the human eye and brain 
 in accuracy and phenomenal operation. 
 
 Steel products, wire fencing and nails 
 
 [28]
 
 used in almost every civilized country in the 
 world are produced in Peoria. Grain plant- 
 ing, cultivating and harvesting machinery 
 that is in use through every step of agricul- 
 tural production has long been the one out- 
 standing product of this community. 
 
 Cooperage barrels and wooden containers 
 that bring historic recollections have long 
 been one of the foremost products of Peoria. 
 The cooperage plants of this community 
 have for years been regarded as producers 
 of the finest tight cooperage that has ever 
 been marketed. 
 
 Tractors of world-wide renown that have 
 revolutionized transportation under un- 
 usual conditions are products of one of the 
 gigantic plants of the community. 
 
 Modern labor saving machinery in the 
 way of washing machines, automatic con- 
 
 [29]
 
 Crete tamping machinery, grain hoists and 
 oil burners are other well known products 
 of our local industries. The future of these 
 the two particular household appliances can 
 scarcely be over estimated, as the modern 
 home is incomplete without them. 
 
 Malt products for the manufacturing of 
 foodstuffs are some of the com^modities pro- 
 duced by a Peoria industry. 
 
 Industrial alcohol and chemical solvents 
 in trainloads leave our city daily for use in 
 eastern consumption and export. 
 
 When one considers the particular basic 
 character of the products of our industries, 
 the future of industrial Peoria is in no way 
 uncertain or questionable. There are very 
 few articles produced in this community 
 that can be regarded as luxurious or unnecs- 
 sary, such as fine furniture, pianos, or 
 
 [30 1
 
 those things that are usually regarded as 
 non-essential. 
 
 The steel, rope, machinery, containers, 
 tractors, pharmaceutical products, building 
 materials and milling products are as nec- 
 esssary to world markets as anything con- 
 sumed. The thousands of industrious and 
 painstaking workmen who produce these 
 articles get from their work a certain 
 amount of contentment and happiness in 
 knowing that they are producing really 
 worthwhile articles. They are not only 
 cogs in the machinery; they are the actual 
 producers of commodities that go to make 
 the world better, safer and happier, and 
 the inspiration and contentment that they 
 get from their work surely goes to make 
 the article that much better and more use- 
 ful for the performance of its functions in 
 either domestic or foreign lands. 
 
 [31]
 
 Co-operation of Workers
 
 Up to a few years ago one of the most 
 costly and burdensome problems that prog- 
 ressive industry had to face was excessive 
 labor turn over, which was caused in many 
 instances by minor dissatisfactions on the 
 part of workmen, misunderstandings be- 
 tween foreman and workmen, unsatisfac- 
 tory working conditions and other needless 
 causes which added greatly to the burden 
 of industrial costs and was a vehicle by 
 which labor drifted from plant to plant and 
 city to city, getting nowhere and penalizing 
 all concerned. 
 
 In recent years a systematic study of 
 the causes of labor turn over and the cor- 
 rection of minor difficulties, many of 
 
 [35]
 
 which were unknown to management until 
 brought to light by close study, together 
 with a real desire for co-operation on both 
 sides has reduced labor turnover among the 
 industries of this community to an absolute 
 minimum. 
 
 There still remains, of course, the natural 
 labor turn over created by men advancing 
 in their respective crafts or trades, the de- 
 served promotion of competent workmen, 
 and the usual small amount of shifting 
 about to secure the kind and character of 
 work that best suits the desire and the abil- 
 ity of the worker, but broadly and generally 
 speaking, the decrease made in unneces- 
 sary labor turn over has been a financial 
 advantage to both workmen and manage- 
 ment, and has been a great factor in the 
 maintenance of satisfactory labor condi- 
 tions that go to make an ambitious and 
 happy community of workmen. A review of 
 
 [36]
 
 some of the efforts that have materialized so 
 satisfactorily is interesting. 
 
