Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-03-12
IRON ITEMS.
The Progress Of Formulating The
Scale.
The finishers Disagreement at Pittsburgh
Meetings Observation-Disclosures
Notes and General Industrial
information.

The district meeting at Pittsburgh, on
Saturday, was kept as secret as was the
meeting at this city, though it contained
much more of interest. According to the
change made at Chicago last year in the
rules governing such assemblages, each
ledge in the district was entitled to two
delegates, enc from the padding depart
nents, and another from the finishing de-
partment. Owing to a misunderstanding
of the new rules by some OF the lodges,
full representation was not present, but
all of the sixty-two lodges in the district
were represented by at least one delegate
for each. When the delegates had gather
ed an election of officers resulted IN Mr.
P. F. Kenney being chosen president,
and Mr.. E. II. McAnich secretary. II
was then announced that the principal
business of the convention was 70 elect
delegates TO the scale convention, which
meet in this city on the 9TH OF April.
Alter several hours spent in discussion,
when the differences engendered between
the boilers and fnishers by last summers
strike occasionally cropped out, plan oil
electing delegates was agreed upon and the
following names Of those who are to repre-
sent the pudding interests were announ-
ced: John ]. Morgan, Francis L. Carroll,
John Walters, Thomas MARROW. Jerry
Hawks, E. II. McAnich, James Graham
and Thomas Armstrong
When this much had been done the pud-
dlers' delegates left the hall in small COM
panies, and the finishers proceeded to settle
upon their men,
IL was after IL o clock when the last group
of delegates left the hall and soon after the
finishers' representatives produced the fol-
lowing list of names of those who will at
tend to their interests when the time for
fixing the next scale arrives; Robert ..
MAY, John ID. Wood, John B. Carey, James
Jones, John w. Mills, NJ. V. b. Salidie,
Edward Keil and G. s. Baird.
At the final meeting in April the ques-
ton will be settled by convention OF 80
delegates, 10 Of whom will belong to the
Pittsburgh district.
While nothing can be foretold as to the
result of that convention it is the general
opinion of those who ought to know that
last years price will be reatfirmed.
The official account OF the conclaye was
quite meagre, but from what was cleaned 1t Is
evident that the old difference between the
puddlers and finishers was in some mea-
sure revived. Said a delegate on coming
out of the hall: You cant please some
of those fellows. II the tariff was su bnit,
ted to a convention of iron workers they d
haggle over it every bit as long as Congress
did. However, with the new plan in oper,
alton those radical puddlerS can be held
level, and made TO take a sensible view OF
the situation. But all talk over the scale
was shut off to-day, because under the new
rules We could not discuss 1t. The dele
gates elected are given authority to use
their discretion in arranging the scale.
Pittsburgh will have comparatively little
TO do with the next scale, as the other dis
tricts can out vote US, but you may be sure
that common sense will be used hereafter
Another workman who was Intercepted,
said: The radical element got us into
bad mix last year. but it will be held level
hereafter Tne new system of voting in
convention by secret ballot gives the weak
kneed a chance to vote as their good sense
suggests and thus strikes will in great
measure be avoided. We have some who
insist that the basis of the scale shall be
fixed upon plate iron instead of on bar, as
heretofore done, but according to the pres
ent arrangement this will necessitate an
advance of nearly 90 per cent. While We
all see that plate iron would be the most
equitable base for the scale, las compara
tively few Of the mills turn out bar iron
we also recognize the fact that this is bad
time to demand an advance, and the better
sense of the organization is dead against
any contention at present.