The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-11-17

We have always made II a point to work
independently and not allow ourselves TO
be placed under any obligations TO other
manufacturing cities, nor 10 allow our.
selves TO be dictated TO by them in regard
10 prices. Because Philadelphia has re.
duced the rates Is not the reason why we
should. 1t Is o fact, however, that the
producing capacity Of the country 10
three times as great as the demand.
II We choose to sell iron under the
Philadelphia rates. II Is for the purpose
Of retaining our hold upon the Eastern
trade and thereby keeping our mills
going, that our men shall not be thrown
out Of work. II is nobody's business
what we sell at, but 1t may be SET down
as q general rule-and one never, or at
least seldom, ViOlated-that We sell for
all We can get. We have been, and are
now, running our mills, when the EN-.
ployees are making all the money. Some
OF the mills are running at q positive loss,
II the union proposes TO attend to It's own
special business 1t Is all right, but when
1t says that we shall sell iron at suCh rates
that all the Eastern mills can run and
keep their puddlers employed, while we
can not, We consider that Is none oil their
business. We will make every effort to
keep our own men employed, and would
be glad TO see oil others at work, but feel
that true charity begins at home. live can
make out 10 hold our trade, 1t is Our duty
10 do 1t, and Just as much 10 the interest
OF the puddlers as TO the manufacturers,
and in fact more at this time. We are
only beating along, hoping that We may
strike clear water, but we have no aSsur-
ance OF II. We don't blame them lor
trying TO get all they can for their labor.
NECESSARY DEMAND.
During the last nine or ten years we
have got along without any serious
strikes, and, all things considered, both
parties are perfectly satisfied with the
result. Since the adoption oI the old
scale, benefit has certainly been mutual.
During the last ten years prices Tor iron
have been such that we could afford TO
pay that price for labor, and We did 1t
gladly, since il is no pleasure Tor US 10
grind our skilled labor down 10 low
and insufficient wsges. We only wish
that we could still keep up, but with
the present outlook the manufacturers
cannot promise to keep it up much
longer. AS stated before, we have been
paying tho old rates, many Of us psyiDg
heavily out Of pocket, as the many fail.
ures and suspensions will abundAntly
testify. Everywhere mills are shutting
up, rather than break up. We are sur
ounded on all sides by competition,
by men, who, like US, will hold out as
long as possible.
No mill can run without orders. We
must sell our stock or stop; for there Is
an end to the longest purse. We cannot
fix our prices, but must take whatever
the market will give. A firm breaks up
and the stock is put on the market, with
orders TO sell at once. Down goes the
market We must abide by II, II not
able TO carry our products. Atpresent
the margin is 80 short that there is no
dodging room, and the music must be
faced. In this case, those who have paid
high for stock must suffer loss. A year
has passed since the panic came, and none
can say that the iron interest has not done
its duty TO the laboring men. Although
we hoped the clouds would have been
dispelled ere this, still they hang darkly
and the outlook for the future is any
thing but bright The time has come
when VIC will have 10 change, for no
manufacturer can exist when his expenses
arc more than his income. Is it asking
too much OF tho puddlers to help US q
little, while in so doing they are securing
for themselves employment for the COM
ing winterG They can stand reduction
oil one dollar per ton while we stand q
decline Of one'hal[. We only ask the re.
duction whild iron remains below three
cents; when it goes above that, then we
can afford to pay the old rates, and will
willingly do 1t.
TIE PUDDLERs' eide OF THE QUESTION.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Benefits ad.
dress Mr. David Harris, President Of the
Puddlers' Union, was heard. Mr.. Harris
submitted figures to show that the eastern
competition was not to be feared, as the
kind Of iron manufactured there was thai
generally known as railroad iron, while
Pittsburgh dealt most extensively in the
iron of commerce. In nearly all these
, plnSCa bhV h4llp hoNO nkOppCu VI dGCOuu
OF the strike Of the hands. The speaker
) claimed that the competition that hurts
the trade Is In our own midst; that the
manufacturers are cutting themselves anC
are to blame. No reference is made to The
: West, where fifty cents more per ton |!
paid for boiling than hero. Here the iro1
Is not so good as formerly, and It take!
them twelve hours where 1t used t
take ten to get their turn out. The mer
have hard work and think they ought tc
be paid ior 1t, and feel that they canno
stand the reduction. The boilers wan
the old rates 10 remain just as they have
,, for the last ten years. We cannot see
those dark clouds referred 10 and the pros
pect don't look so gloomy to US. II tht
, scale was good then it is good now. There
. is not amill paying less than five dollarE
per ton, except Johnstown. We have
always admitted that the east should bC
lower than here, because the work Il
easier. Men from the east cannot wOrf
our iron; they fail every time until aitel
they learn how, which takes too long anC
they get discharged. The manufacturer
know very well that eastern men csnnoI
work our iron. The prospect is that il
prices arc lowered here they will sgaiE
be lowered east and where will 1t stop?
MIR. Mcdonald, puddler, who learned