Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-04-14
THE EFFECT OF STRIKES UPON
PITTSBURGH.

THE EFFECT OF STRIKES UPON
PITTSBURGH.
The effect of strikes upon the business
prosperity of a manufacturing city has
no more patent illustration than IN the
case of Pittsburgh. Within the space oil
two wears, one of the most busy ana
fiourishing cities in the country has
been oyerburdened with debt, her prin-
cipal industries have been paralized,
large manufactures are either being re-
moved or contemplating removal 10
other localities, decentralization IS creep
inc upon every line OF business, and 1t
is probable that no individual citizen oil
the place is not to some extent inJu-
riously affected in his business and shar-
iny the common misfortune. All this
can be traced directly to the succession
of strikes that has been occurring
among operators for the last two years.
And unless the city should obtain relief
from the heavy damages incurred by
the destructive strike OF 1877, 1t will
hardly ever recover from the blow.
We find in the Chicago Journal an in
teresting review oil the effect OF the
strikes upon the glass interests oil Pit's-
bur,h. which contains some startling
facts that are worth while bordering IN
this time Of depression among manu-
factories. The article in question goes
back to 1876, when there were located at
Pittsburgh fiity-six glass furnaces, twelve
nj Wheeling, and few minor instltu-
tons at Ravenna, o., Hamilton, Can,
Ballaire, o., and scattered throughout
New Jersey. These various factories
were engaged in making plate, window
and prescription glass, the glass chimney
trade being almost entirely confined to
Pittsburgh. When it is considered that
the large wages paid during the wal are
still i'm vogue among the glass blowers,
and that as but little oil the capital IN
vested is diverted into any channel out
side OF wages, where the main expense
is incurred. it will be readily seen that
community of glass men is collectively
and individually considered benefit to
society and trade. The blowers obtain
large aalaries, live well, and constitute
The representatives of an industry CO.
operative and beneficial in all its work
lngs TO all concerned.
The Journal says:
The object OF the present article is not
To advocate either the rights al labor or
maintain the prerogatives OF capital, nor
10 We pretend To decide IN the contest
between employer and employees refer
red To- which was in the right. y dis
terminating public will draw their own
deduction, the design being simply to
describe the motives which actuated
and the disastrous results OF strike
which, growing from a tritle, involved
iuultimatc poverty, disaster AMI wretch
edncSs large and formerly prosperous
community. The unwrlttCn history OF
strikes i'm America would fill an enter
tanning and instructive volume, and the
strike which i'm 1877 began at Pitts
bur,,h. and moving thence pIralyZcd
and ruined the chimney-blowing indus
try ian the United States, l. tur index
20 the Labor demonstrations which have
alarmed the country for the past ten
the Chimnev-blOwCrs occurred There
were at that time in that city four large
factories engaged i'm this branch of the
business exclusively, the demand for
the new top Crimpcd chimney rcgulat-
my a fair profit on daily production of
10000 chimncyS. The crimpcd chimney
was almost entirely supcrScding the old
plain one, the improved bcing stronger
aud available tor hcatingpurpoScSi in the
sick room. MeSSrS. Evans Il Co., Chal-
louer, Hogan 4 Co., Dithrridgc Il Co.
one other firm had large establishments
in Pittsburgh, the realty and improve
mentS representing an expenditure OF
over hall a million dollars. Near
IN 500 men were constantly
employed by these firms, and, wan the
exception oi disposition on the pat oi
the Chimncy-Blowcrs Union 10 dictate
terms ~ regarded the employment OF
nOn.uniOn men, no Il satisfaction was
current. At this time, however, the
patent Crimpcr, machine. which moe
uniiormedly and speedily CumpIetedthc
top Of the chimney, WuS Introduced.
The union had been fighting all i'm
provcmcntS fora long tine, little re-
aliZing that they were combating the
very means which would eventually en-
large their scope at operation. In July
of the year mentioned the blowers were
earning from 80 To so per week, earn
ing 6S cents per run for plain ChimncyS
and s. cents Tor crimpcd chimncys
finished.
At that time the Pittsburgh factories
Introduced the patent crimpiug mat
chine Formerly the man at the small
furnace took the shaped bulb oi glass
attached To the blow pipe from the fur
mace hand and completed the chimney
at both ends. When the CIimper came
in, and boy finished the Crimped end
II the chimney on the machine, the
men struck. They claimed that the
machine took onc-halt of their lahOr
AWAY Abul AllNllAH AAilA ~ lN'AhNNiA llltli
wages and caused the employment of
bows IN preference Ia men. This WAS
maniiestly untrue, rs the blowers could
make fully rs much wages, as
they could make more unfn-
rshed caimneys than they could
completed ones. The result was
general strike one month later,
the employers refusing To make any con-
crSSionS, the workmen still maintaining
their prrrOgative 90 exclude nOn-union
men and labor-Saving machinery. 4
lamcntable state Of affairs existed there.
Four large factories, representing an in
vcstmcnt Of capital eXcveling hall a
million dollars and $40 men, were idle.
The amount and principle involved were
alike insignificant, the difference in one
wears work amounting To less than the
combined daily wages OF the men. One
factory resumed work on hali-time, but
the remaining factories abandoned futher
work.
No concessions being made on either
side, two firms formed n coalition and
removed their factories 10 Chicago. This
was i'm October, ISIS. and IE order 20
secure suitable wurkingmen a working