Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-06-07
The Puddlers' Proportion.
Pitts. Commercial Gazette.


The strike of the puddlers having now
been actually begun, anything that will
tend to throw light upon the relative
position of the puddlers and the mill
owners must prove OF advantage
Now the simple and only question in
all this controversy between the puddler
and the mill owner not Only-but be-
tween the puddler and his fellow-wOrk-
men-(this last item IS too much over
lOOked) is this: "DOes the puddler, when
demanding $500 per ton for pudding.
ask-nOt only from the mill owner, but
from his iellOw-workmen, heaters, rollers,
and nailers and labOrers-mOret than his
share OF the proceeds OF a ton Of iron or
nails?" lt is very evident that II S3S Is
all that is received for ton of bar iron,
and $40 is all that is received for a ton
OF nails, then that is all there is to di-
vide. Now, does the puddler, when
asking for s. as his portion out OF the
above proceeds, ask for too much, and
is he not practically laying a tax on each
OF his iellOw-wOrkmen who are labOrers,
and heaters, and rollers, and nailers, and
say To them, Il must have part of
your proportion OF the proceeds out of
the sale Of this ton OF bar iron or nails
in addition to the proportion l am right
fully entitled to"
Now let us see what proportion Of the
proceeds of bar iron the puddler gets in
England. There the matter has been
carefully studied for many years
money is very cheap-and the proper
tiou which the rolling mill owner gets
for the use Of his capital is relatively
small, but with all this in the puddlers'
favor, what proportion OF a ton OF iron
that is, what per cent. OF its selling price
10 these arbitration boards allow the
puddlers?
Here are the figures-fOr we do not
propose i'm 50 serious a question to in
dulge in any guess work:
ISGS. Price in American money ola ton Of bar
iron, S3l.6g; Puddler; received 81 y5, say
ls73 Price in American money Of a ton Of bar
iron. S55 %; puddler received g ~, say
500 per cent
Is7L Price In American money Of a ton Of bar
iron So s., puddler received 81 "; say
1873. Price I'm American money OF a ton Of bar
irou s., 81; puddler received 81 %; say
5ig per cent
Na II
iron, SS3 10; puddler received 81 ~, say
per cent
IS7g. Price in American money Of ton Of bar
iron, SO %; puddler received 81 ST. say
l,7g Price I'm American money OF a ton Of bar
iron, 81 81, puddlers received 81 20, say
Gper cerL
Ii will bc observed that the above, ex-
tending over Il number of years, and un-
der repeated appeals to the Arbitration
Boards, gives the proportion which the
puddler, taking into consideration the
rights of his fellow wOrkmen who must
live ~ well rs he, at six per cent. OF what
is received for the bar iron. The pud-
dlrrs east of the Allegheny mountains
are getting say $3.50 per ton, with bar
iron selling at SIS, which gives them 9
per cent. or One-half more than English
arbitration would give them. But the
puddlers west of the Alleghenies are de-
manding-that is the proper word
without a show of right or reason, $500
per ton, which is the enormous per
centage OF over Is, or more than double
what the English puddler takes rs his
fair proportion.
= The puddler seems TO demand this of
his emplOyer-but is it not as clear as
MONDAY, that in order to get a proper
ton so much larger than he is entitled
20, that he is in reality asking, yes de-
manding, that his tetiOJr lc0rkmen, the
heater, and roller, and mailer, and every
one who is directly or indirectly en-
gagged in the manufacture of iron, to
please hand over proportion of their
share TO him also2
The rolling mill owners are ready and
desirOus to pay the per cent. proper
ton which the Eastern puddlers get,
while English puddlers get but 8 per
cent, but to consent to pay l3 per cent.
is Just simply providing rope to COM
init financial suicide.
The writer is neither puddler nor
rolling mill owner, and the above has
been written without any prompting
from any quarter. "Facts are stubborn
things" and the workingmeu of this
city can see them as well as puddlers
and mill owners. Ii is very evident
that the puddlers are not following out
the rule of "live and let live" and in
their selfshness have overlooked the
fact that they are practically asking
their fellow wOrkingmen 10 contribute
of their hard earned money when they
demand twice As much rs their proper
ton. What is the puddlers' prOpOrtion2
That is the question. Is it $500? We
think NOT Il.