 The inauguration of Insurance Groups 
 among the men and Relief Associations to 
 take care of workmen during the period of 
 minor injury has been one of the things 
 that has created a medium for co-operation. 
 These associations are controlled and oper- 
 ated by workmen themselves. The company 
 contributes a certain amount and the work- 
 men pay into the treasury a small amount 
 of ten to twenty cents a week. It has been 
 an opportunity for expression of ideas of 
 the workmen in connection with organiza- 
 tions of this kind. 
 
 Base ball clubs and teams in various 
 kinds of sport have created a friendly riv- 
 alry among the various industrial plants 
 and among the departments of various 
 plants. In these instances the management 
 
 [37]
 
 furnishes the team with uniforms and equip- 
 ment and the men contribute their very best 
 efforts to successfully represent their team 
 in competition with others. The majority 
 of the industries give their workmen a Sat- 
 urday half holiday, and it is during this 
 holiday that competitive sports are staged. 
 Bowling teams for the winter and indoor 
 baseball tournaments are part of the gen- 
 eral program. 
 
 Intermittent rest periods in particularly 
 confining work is another small item that 
 contributes to a better understanding since 
 it satisfies the minds of the workmen and 
 prepares them better for the physical and 
 mental labor that they are called upon to 
 endure. 
 
 A majority of our plants are equipped 
 with modern and attractive cafeteria serv- 
 ice where workmen can secure warm meals 
 
 [38
 
 and food suited to the particular kind of 
 work they are doing. These cafeterias are 
 in most instances operated at a loss on the 
 part of the company, but they contribute so 
 much in the way of contentment, and are 
 so well patronized by the workmen that the 
 companies consider them good investments. 
 Most of the cafeterias are managed by com- 
 petent and experienced chefs, and the char- 
 acter of food served is regulated by the kind 
 of work that is being done. In the plants 
 where heavy and arduous work is per- 
 formed well balanced and nourishing meals 
 are served. In plants where female work 
 is employed, lighter luncheons and food 
 suited to their physical condition is dis- 
 pensed. This is one of the most sensible con- 
 tributions to present day industrial life. 
 
 There is one major item that undoubted- 
 ly contributes more to community benefit 
 than any other and that is the movement 
 
 [ 39 ]
 
 on the part of employers to maintain Group 
 Insurance covering their entire working 
 forces. The amount of benefit from this 
 insurance is regulated by length of service. 
 New workers are insured for $500, special 
 provision being made for other members 
 of their family, and graduates up to $2,000 
 and $3,000, payable upon death or perman- 
 ent disability. Many of the policies in effect 
 in our local industries protect not only the 
 workman but members of his family and 
 the accident phase of it covers the entire 
 family for accident caused either in the 
 course of employment or otherwise. A 
 small part of the premium for this insur- 
 ance is paid by the workmen; the major 
 part of it is paid by the company, and this is 
 a form of benefit that goes deep into the 
 heart of the employee. It has been one of 
 the greatest factors in the reduction of labor 
 turn over that has been inaugurated in re- 
 cent years. 
 
 [40]
 
 Where interest of this character is dis- 
 played on the part of the management, the 
 workman feels that he is a part of the in- 
 stitution and his efforts and interest are 
 that much greater. A great deal of distress 
 and misery is avoided through this channel 
 of co-operation and the community gener- 
 ally is benefited by a relationship of this 
 kind between management and workmen. 
 Management that discloses itself willing to 
 bear a part of the burden of safeguarding 
 their employees against misfortune is a 
 constructive force in a community and 
 Peoria is to be congratulated on the progres- 
 sive strides that are being taken in this 
 direction. The manner in which the work- 
 ing forces respond to these indications of 
 good will and confidence is encouraging, 
 and one can safely say that the industrial 
 future of Peoria is assured of pleasant re- 
 lations, so far as these two co-workers in 
 industry are concerned. 
 
 [41]
 
 The Citizens Part
 
 Attention has been called to the many 
 factors that contribute to the welfare of a 
 successful industrial community. Among 
 these have been in order of their importance, 
 progressive management, trained and loyal 
 v^orkmen, products of a basic character, 
 proper recognition of the rights of workers 
 and management. We come now to the one 
 factor that perhaps is as widely neglected 
 and unappreciated as any of the items that 
 contribute to industrial advancement, and 
 this factor is the attitude of and the part 
 that citizens play in the affairs of industry. 
 
