The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-07-15
the TRADES UNIONS.

the TRADES UNIONS.
~~~o~S>~~>~~-~>~-O>~-~~--
En- gIish Report Of the Combinations Of Labor
In Amerca-Pay and Position of WOrkmen
In the United StRtes-The Industrial Element
from Abr0ad-Testimon Of an American
Employer.
[From the London Times. July al
The Royal Commission sitting ia London stopped the
evidence respecting the working of trad combinations
this country "a portion Of which has been reported in
the Times In order that the testimony of American
leman connected with the trade OF the United
States might be taken as 10 his experiences OF trade
binations IN the republic The evidence he gave most
speaking rs he docs Of population small
proportion OF whom are natives o. the United Kingdom.
1t will be in the Of this evidence that the
worst features OF tue English trades unions are to be
found the American combinations. This evidence also
includes mucn interesting matter the labor question
The witness was Mr. Abram 8. Hewitt who in his OPEN
ing evidence stated IL personally concerned the
Of from pig iron, ana bar iron in its various
forms mining the making Of pig iron and in manu-
featuring bar ron and in the various establishments in
which am either partner or manager think We employ
many as 900 w0rkmen Our works are IN the Sates
Of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and
acquainted with the action of trades unions to
gwen before this Commission to the action here OF
trades unions and between the trades unions or Great
and those IN the United States there IL undoubt
edly strong analogy but should say, from the testi-
mony have read, that your organizations are more
percot than ours, and have arrived plete
development But there Is analogy between the
two in organization and in the objects aimed at except
that the friendly societies very generally separated
from the trades unions. specifically though eddy
there are some instances In which the united
Our works are 10 the most p0pulous part Of the
country but thon, you know, We have such dense
population you have here. With regard to the men
in unons think that up to q very recent period very
few Of the w0rkmen employed IN the iron works have
been unionst workmen, but within the last four i've
years there have been organizations made OF special
branches Of the business For example, the .puddlsrs
are generally in what called "puddlers Unon,"
separating themselves from the rollers, who with the
ssheaaers' have no connection with II; and should
think that most OF puddlers, II ALL belong to It,
pudder is skilled workman but II does not require
greater degree OF skill to be pudder than to engage
in other branches Ia fact, should say 1t requires
greater degree Of skill 10 be nrs rate heater than TO be
requiring great skll-heating. pudding and rolling
and either and Is impossible for the others
to go on 10 other words they arc mutually dependent
After this description Of the different classes engaged
tho work. he gave, In answer TO the Chairman Mr. Ma
hews, Sir d. Gooch aud Sir W. Head, the following
account Of q strike pending. He said The strike
works. but In other ronworks OF the
New Jersey bank OF the Delaware river. Our blast fur
In Pennsylvania, aud rolling mills in
New Jersey The strike now In existence is at Pissburg,
and the surrounding region from Pitts
burg up Cleveland the extensive iron producing
zion continent should think IL s the great
centre OF iron industry, and there strike has been
pending for than six months among the pudders
Not q furnace has been liz up six months.
Upon this evidence the following examination en-
sued
The CHAIRMAN" What is the ratio of the striking
the workmen who are thrown out Of employ
by reason OF the striker / mean the dependent work.
men in the OF operaiionss' al should say that
the strikers proper the puddiors themselves because
helpers the do not sympathize 10 it, would
be about onelith to one-sixth Of the total number.
THAT however, Is a matter Of estimate, on which one Of
the commissioners here is quito competent judge
whether my proportion IS rights but think that
about onehfth OF the number IN rolling mill would 90
actually puddiers" could you say whether the strike
pudders Is against the Will OF the nvesShs that
thrown out OF employment by reason OF itf "Be-
yond any doubt"
throws out Of employment 1--WE men who are dependent
on his going with MS work" "Four, u not five; tue
heaters the rollers aud the aborers are thrown out OF
employ, because tho works absolutely stopped"
Sir d. GooH-"And that throws the coal miners out
OF work also 2" "When II begins TO ramify hardly
know how to estimate IL out was limiting myself TO
the direct affect There 1000 whom employ, and
there 200 around Us who depend upon US d.
recy." 'rhe coal mining Is also aiectedr "fes, the
coal mining Is also effected"
Mr. MATaxws-- "Your proportion is confined to the
bar making, as understand you ~ II did not intend
TO include the supply OF the blast furnaces at ALL"
"And there would DO four thrown out OF employment
for every pudder who struck" ~ think 1t is higher
the point think every puddler there DO
men, and certainly four thrown out Of employment
The yoT s ~ the sSSa
10 Psburs 81 per ton (Which Is els. as near as our
uctuat'ng currency w enable mo to estimate ~. and
they struck for &c. which 27s ton" "27s ton Of
what ?" "Of puddle bars the ton being 2,240 lbs.
may say they receiving 2ls and struck for 27s
Tho masters were making no money at the time that the
abe and Of course therefore, they could not conceds
what demanded. Those puddlers then went out,
and ever they have been supported BY cOntrbu
tons from other pudders the strike being confined
70 that particular region, all the other puddsrs have
Mr. MArHrwsE" What DO they recsive upon the 2,24o
lbsf 81, which is very nearly equivalent TO 2ls
. And ss they struck for So you :" Yes watch
me Commissions then won't into the question Of the
cost Of labor America, and much Information was
ELECTED on various points which were afterwards ~
sumed win respect 70 che Pttsburs strike, the Wit
moss Afterwards continued :-"According to my last
.dviees IN: strike was gong on aud presume = , q
strike il conducted Pistsburg not being my own home
can only report what l have heard. PuddIers came
union-and offered 10 start one concern work in
mill; but without being actually driven away BY vio
lencs II was made TOO uneomfosssols Tor them, ana
or three murders took place In the night and altogether
the effect that ouisders were quite unwlllrS TO
come there The result has been that the place has
been kep. without many 'outsidera''
The CHAnnAH exclaimed, "Murdersl Of whom-by
rhe witness answered "That 10 Just the point on
which am unable 10 answer. The murders, for there
three or four, we're committed IN the nigns ne
IL W. Head al think Intelligent men supposed that the
murders had connection with the strike; that 70 the
more than 70 learn that there had been three four
murders among the men, on which sdc or course, ne
sSuS mot say n bad and ina. n. moral tone there
had immensely deterorated IN every respect This
strike WAS Of puddlsrs alone; but ~ explained,
arectsd an Immense number bcstdea
In reply 70 Sir W. Head the witness said that there
was punishment In America both BY nne and inprson-
msnt for intimidation BY workmen, and he thea con.
tuued 70 give the following instructive statement Of
another strks;--"whsn came away there was strike
in New Jersey a the iron mines which supply large
punbar Of furnaces with Without notice 81 all 70
the owners the workmen In . angle mine suddenly
stopped work. They never made any request 70 have
ther wages raised but marched 70 ths next mine and
told the workmen there that they had inaueurstod
strike and directed them to aesst from work And
was nv own mine) they came out from fear they al
sa,d 80 They then marched 70 the adjacent mines,
eehteen or nineteen Ia Aumbev and stopped the whole
work in honrs the area being Comparatively
small add they hsrcssd Ia bodies Of Lboo TO 20o0 VIM