Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-03-09
THE SLIDING SCALE.
The District Meeting Called for
Tomorrow.
The Preliminary Steps to the Formation Of a
Seale-The New Law is Satisfactory
Changes in the Scale.

Tomorrow afternoon the Wheeling dis
trict Of the Amalgamated Association will
meet at McLain's Hall to select delegates
10 the general convention to be held at
Pittsburgh on April 7. This meeting'is an
important one, as it is to consider
THE SCALE OF PRICES
for the ensuing year. Last night a REGIs-
TER representative met Mr.. c. d. Thomp-
SOD, district vice. president, and had a chat
with him on the meeting. He, in company
with other ironworkers, is pleased with
the change in the law, by which important
questions are left to the districts, instead
of to a general vote. Had this been thus
last year, there would have been no general
strike. Each district, in the general con
vention. will be entitled 10 one deleg ite
for every three hundred members, giving
this one five, no two Of which can belong
TO the same branch.
The meetings will be held in all of the
nine districts on that day. The mode OF
operations designated by the rules adopted
at the general convention Of last year ia
Guides, first, the consideration by each lods Sc
of all questions which may be suggested, as
Such propositions as may be decided upon
are then transmitted to the headquarters
officers, and they are embodied in report
which is sent
TO ALL THE DISTRICTS
to be deliberated upon at the meetings TO
be held on March 10th. These meetings
are mass affairs, that is, all the members OF
the Association in the district may attend.
In addition 10 deciding which, if any, sug
gestious OF revision shall be sent 70 the
general delegate scale convention, the
delegates TO this convention will be elected.
The scale convention will be composed OF
delegates from all ten districts, and will
convene in Pittsburgh on April fth Hext.
On that occasion the President, Mr.. Jar
rett will announce the names of the mem.
bers of the committee tn confer with tue
manufacturers committee in May.
The heaGQuarler officers have sent out
the report OF propositions Of the lodges.
There are
NUMBER OF CHANGES SUGGESTED,
but it is understood that they are not rad
zeal. As they are at present in chrysalls
and some or all may be rejected by the Sat
urday meeting. the officers decline TO make
them public at this juncture. helm port
ant nature of the meetings will be the ap-
pliCation OF the new rule enjoining secret
ballot or all questions. Last year there was
serious complaint that the radical members
Overawed the cooler heads, and that in
consequence many who were opposed TO
The propositions which brought about the
long strike did not vote or were intimidated
into voting against their convictions.
There will be no suspicion of that this
year. Every man may cast his ballot with
even more complete secrecy than is o5serv.
q. 4 u n IL
result in giving the conservative element,
which is strong and sensible in the Asso.
citation, voice which hitherto has not been
heard with effect on critical occasions.
As to the probabilities, IL is early yet to
conjecture; but an inference may be drawn
from the language used in the official col
umn OF the Association published in the
Labor Tribune. as follows: Still il the
new Tariff bill might have been worse, so
much so that the manufacturers who are
being interviewed on the question would
have had just cause TO cry out for IAN ad
justment of wages" whereas, with the bill
as passed, they have not. We hope to be
able 10 show this side Of the question at the
proper time.
The important result secured in the
passage OF the bill is the settlement Of IN
Certainties, which for more than a year
hSve been disturbing business and manu-.
facturers. Buyers will no longer be afraid
TO place their orders, and manufacturers
will not now refuse them. The people will
now be able to breathe freely, and il all
will but do their best, and not further try
to keep the country in constant fever BY
anticipating reductions in wages that may
cause long and serious stoppage of work.
the early spring will find an active and
healthy trade"