 In Peoria and surrounding districts there 
 are many thousands of families and house- 
 holds, and hundreds of business houses that 
 depend upon the payrolls of the industries 
 
 [44]
 
 for their existence. These two factors 
 jointly are always on the lookout for the 
 benefits that they secure from industrial 
 operation to which they have come to be- 
 lieve they are entitled, but when it comes to 
 the extending of a friendly or a helping 
 hand to a much perplexed industrial situa- 
 tion there is an unwillingness on the part 
 of the public to co-operate, together with an 
 apathy for the welfare of industry when it 
 is perplexed that has been in evidence for 
 too long a time and it must ultimately be 
 eliminated, if the full measure of success is 
 to be attained. 
 
 General Encouragement 
 
 An attitude of general encouragement is 
 very much to be desired. Knowing that the 
 prosperity of the community depends upon 
 its industries, the community that secures 
 its very livelihood therefrom can not expect 
 
 [45]
 
 always to be on the receiving end, and it is 
 the responsibility of that community, par- 
 tially at least, to see that the conditions sur- 
 rounding industry are as favorable as they 
 can possibly be made; still remaining con- 
 sistent with the welfare of the citizens. 
 
 A general understanding of some of in- 
 dustry's problems is necessary, not so much 
 because the public can help in the solution 
 of those particular problems, but that the 
 public will more readily understand the 
 viewpoint of industry and the delays and 
 setbacks which sometimes are experienced 
 when they think everything should be go- 
 ing along in good shape. It is altogether too 
 often the case that a thoughtless public will 
 too readily and willingly condemn a condi- 
 tion created by industry, when as a matter 
 of fact the situation is one that is not under 
 control of the industry at all, but is one 
 that is more of a community problem. 
 
 [46]
 
 It will take a long time for the public to 
 be brought to the point of appreciating that 
 some of the objectionable features of in- 
 dustrial operation, such as dense smoke and 
 clattering noise, are the means whereby a 
 living is earned for families and in some 
 instances is more to be tolerated and put up 
 with than it is to be condemned and clamor 
 made for the isolation of plants responsible 
 for the condition. There are a great many 
 details under this heading that could be 
 brought to light, but it can be summed up 
 by again saying that encouragement to in- 
 dustry is the public cue, if they would in- 
 crease the prosperity that successful indus- 
 tries bring to a community. 
 
 Investment 
 
 Remarkable figures are being brought to 
 light showing the amount of capital that 
 small investors are putting into public util- 
 
 [47]
 
 ities, manufacturing plants and industries 
 that create and produce the necessities of 
 life. This is perhaps one of the most sens- 
 ible and constructive factors that can be 
 shown. The packing houses of Chicago and 
 the middle west have thousands and thous- 
 ands of stockholders among the citizens of 
 the community and many hundreds of stock 
 holders are employes. This faith and con- 
 fidence and the spirit that prompts the em- 
 ploye to invest his extra earnings or his 
 capital back into the products that he puts 
 his skill and workmanship into is of a high 
 order. 
 
 There are several large railroads in the 
 east, one of which is the Pennsylvania sys- 
 tem, which among its employes has several 
 thousand stock holders who profit doubly 
 by their very toil. The telephone companies 
 and utilities of the middle west have taken 
 the matter in hand and many millions of 
 
 [48]
 
 dollars of the workers' money now aids in 
 the financing of these properties. 
 
 In January of 1924 the General Electric 
 company organized an Employes Security 
 corporation and today 23,281 employes own 
 $8,213,280 worth of bonds in the company 
 and the interest paid back to these employes 
 on June 1, totaled $300,000. 
 
