Newspaper: Factory Closes is the thirtieth secret of Little Hope. It can be found by Daniel, Andrew, or John in the Ravenden Textiles Factory. This secret appears in Ruined.
Overview[]
A newspaper discussing the factory closure and recent attempts to save it.
In-Game Description[]
An article from 1973 on how the factory closure will gut the town. The attempt to negotiate a deal with the Carver family failed.
Update(s)[]
- The union actively protested against the closure of the factory.
- Little Hope became a ghost town due to the factory closure.
- James' death happened not long before the closure of the factory.
Transcript[]
August 8, 1973
LITTLE HOPE FACTORY TO CLOSE
Hundreds of Layoffs Will 'Gut the Town'
NEARLY 600 jobs are set to be lost in Little Hope when the Ravenden Textiles Factory closes its gates at their Harvard Road site in September. Layoffs will include workers at the main factory and ancillary businesses across the town.
The decision was announced on Tuesday by Hazel Carver, a director in the family business that has been the primary employer in the town for over 160 years. "With great sadness we have made this decision. We consider the workers at the factory to be part of our extended family and know how much Ravenden means to them, but we can no longer continue to run the business at a loss."
The factory has seen declining orders in recent years, as attempts to encourage customers to 'buy American' have failed in the face of cheap imports from Asia. Over the last two years the Carver family have [sic] attempted to sell the business with no success. They came close to selling the factory land for redevelopment to an overseas consortium last year, claiming that this would create jobs to replace those that were lost. The plan was resisted by the union, which insisted the new jobs would be poorly paid and non-unionised. When the consortium's buyout failed in the spring due to a lack of finance, the union proposed a plan to save the business, which included concessions to the factory owners on hours, overtime and scheduling.
It's unclear why the Carver family rejected the plan, but union representative Frank McCarthy of the Textile Labor Union of America Local 618 placed the blame squarely on the patriarch, Samuel Carver, a co-director of the firm and Mayor of Little Hope. "We have tried to have a constructive dialogue with the Carver family," said McCarthy, "but while the daughters have been receptive to the union's ideas for saving the factory, Mayor Carver has rejected them at every turn." He went on, "We want a partnership with the family to save their business and our livelihoods, but it seems as if the Mayor does not accept partners." Another union worker who did not want to be identified expressed this bitter opinion: "This is all about the land. The Carvers have owned the town for generations. If they can't profit from the land they will shut it all down."
As the main source if income for the majority of the town's families, many are worried what the future will bring. "The factory closure will gut the town," one factory worker told the [sic] Herald, adding "We ... (unreadable) ... be one we're entitled to ... (unreadable) ... pay." Another long-serving hand ... (unreadable) ... factory said ... (unreadable) ... are already ... (unreadable) ... is hiding, though it ... (unreadable) ... the man, which ... (unreadable) ... in school. Others ... (unreadable) ... unemployment benefits, ... (unreadable) ... town over until they...
...round of layoffs saw many ... (unreadable) ... voluntary retirement, most ... (unreadable) ... young. "We ... (unreadable) ... in Little Hope" and one mill...
Continued, page 2
FARRIMAN
BUS DRIVERS WANTED
FULL TRAINING GIVEN
UNIFORM PROVIDED
Apply to:
Prime Transit
12 Eden Street
Northbridge, MA, 01962
Location[]
It can be found in a side office to the left of the stairs on the ground floor of the factory.
Trivia[]
- An ad in the paper is for the bus company Anthony works for. Another newspaper reveals that the buses were rerouted from the town six years later.
- 'The' in 'The Herald' is not properly capitalized at the end of the article, and there is an improper use of 'have' instead of 'has.' Additionally, 'Wednesday' is misspelled as 'Wesnesday' at the top of the paper.
- Frank McCarthy, who was mentioned in the article, later tried to purchase the factory with the help of a law firm.
- This secret reveals that TLUA stands for Textile Labor Union of America.
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