Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-08-16
THE TANNERY MATTER.
An Explicit Card from Messrs. Hoff-
man d Son.

Various notices in connection with the
Knights OF Labor and Hoffman's tannery,
which have appeared in the city press, will
make clear the following card:
To the Editor ofthe Register.
In the issue of the Wheeling Ncrs. Letter
of June 25th last, there appeared an item
in the local columns headed, "Tdnnery
Trouble" and which was made the subject
of an editorial in the same issue. 1t had
been our intention TO pass the said articles
unnoticed, but it seems that our silence has
been construed as q confession OF the truth
thereof. and furnished prcteNt to ire
sponsible persons, said journal included, to
place us before he.public in false light.
We have, therefore, come to the conclu-
rion that true statement OF the facts should
be made, to show how ungrOunded and
malicious are the statements concerning us
and our business.
About the time that the articles above
referred to were published, we concluded,
owing to the condition of the leather mar
kct and to protect our business interests to
close certain departments of our tannery
which consequently relieved portion OF
our employees from duty. This has been
our custom from time to time during our
business career, and never until the present
time have we been accused of an attempt at
prescription, and not until it appeared in
the columns of the above named paper did
we or any OF our employees know that there
was any foundation for such rumOr.
That any of our employees were members
of the Knights of Labor, we did not know,
neither did we care, as the only requisites
for a place in our employ are a good
character and competency. We have
never questioned the action or conduct OF
any of our EN- ployes as to their obligations
and associations outside of our establish
ment; we have never intimated that no
man should be in our employ because OF
his being a member of any organization.
About one week ago our attention was
called to a notice in one of the daily papers
announcing a meeting of lodge OF the
Knights of Labor, for the purpose OF ad-
juSting the difficulties existing at our tan
merry. This was a matter OF great surprise
to us, as our tannery was i'll operation in
all its departments and our employees were
seemingly contented and no complaint had
been made to US of any difficulty. We
were waited on by committee which we
supposed to have been appointed at
meeting held in pursuance OF
said notice. We refused to
recognize any committee from such
en- organization, but We did confer with
said committee as men who were and had
been in our employ, and endeavored to
learn what these alleged dlfncultleS were,
that if possible We might adjust them; but
We were no wiser when the conference end
ed We have had no strike or difficulty at
our tannery, which is now in full opera
ton, and we propose to keep it thus so
long as it is profitable to do so; and If there
are any troubles they exist only in the WIS.,
ionary brain of some irresponsible malcOn.
tent not in Our employ; and if outsiders
will attend to their legitimate business
there will be no more need of demagogiC
editorials, which appeal to the baser pas
sions.
We have been in business for thirty
three years, have never had
strike or difficulty with our
employees and have always treated them as
faithful men should be treated, by paying
them fair wages and we are to-day and
have been paying higher wages than is paid
by any tannery west of the Alleghenies.
We will further state, and we do so with
justtiable feeling of pride, that we can
boast of men who have been in our employ
fol the past ten, fifteen, twenty and thirty
years. respectively, and who will say with
the men who have been with us for short
time that they have enjoyed, and do enjoy
fsrnrs and privileges not enjoyed in similar
establishments elsewhere.
J. G. HOFFMAN & Son.