Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-05-30
SEEKING A SIGN
To Indicate what the Mills Wd
Decide.
A Second conciave Of Owners at Pitts
burgh-The hingo Mia MaRu-
facturePs views-General
Labor Notes.

Speculation ran rife, yesterday, among
mill men and all interested in the iron
situation, when il became known that a
special and secret meeting OF the iron man
ufacturers was called at Pittsburgh for last
evening. Theories of all kinds were in
circulation and numerous were the
beliefs expressed. The current opin-
ion was that the manufacturers would
offer a compromise among themselves,
and in case that was disagreed to-,
some would break away and sign the
scale. When the Wheeling delegates re-
turned last evening, a REGISTER reporter
gobbled the first and asked about the meet.
ing. The result may be best expressed by
a series of blanks The manufacturer
said il had been resolved to preserve strict
secrecy, and he was not at liberty to tell
anything. The Pittsburgh evening paper
says:
PITTsBrRG OPINION.
THE Western Manufacturers Offensive
and Defensive Alliance met in their rooms
on Fourth avenue to consider the ques-
tons raised by the strike, which is threat
ened to begin next Thursday, and were in
session from about one o'clock nntll little
after two this afternoon. The meeting was
| of the most secret nature, and nothing
| could Re learned very definitely concerning
the nature of the business transacted. The
meeting was fully attended, and quite
number of Western delegates were present.
Mr.. Joseph ID. Weeks, Secretary OF the Al
| lance. declared that he had been instruct.
ed not TO say one word about the result OF
| the meeting. and showed implicit obedience
| to his instructions. :,
A prominent iron manufacturer saia,
I'VE are Just about where we were. We
| are not going to sign any scale, anyway.
| II is an Outrage that we should be paying
| so much more for labor here than IN the
East" OtLer gentlemen were similarly
uncOmmunicative.
SECOND HAND NEwS.
Later in the evening a REGISTER reporter
met gentleman, in the inner circle, Wh2
said Il was told by one OF the wheeling
| delegates that the meeting was one OF the
largest ever held at Pittsburgh. In all, 80
| mills were represented
what did they do?'
He told me they unanimously agreed
| TO close down rather than sign the scale.
Was that all?'
"All he told me, yes"
pELvING FOR NEWS.
LAST. evening a REGISTER reporter ap'
| preached a prominent official In one or our
| mills. and wished to know what action had
| been taken at Pittsburgh. He replied:
las far as know, nothing has been DO.
| ing: of course you know, | was not at
| Pittsburgh myself, but | stopped several
of the delegates to night, but none of them
| would give me any information IN regard
! to the action taken. That is all know
Another official was met by the reporter,
as he was vending his way toward the
office, in anything but an smiable frame
| of mind. This gentleman was one of the
! delegates to the meeting at Pittsburgh and
| the reporter was certain he knew all ABOUT
! the business transacted.
What was done at the meeting" asked
! the reporter,
Nothing Of special interest 1t was the
largest meeting ever held by the manufac.
! turers, but no changes we're made"
! 81 understood that there was dissatisfac-
ton in the ranks of the manufacturers and
it was very forcibly expressed ventured
! the reporter.
Not as far as am aware Of though it
| is true, like all similar meetings, in ex-
! pressing their views, the manufacturers
| were not all OF the same opinion, but still
| upon the important points they were
unit; all of them were in favor OF stop
"Do you mean that they all agreed to not
| sign the present scale asked the reporter.
| "Well, this much is certain, heard no
one say they would sign the scale, but OF
course in meeting as large as that one
was. all Of the men did not speak, there
| fore could not state that they all would
not sign, that is, that they all said they
not. But still believe that was
their intention, for the issue
is not changed one iota. We are of the
same opinion as at the former meetings,
which is, to shut down if a reduction is
not accepted. Tha: is just the way the
| matter stands
The reporter met several other gentle
men, who were present at the meeting;
! several OF them would not talk, and others
| expressed themselves in this way: I'VE
are still unit on the issue, and no change
was made at the meeting. An adjourn
ment was made, subject to the call OF the
| chairman. No material dissatisfaction
was expressed at the meeting-in fact,
| none-on the main ISSUE"
Thus the matter stands. None of the
gentlemen will commit themselves, but
all of them seem in very good spirits.