 Selection of Public Officials 
 
 In the administration of industrial af- 
 fairs, the co-operation, the assistance, and 
 the sympathetic consideration of public of- 
 ficials is often needed and here is another 
 place where the public mind can extend to 
 industry the hand of help. In the expan- 
 sion of an industrial institution sometimes 
 the geographical or service location is found 
 to be detrimental and industry turns to the 
 heads of various departments of city man- 
 
 [49]
 
 agement. Generally speaking, there is con- 
 flict to begin with. The public official does 
 not see that in the expansion of the local 
 industry, greater earning power is created 
 but in his mind's eye he sees only an example 
 of greed and avarice, and it is from this 
 condition that pork barrel politics have 
 sprung. It is idle to assume that the atti- 
 tude of either is purposely detrimental to 
 the best interests of the community, but 
 there is a lack of contact that penalizes the 
 community and creates dissension. 
 
 In the selection of public officials, there- 
 fore, it is to the community's interest that 
 men of business training be selected; men 
 who have a proper appreciation of the rights 
 of a citizen and an institution, and above 
 all, men who will recognize the value of 
 legitimate business expansion without pen- 
 alty. If a proper relationship is established 
 and maintained between general public 
 
 [50]
 
 sentiment and the conduct of the business 
 institutions in a community, there is no 
 question that it will contribute to the pros- 
 perity of the community, and the public 
 must recognize the fact that a community 
 can prosper only in proportion to the busi- 
 ness prosperity that prevails in the sur- 
 rounding territory. 
 
 [51
 
 Safety First
 
 In connection with the progress made by 
 the industries of our community, a survey 
 brings to light a number of interesting 
 features that point to a high standard of 
 co-operation and interest on the part of the 
 working forces and management. 
 
 Perhaps the greatest blessing that has 
 come to industry in the past few years, and 
 one that has developed into a national in- 
 stitution representing the welfare of all 
 people, is what is generally known as 
 "Safety First''. Safety first originated as 
 a movement to protect the life and limbs of 
 workers in hazardous occupations, and has 
 traveled through the cycle of evolution and 
 development until it is today recognized as 
 a mighty factor in industry. To the casual 
 
 [55]
 
 observer Safety First consists largely in the 
 posting of notices, pictures and charts; all 
 containing the same sentiment, ''Be Care- 
 ful,'' but investigation into the real func- 
 tioning of Safety First is a story of interest. 
 Modern industry first runs across Safety 
 First when it locates its property. The 
 types of buildings that are used, the meth- 
 ods of ventilation, the colors and kinds of 
 paint, the placing of machinery and the 
 kinds of floor that are used are all chosen 
 with Safety First as a factor as to their 
 suitability. There are many industries 
 whose character of work is necessarily haz- 
 ardous, and it is a revelation to see the tre- 
 mendous amount of thought and care that 
 has been given the safeguarding of life and 
 limbs. The machinery equipped with mod- 
 ern safety devices is almost ''fool proof" 
 and operations that up to a few years ago 
 were regarded as hazardous are now oc- 
 complished with but little fear of accident. 
 
 [56]
 
 Whirring gears and lashing belts are no 
 longer a menace to the life and limbs of 
 workmen. They are enclosed in mesh 
 guards that make it impossible to touch 
 them accidentally or otherwise. They can 
 be removed only by considerable work and 
 operators are kept away from the machin- 
 ery while necessary repairs are being made 
 on it hj experienced forces. Automatic 
 stop switches and special electrical devices 
 stop and start the powerful machinery, and 
 this is accomplished it seems sometimes 
 almost magically. These machines are 
 equipped with either pedal or arm rests and 
 the slightest pressure upon either brings 
 the giant presses to a positive stop, in the 
 event of either clothing or limb being 
 thrown against the machinery. 
 
 About 80 per cent of the improvements, 
 safeguards and devices that are used in de- 
 veloping Safety First conditions have been 
 
 [57]
 
 made at the suggestion of the workmen, as 
 he is the man whose welfare is at stake and 
 whose judgment is depenable on this subject. 
 
 In the average plant the Safety First 
 work is under the supervision of an experi- 
 enced safety engineer or a responsible exe- 
 cutive. Periodical inspections are made by 
 duly authorized authorities, and it is quite 
 usual for an inspection to be made without 
 finding a single feature that is hazardous 
 or a menace to the lives of the workers. 
 
