Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-12-17
The Iron and Steel WorId---Acsiea
ofCongrsss on the Tariff
Anticipated
with Great Interest. Officers OF
the AmaIgamated Associa-
tiOn Not Uneasy.
Late Meeting of the Western Iron
Association---H0w a Sc
cret Circular Got Out.
s.,.l,or ns,,,ntnh % q. s,,naau Rersler.

seems no immediate prospect OF any i'm
proyement. The opinion is general that
trade will be very dull, and that no uu-
necessary purchases will be made until
after Congress has got through with the
/ impending struggle with the tariff. Buy
ers of steel rails anticipate favorable action
upon the report OF the Tariff Commission
| reducing the tariff on rails from $2S to
sl7.92 per ton, and are consequently with
holding their orders, expecting to obtain
| better rates in the future.
1t is true that some orders have been
placed, but these were only where there
| has been an immediate use for the rails.
| In this city and immediate vicinity there
are fifty-One completed rolling mills and
| steel works, and two in process OF con-
/ structiop. OF thess eight are rail mills
| two of the eight making heavy rails and
six light. Twelve ere Crucible steel works.
three Besssmer steel works, seven make
open hearth steel and one only makes ce,
mented steel From this statement 1t will
at once appear how snxiously this com
munity watches the proceedings OF Con-
greSs in any matter toachlng
The Tar1G on Iron and steel.
The manufacturers have now had time TO
fully consider the reco lamentations made
IN ths report of the Tariff Commission and
to collect their views upon all its parts.
UpoIs the whole it is looked upon with
more favor than at first, and even the La
Dor ,sribune, an ultra protection organ,
admits that it is a fairly fair report. and
better for the iron Interests than might be
expected at the hands of Congress. A
prominent manufacturer, whose name
will not give, in talking OF the report,
said tonne:
There is much force in the argument OF
the commissioners that tariff higher than
lust enough to protect American indus
trie is detrimental rather than beneficial to
them. An exorb&ant tariff operates, in
this way 1t shuts cut foreign compektion
entirely and affords large profit to home
manufacturers. This causes grand rush
of capital to those businesses most highly
protected, and the result is that the busi-
ness is overdone and from excessive COM
petition the result is produced that the
tariff vas instituted to prevent. Frices
fall below their natural level, mills close,
men arc thrown out OF employment and
APanie Comes.
| believe a history of the industrial world
would show that this has been the course
of almest all businesses paving Iextremely'
thew .S,Sr ssSs bean mn SssIS ~ ovsrSss of
| this reason I say tariff that affords ex-
| orbitant profits is not only uni just to the
| consumer, but finally works hurt TO the in
| dusty il seeks to protect. What we want
| is a tariff lust large enough to afford fair
profit to American manufacturers. Just
what the tariff SHOULD be is a question upon
which men viii differ. AT present there
| can be no doubt that our tariffs too high
| Ia, Afh &c
| too low. Taking everything into consider
tiOn it seems 10 me that the report OF the
| Tariff Commissioners is document very
| ably prepared and as a whole does the fair
thing to the great industries of the coun-
| try. OF one thing lam quite sure and that
| is this: 1t would be better tS adopt it as 4
stands than bo trust the amendment of the
tariff TO a set OF impracSicable Congress
| sional triCkSters.
The Iron Age
takes philosophical view of the situation
this week in an article from the pen OF
| Jos. d. Weeks, of this city. Mr.. Weeks
thinks there is nothing IN the outlook that
| for ebodeS crash or a reduced prodGetion.
He says it seems that the iron men seem
TO have made up their minds to season
| of small profits. Trade will, OF course, be
lame and halting for month or two yet
but the prospect is that the West and South
will afford good market in the spring,
commencing probably with February. A
readjusting process is now going on that
will reduce things to their proper level.
| The officers of the Amalgamated ASSOcia-
ton are not fearful OF any material reduc'
| tion in card rates, and are counciling their
| lodges not to Jump at conclusions too sud.
/ denly. The men are warned not to believe
the bottom is dropping out Of the steel
business, and on that belief accept disas
trous reductions in their wages. 1t is better
TO lay idle for a while if need be, the officers
say, than 10 accept reduction before its
necessity is clearly demonstrated, and then
have to make a fight for an advance by
way OF a strike.
At the
Last Meeting OF the Western Iron ASSo
citation
a special committee was appointed to pre-
pare a circular to be sent to the iron anc
steel manufacturers throughout the coun
try. This committe submitted a repor
taking very rosy view of the situation
; one calculated TO stitien the backbone o.
weakening steel workers. 1t was also re
solved that this circular should be only fol
the eyes of those to whom it was addressed
and at all events should be kept from th'
eyes of the newspaper sharps. 1t so hap
peped that Mr.. Calvin A. Wells, OF th'
/. | IltlSDuIRn FOEEt anu lTOu W. WAS q
Der of that committee, The same gentle
man is proprietor of the Philadelphia Press
and the desire to secure scoop" Tor hi
paper ovsrbalanced the resolution of th
| Association. The circular, therefore, ap
peared in the Press and the next day in tn
daily papers throughout the country. Tit
Amalgamated men say the desire to keeI
, this circular secret was an endeavor to keel
a knowledge of the actual state of affair
,, from that Association, so that the manutaC
, turers could put on long faces and demant
. a reduction in wages. Now that they knoN
= how the manufacturers feel it is not probS
bic that q reduction will be very cheerful
, accepted.
, President Cline, Of the
GIass-workers' Association,
! returned from the East, a few days sinc'
e where he has been endeayoring to settle tn
!. strike in that quarter. The Eastern me
= have been on strike for q long time on a
count of refusal on the part OF the en-
e ployers to allow them an advance Of 10 pc
cent Mr.. Cline was in the East for Ion
time, trying TO effect a compromise, bu
>. without success. He returns very muc
o disheartened and considers the outlook 70
;. q victory for the men very unfayora6ie.
e number Of the firms are introducing foreig
: workmen and evicting their old employs
from the company's houses. At this ses
e son OF the year TO have starvation an
1 empty coal houses staring them In the fac
;. il is bard to talk strike TO men. The fort
+ tude the men have shown thus far is remari
i able, and if manufacturers can at all atfor
4 the advance, it ought to be granted.
= The coal miners have made no move
ward strike as yet, though it is believe
Q they are sgitSLipg the subject constant.
: Upon the present rise in the river ne,
of towbozts went out with about 5000 o.
i bushels of coal, cleaning out the poo
pretty we'll. Owing TO the good stage
: water for the greater part of the year, thel
o has not been great deal OF coal accum'
lated.
O H. or L. Meeting for Cooperation.
It PIrrsAURGH, December 16.-A meetir
]. will be held at 276 Penn avenue, on Satu
e day evening, December %, at o'clock,
s take into consideration the organization
cooperative store or manufactory. a