The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-04-14
WHAT THE OPERATIVE SAY.
,iyss ON the Pssssn. n.ns..s,a Ss I, TpssS ~ -.

e Of the mountains is Just now engaging til,
4 deep interest and attention of employer
Q and operatives alike. Wheeling ant
' vicinity is the largest nail producing com
8 munity in the country, and any change Ii
I the market or variation in prices is watch
ed with interest, and It's effect general,
. felt by all enterprises supported by tht
/ contributions oil the operatives OF our iror
/, and nail mills, and these are not few.
The 1NrELLlaESoER some days ago pub
lished, as pertinent to the proceedings Of
the Western Nail Association at Pitts
burgh, a circular issued by Chess, smyth
& Co., Of that city, which was addressed
to the operatives Of that concern. In
that circular the firm made a full state.
ment in regard to their trade, and in.
formed their workmen that owing TO the
successful competition OF eastern manu-.
Iacturers, they would be driven from the
markets In which they had been accus.
toned to sell their products II the cost Of
labor was not reduced, stating that skilled
labor east was cheaper by from 3Si to 80
per cent.
i As the circular had been pretty widely
read by the operatives in the mills Of tbis
city, and was considered by many as cast
lnga shadow OF coming events here, q
representative OF the lNrELLIGESCER called
upon several OF the leading operatives In
the different mills for their opinions in
regard to the present crisis, II possible TO
ascertain the causes which have brought
1t about, as viewed from their standpoint.
Meeting an operative Of one Of our mills,
who 10 reported to be skilled in his depart
ment Of labor, the reporter asked him
what he thought about the crisis?
operatlye-To me, and, In fact, might
sayto all OF US, Il is complicated matter;
acondiuon OF things which time alone can
.unrayel. -
R.-You haverea the circular OF Chess
smyth'@ Co., published in the INrRLllGES.
OIL have only glanced at Il, but cot
the drift OF things, | think.
R.-What doyou say to their statement?
OIL admit that there Is some truth.in
II, but the operatives also have a side Of
the question which ought to be allowed
some consideration. The Eastern opera
tives may be employed for less money,
and the general cost OF production NAV be
less than in Pittsburgh, but the Western
manufacturers possess advantages over
their Eastern competitors on freight rates.
R-Well, how do the operatives as a
class take the idea OF q further reduction
as foreshadowed by Chess, Smith 4 Co.'S
circular?
0.-1t is matter Of great concern TO
them, and how we are going 10 stand it
and live is more than can tell, We are
informed that we must economic in our
living. That is what we have been COM
PEELED 10 do for some time, and II we are
to extend economy much further and live,
our diet will be corn bread and molasses.
Some OF the operatives don't average over
S4OO or 5000 per year, and when man has
family to provide for you may know
how, he is compelled to practice economy
TO make both ends meet.
R-Have you any theory as to the
cause OF the present critical condition OF
the iron business, or the probable out
come? l[.
0.-None whatever. II is subject that
has SO many bearings that It will have to
20 on from day to day until it settles itself.
As to strikes, think they have seen their
last day, and that trouble between opera
tives and employers will be settled in
other and more satisfactory ways here
after.
Followingthi brief interview with oper-
ative number one, our reporter conversed
with number OF other operatives, nailers,
puddlers and boilers, and in every in.
stance be found the men deeply interested.
in the matter, and as much concerned for
the welfare oftheir employers as for them
selves, for they were fully sensible to the
identity OF their interests. They knew
there was distress in the iron business at
present, and were eager to have the .mys-
Lerious cause ascertained. In conversa-
ton with mailer in one OF our prominent
mills, the reporter bluntly put the ques:
ton, What DO you think is the cause Of
the present depressed condition OF the
iron trade21s The reply came sentenh-
ously enough-"0ver production"
Reporter-What do you think Of Gen.
Powell's pooling scheme. Do you suppose
that would give any relief to the present
depression II put into practice?
Mailer Hardly. The scheme, as ! un.
derstand it, would benefit some mills more
than others, and in that case OF. course it
would not help to solve the question.
R.-Howhas this over production affect
ed the trade and prices?
N.-Some years ago the Western Nail
Association got the Eastern manufacturers
to form an association. The Eastern Asso'
ciation held together, until Western man.
uiacturers run nails into their market at
reduction. Too many machines were
put up West and there was no market for
the over-production, which eventually
went East, and when the Eastern men
found that nails were being sent into their
market cheaper than they sold them they
began to cut on the prices to keep in their.
own market. "a ,10fASRFfEi SnSA
Ri Infer thenIfrom your answer that
you consider that the cause OF the depres'
sion results from an over-production in
this, that to find market for the surplus
products, Western manufactnrers have
gone into Eastern markets and undersold
The Eastern manufacturers?
N.-Exaetly. Mr.. Washburn, OF the
Parker mill in Massachusetts, said not
long ago to the Western manufacturers:
IWIf YOU YOU stay out OF our market, We
will not trouble you In yours"
R-What is there in the statement in
reoard tosIabdr being cheaper in the East
M DN.-Weli, there is this, mailer can at-
ford to work for less money In an Eastern
mill than in the West. There 10 not
that care exercised in the manufacture OF
nails East lthattherel Is here, all required
there being q head and point. Here We
grind our dies four and i've times IN Gay
IN the East they grind only twice. In this
city nailers have to furnish their own grind
ine plates and tools, and in some mills
their own nippers. Utmost mills nailers
are compelled to set their own grind
stones, and repair any breakage to their
machines at their own expense. In the
East lie stones als placed by millwright;
a machinist makes all repairs to machines,
and Is paid Tor doing that work by the
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