Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-05-24
AGAINST AN ADVANCE.
The Manufacturers Refuse to Con-
cede to the AmaIgamation.
A Brief Meeting, Brief Ideas, Prompt Ae-
ton and Sudden Adjournment-ldeas
Of Manufacturers and Also
Of Operatives.
THE EFrscIof AsTalKEN WHEELING


THE EFFecT0F STRIKE IN WHEELING
There was a meeting held yesterday al.
| ternoon at the Office of the Riverside Iron
Works, on Main street, the development OF
whose proceedings was awaited with FEVER
ish impatience by thousands Of working
men in this city and vicinity. The object
of the meeting was to discuss the scale sub
mitted by the Amalgamated Association,
or rather to give expression to the feelings
of the participants upon the action OF the
confederation Of Mill Owners" in Pitts
burg on Monday.
At the meeting the following mills were
represented by the gentlemen whose names
follow:
Wheeling Iron and Nail Company-C.R r.
and c. D. Hubbard.
Riverside Iron Company-W. L. and F.
H. Hearne, J. n. Vance and j. ID. Culbert-
son.
Belmont Mill-A. w. Kelley and ]. D.
Dubois.
Benwood Mill-Alonzo Loring, L. s.
Delaplain and George Wise.
Bellaire Mill-James R. McCortney and
James Wilson.
Nm. GleSSDer anu SdInuc1 LduSu4lu.
Etna Mill-Mr. Holloway.
Norton Iron Works-B. Fisher and F.
Norton.
Vim. Wallace.
The was but one sentiment in the meet
ing, and that was opposition to the scale.
Each mill representative, or as many of
them as felt inclinced to talk, discussed the
scale, its bearings and applications in each
direction. The falling market, the pros
poets of a better outlook, and all favorable
and unfavorable aspects of the iron bust
ness, OF course entered into the spirit OF
the discussion and helped shape the deter
mination, although that had been fixed
beforehand in the minds. of all. AT the
close of the meeting the following resolu-
ton was proposed and unanimously
adopted:
Rcsolred, That we, the manufacturers of
Wheeling and vicinity, after a careful ex-
animation and full discussion of the scales
submitted by the wOrkingmen, do decline
TO sign any scale involving any increase
of wages or any change in the manner OF
doing work or method of determining the
quantities to be paid for.
NIGHT MEETING.
At the meeting arranged for between the
mill owners and mill operatives, at the
Riverside office last night, all the mills
were represented by the names mentioned
above with the exception of the Norton
Iron Works, Etna Sheet Iron Works and
jefferson Iron Works, while the Amalga-
nation was represented as follows:
Nailors-W. n. Linch, LaBelle; Frank
Prentiss, Top mill, and S. MCGOWAN, Bel
laire.
City; VIM. Ripley, Top mill; John Camp
bell, Belmont; Alex. Rogers, Riverside,
and EnOch Bowers, BenwOod.
Nail Plate Heaters-James T.. elites, Top
mill; Gus. Frederick, Riverside.
Boilers-C. d. Thompson, LaBelle, and
VIM. O'Neill, Top mill.
Z. ID. Hubbard, of the Top mill, presided,
and after Mr.. Rogers, Vice President for
the Wheeling District, had presented the
the scale, Mr.. Hubbard said, after reading
the resolution OF the manufacturers,
labor. 1t is merely a sort of a
disagreement between two classes of
employees. You work for us. We work
for those who employ us. In other words,
we represent the stockholders and directors
of the great concerns in which we are en-
ployed. and in the discharge of our duties
We are expected to protect the interests of
those employing us, as we expect you to
protect our interests. You are engaged
while at work in an effort to put bread into
the mouths Of your wives, children and
those dependent upon you for their food
and clothing. We are employed by those
who have money ii the mills to keep bread
in their moths, and to make, il possible, a
proper return for the money invested, and
some of us think that this is hardly prac.
ticable in view OF the advance asked"
Thu above is not a rcrdatim report OF Mr..
Hubbard's speech, but it is substantially
what a gentleman who heard it repeated to
our reporter.
Mr.. Rogers very briefly stated that the
scale was the ultimatum of the Amalga-
ton and of course nothing more could be
said on the matter.
Mr.. Frank Hearne reminded the mill
workers present that the breach of peace
was not made by the manufacturers. They
asked nothing and demanded nothing. IL
any strike or unpleasantness should arise
the mill men must remember it would be
the result of their own action and not on
account of the disatfection of the operators
Of the mills. In the event of a continued
or protracted lockout, for which he (Mr.
Hesrne), on the part of the manufacturers,
wOuld diSclaim responsibility, some per-
sons will be damned and it would behooye
all to consider well the step that is about TO
be taken.
The Amalgamation representatives then
withdrew and the manufacturers followed
them soon after. Very little talk was in
dulged in and after the meeting little knots
of workingmen could be seen gathered
around one or more of their representa-
tives to the meeting of the evening. l
was very evident that the decision OF the
mill owners was not unexpected, but when
the full force of the decision dawned upon
them, it made many of them very grave,
and they did not care at the time to give
expression to their views.
John p. Campbell said: 81 think the
matter will be regulated by the demand for
manufactured iron and nails. III the times
justify the running of the mills, they will
run, otherwise, otherwise"
John McCracken said: Tine weather j.
too cool and pleasant to quit work now. |
wish il was two months off"
{. d. ThompsOn-"I think there will be
a strike"
Vice President Rogers-"I submitted the
ultimatum OF the Amalgamation."
President Alexander Laughlin, OF the
Laughlin mill, said to the reporter about
the strike:
You are as good suesser as l am, and
know Just as much"
VIM. Ripley, Top mill employe-"It
looks like u strike"
THE SCALE.
Following is the scale submitted by the
Amalgamated Association of Iron and
Steel Workers and rejected by the manu-.
lecturers:
The price for boiling, at present, is 1915
per ton, at a card rate of 2.5 or less, and
runs up to S9.55, at a 5 cent card rate. I'm
der the proposed rate, the 2.5 scale will be
$6.25.
Muck rolling at present is 7l7s cents per
ton, or one-eighth of the boilers price. I'm.
der the advance it will be TSH cents. 1t
will be understood that Wheeling pays 80
cents per ton more than Pittsburgh for
boiling, and 6S cents per ton more for
muck rolling.
Sheet rolling is now $3.50 per ton for No.
8 gusge, at a $3.50 card, and runs 10 SIS on
No. 80 gauge. The advance is Is per cent
all around.
Nailers now get 21 cents per keg, on a
So. 10 nail card. The scale runs from 81
cents on a $3.50 card, to sc cents on q $3.50. |
Nail plate rolling is governed by the price
OF nails. When nails are worth 81 cents
for cutting, the price for rolling is so cents