Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-04-14
TRR NAIL QUESTION.

last W e0neSday, lIle
gently sought the views OF the repre-
sentative men Of the two parties most
nearly interested and has given pup
Ecitv 10 those views. The manuiactur-
ers stated their case in the preamble
and resolutions adopted at their meet
ing which were printed IN IhurS
day mornings REeIsrKR-the sum OIL
which is: G.
Mills at Harrisburg and in the ouS-
ouehanna Valley get their skilled lADor
from % 70 5Opercent cheaper than do lhe
mills Of Wheeling, Pittsburgh, &c; ana
tina, with the sharp competition which
oh,ainsinthe nail business and the cheap
freiobts between the East and West inns
difference in the price Of labor puts the
Wheeling mills at a great Disadvantage
In a time like this, when there are
more nails manufactured than can he
consumed. and when it is apparent inst
the only solution Of the difficulty hes III
the wedding out process-in the curtain
ment of production by the going out o'
business of much of the machinery no"
engaged in the manufacture oil mans
this disparity in the cost OF labor IN tue
two sections of cOsutry is amost serious
one 10 Wheeling.
II i not matter of desire or interest
on the part OF the Wheeling manulae-
tnrer 10 bring down the price oil LABOR
here per -, but to procure something
like equality in the prices paid Tor l"Dor
in the East and the West. IL Ihe
orsratiyes will see To 1t that
Wages are advanced IN the
East that will answer the purpose oi
the manufacturers in Wheeling quiet a.
well. and even better, than to have re-
ductiOn here. -.
II i plainly to the interest oil the
manufacturer, merchant, business man
and workman, alike, that the highest
WAGES possible consistent with the pros
perity of our industrial establishments
be- paid here-ior the better pay the bet
,ar men can afford to live and the more
money is consequently distributed
through the channels Of trade.
The workers in iron, steel aad tlh
have an association which can 90 a long
WAY in adjusting the price oil labor
throughout the country. We do not
know inst the connection in tins aNSocia-
tinn which exists among the W"rkmeh
E,st and West; but if it is possible Tor
Al, Western members to bring about
an advance Of prices East, they Will do
much for themselves AMI the prosperity
of their section.
4. tbc financial crisis and harl times
were first irlt in the East, so the dawn
ing prosperity Of the country Is hrSt eN-
pcricnccd there. With fuel IN the
anthracite region down TO zero IN price
with cheap skilled labor, AMI with
fr,;yh,s for such heavy goodS as IRON
.,J nails ~ low between lla'isbup
prosperity has struck the manufacturers
i'm the East which has not been seen nor
felt hereabouJs.
Now, it is plain that ii the Eastern
manufacturers have facilities tor making
cheap nails which Wheeling does not
possess nor can avail herself ut, 1t Is the
Wheeling mills that must succumb to
the inevitable, her trade be absorbed by
her more fortunate rivals and her ma
chincry rust AMI decay in idleness.
Everybody knows what this means. IL
means simply that our recently pros
porous city shall become black scPul-
cher oi ruined hopes aud wasted cner-
gics. Her prosperity will have departed.
Bats aud owls will take the places va
cated by now happy aud thriving work
men.
But the reverse Of this should be the
future of Wheeling She has natural
advantages over all her rivals for the
manufacture of the highest grade OF
nails. She has cheap coal. and limestone
Of easy acccss Her facilities Tor getting
ore and reaching the markets with the
products 81 her mills, are equal In the
best. With labor nj the same prices A.
those pail hy her rivals, she Il iny'nci-
BILE. She could not only supply the
vast West and South aud the Pacific
slope with nails, but she could ~ direct
IL into the Eastern markets and ill
them 20 the utter ruin Of the maau,ac.
tuners there. She would thus become,
what nature indicates she should be-, the
great nail emporium. not alone 0i the
United States. but q, the Western Con-
tinent. She could soon virtually mo-
nopoiize thetralcOi CJnalI. Mexico and
South America.
All admit that the cause 81 the de-
preston in prices i over production.
All admit that no combination tor keep
ing up priceS-no pooling arrangement
no curtailment of production by run
ming on part timc-wdl cure the trou-
BILE. These things .hayc al been tried
and all have failed, ~ in their view ma
ture they were bOuni 10 fail But On
solution seems to bc possible; that l.
for portion 81 the mills To- be forced
out Of the business. The question then
is, what mills must goH IL cannot be- q
portion ot the mills IN this locality aud
a portion elsewhere. Because one mill
in any given locality can run as
well as another. II the proPrietors
of one become bankrupt, some
body with plenty Of capital
will buy il for a song and aun it, il it
paws to run mill at all in that locality.
4 whole city or section Of country must
be forced out Of the business by another
Iii II,