 Peoria has played a prominent part in 
 safety work development. Safety First as 
 a national movement was brought to life 
 through the efforts of the National Safety 
 Council, and two of the original group of 
 men who inaugurated the National Safety 
 Council reside in Peoria. One is a leading 
 physician, who is a national authority on 
 industrial surgery, and the other a prom- 
 
 [58]
 
 inent manufacturer, whose plant, employ- 
 ing hundreds of workmen, has long been 
 recognized as one of the finest equipped in- 
 stitutions from a safety standpoint in the 
 United States. First aid equipment is 
 found in every department of the plants in 
 our community. Many industries are found 
 with shop hospitals, some have nurses in at- 
 tendance constantly and all have trained 
 first aid workers available at all times. 
 
 The co-operation between the workmen 
 and the management that has brought this 
 about has been one of the examples of what 
 constructive co-operation can really ac- 
 complish. The men lend greater efforts to 
 their work when their minds are free from 
 the danger of accident. Accidents are few- 
 er and homes are happier. 
 
 [59]
 
 The Future
 
 Every generation or cycle of years is 
 given, it appears, to the accomplishment 
 of some great feat or to the solution of 
 some momentous problem, either moral, 
 phychological, politic or economic, and it 
 is evident that the passing years have 
 taken great strides toward the solution of 
 the economic problem as it applies to in- 
 dustry, and with this feature well on its 
 way to solution there lies before industry 
 a period of constructive expansion and 
 progress. 
 
 The subject of industrial progress is one 
 that can almost be considered technical 
 and to those capable of analyzing this sub- 
 ject it is evident that Peoria's future is as 
 
 [63 1
 
 much a matter of expansion as of acquisi- 
 tion. There are located in this community 
 many small institutions, manufacturing 
 specialties, that have before them an un- 
 limited future, and by careful nourishing 
 on the part of the public these institutions 
 will grow on the merit of their products. 
 It will be history repeating itself because 
 Peoria today is comprised largely of insti- 
 tutions that originated here, expanded 
 slowly, and today take their place as lead- 
 ers in the production of their particular 
 commodity. 
 
 Examination discloses the slowly spread- 
 ing web of spur tracks and switch tracks 
 finding new areas to serve and pushing 
 their way into what has been heretofore 
 unoccupied territory. Our terminals de- 
 serve the highest commendation for their 
 watchfulness and progressive policies. 
 There is no signal of progress quite so sub- 
 
 [64]
 
 stantial as that indicated by the expansion 
 of terminal facilities. Our industrial area 
 is being enlarged, and by these signs you 
 will know that Peoria is not standing still. 
 
 The rejuvenation of distilling properties 
 for the production of solvents and commer- 
 cial spirits has opened up a new field for 
 Peoria. Properties that were considered 
 scrap and useless are serving as ideal man- 
 ufacturing units for the new processes now 
 employing greater numbers of men than 
 were ever employed in these institutions 
 before. Particularly favorable to this class 
 of industry which uses corn and its by- 
 products, is the Peoria location, and here- 
 in lies the opportunity for encouragement 
 and co-operation on the part of the public. 
 Again the responsibility of the citizen to 
 magnify his interest and make welcome 
 these new types of industry that seek per- 
 manent locations. 
 
 [65]
 
 The co-operation of all, unlimited en- 
 couragement, absolute unity of purpose, 
 and faith to overcome obstacles must be 
 the watchwords, together with an everlast- 
 ing pledge to protect the name of Peoria as 
 a worthy harbor of progressive industry. 
 
 THE END 
 
 j^^f Mr-^f?Y c? THE 
 
 OCT 29 1931 
 
 U^IVEHSITY OF ILLir^ClS 
 (66)
 
 7200-SI5 
 
 Pll-31 
 
 C 
 
 BT
 
 ^ 
 
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 /r/mm^® 
 
 ^aT. no. 3,l«t,.i2}
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 
 
 338.0977352R531I1924 C001 
 
 INDUSTRIAL PEORIA 2ND ED. PEORIA 
 
 3 0112 025293090