Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-09-18
PUDDLERS.
First Introduction of the Sliding
" Scale of Prices.
What a Workman Has to Say About the
Matter-Wages of PuddIers-Ihe
Strike Of '46-The Scale Adopt
ed in 1855-The Lockout Of
'67-Strike of IA.
HOW ToIADJUST THE PRESENT STRIKE

| life. long iron worker. His review OF tint
strikes and causes which led to them, arr
interesting at this time. He says: AS Pitts
burgh puddlers were the first iron workerl
in this or any other country to propose
and adopt scale of prices, basing wage:
upon the selling price of iron-the first tc
raise and fall with the advance and de
asline iHthe'seiiing price OF the Iatter-and
inasmuch as the present struggle involves
the same principle, it might not be out oi
place to review little, OF the past, not only
to compare it with the present, but also for
the information of those who have not CIV
en- the matter much reflection.
Upon the introduction of boiling in 1887
by Edward Mock, at the mill Of Lorenz &
Cuddy, now Painter & Sons, on the South
Side, the price per ton was s.. During
the succeeding years the price was reduced
fifty cents annually until--in 1912 it was S.
per ton. The tariff enacted in the latter
year in due time give new impetus to the
iron interest, imparting activity in busi-
ness to such an extent that in the early
part of lS45 the boilers demanded an ad-
vance from S. to So per ton. This demand
was refused, and as a consequence the men
went on q strike in May, and remained idle
until the latter part of August, when their
demands were conceded and they resumed
work. Six dollars was the prevailing price
from then until July, 1850, when, under
the depression caused by the operation of
the tariff for revenue only" of 1916, the
Manufacturers Proposed q Reduction
to $3.50 per ton. This proposition was re-
fused and then commenced the great strike
of that yeBr, durizg which time the riots
occurred at Browns mill, on Wayne street,
in which both men and women were par
tiCipantS, the latter drawing the bars from
the CRATES of the furnaces that were operat-
ed by men brought from the East and for
which act quite a number of both sexes
were arrested, tried, convicted and inn
priSoned. The strike terminated in the
manufacturers succeeding in a full re-
sumption of work at the reduction Dur
ing the ten succeeding years the price for
pudding gradually declined, varying from
81 TO IS 90. while at one or two mills it went
rs low as So So while at one or two mills it
went as low as s. p. | cannot recall the
price of iron during the intervening years
between 1850 and 1860, but | do not be-
lieve it sold below lA and cents per
pound. In 1861 the read justed tariff coup
led with the demand created by the break
ing out of the war, advanced the price of
iron, and as men became scarce the owners,
in order to induce men to their respective
work, voluntarily advanced pudding 50
cents a ton. Subsequently iron went a
booming upward, also wages by slow de-
grees, but not withoat number of strikes
intervening
The Adoption Of Scale.
So tired were the boilers of the innumer-
able strikes occurring, that in 1865 they
proposed through their organization, the
United Sons of Vulcan, to meet the manu-
facturerS and adopt scale of prices. To
the TJIu udy VI TuIldiy dSVdle W as auoPV
ed, making boiling 81 per ton when iron
was SIC per ton, $40 when sc per Pounu,
and 81 when PIC per pound. This was the
first scale adopted among the iron workers
in this county, and proved very concllla-
tory character, even in England. At that
time iron was selling at ~ cents per
pound, and boiling according to the scale
was IS per ton. So elated were the men at
the prospect of future undisturhed peace
that they insisted that ninety days notice
should be given before the agreement should
terminate. Before the summer OF that
wear was over iron had fallen to Axe, and
as a consequence boiling had correspond,
ingly gone down to 1915. Believing that
they were entitled to more, they gave the
required notice to terminate the scale. AT
the expiration Of the notice iron had ad-
yanced to SIC. giving the boilers under the
scale So. They Immediately demanded and
received an advance Of 81, making the price
IS. which continued until the summer OF
1865, wnen they again demanded and re-
ceived an additional dollar.
The Lockout and Scale OF 1867,
In December 1866, the manufacturers
proposed a reduction to 81 which the boil
ers refused to accept, and as result they
hn nj
the "fnishers" in the meantime working
eastern and other muck bar In the early
part of the latter month, the manufaetur-
ers conceded the former price and the men
went to work. At that time lion was quo
ted at five cents, but within short month
dropped one-half cent. During July the
boilers invited the manufacturers TO an
other conference for the purpose OF arranS-
ing scale which was accepted, and scale
adopted upon the 23d of the same month.
This scale gravitated only between five and
three cents, and while its terms yir-
tually wiped ont the victory of the lockout,
| it was much more advantageous to the men
| than the scale of 1865 The objective point
| of the men at that time was not to protect
| wages so much when iron was high, as
when trade would assume natural and
| healthy condition, and as consequence
| when iron would 60 TO 8 cents boiling
would be Sc, whereas in the former scale 1t
was but s. So Those who were foremost
| in bringing this compact about were severe
! lv denounced by the chronic croakers, as by
| il the fruits of the big strike was virtually
| lost, but the object OF those at the head OF
| the association was TO prevent strikes in the
| future, a result that was fully sustained Tor
no further trouble was experienced until
the close of 1874.
The compact OF 1867 required but no,
| tice of thirty days to terminate it, and iron
having declined below three cents, the man
ufacturers notified the men that the basis
must be readjusted, and the price paid for
boiling reduced The notice expired in De-
cember, 1874, the card price of iron in the
meantime having been fixed at 2I cents
pound The proposition of the manufac'
turers was TO reduce the price OF boiling
from s. to s., and TO run the scale down
ward to 21E cents, when $3.50 would be
paid. This proposition was refused and
strike ensued, lasting until the beginning
of the succeeding April During the strug
gle the men proposed at one time to con-
tinue work at $3.50, the card to
run no lower than three cents. Sub
; downward to az, fixing at the point Of
bS5. so as price for boiling. 1t was upon the
latter terms and conditions that they re
sumed work. The succeeding fall witness'
ed an unusual depression in the iron trade,
| the manufacturers selling at no fixed price
but disposing of their iron for just what II
was possible to secure. This state Of affairs
placed iron at very low figure, aud as 6
consequence compelled the esmanufacturer:
to demand that the operations OF the scale
of prices be set aside, for the time at least
and that reduced price be agreed upon
until business would revive. They first
wanted TO pay but $3.50, but at a confer
ence agreed to pay up TO December l3 >
4 per ton. and from that until February Ii
the price paid should be si.75 per ton.
| The Boilers Scale Of 1873.
No further interruption interviewed until
the 3lst of May. 1875, when the boilers in
the several mills presented q scale, 10 be IN
force one year, upon basis OF S per ton
when the card price was 2k cents pei
pound. A strike of two weeks ensued
when the manufacturers, one 6y ere, sign
ed the scale and all the work resumed
| This scale remained in force until June
| $780, when the men demanded an advances
| of so cents per ton on 2H card, making ths
wages $3.50. This advance was at first 70
fused, but after q stoppage Of eight or ter