Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-11-13
AeooD SHOWING.
Nothing of the Kind Ever Happened
Before.
The Amalgamated Association OF Iron and
Steel Workers and Manufacturers
All Over the Country on
Amicable Footing.

The following piece Of news may look
strange to a number of our readers, but ii
they will stop and think for a moment OF the
large territory over which this assoc'atlon.s
men are scattered and the number OF mills
in operation, they will be able to see clearly
that it is almost impossible to keep the en-
tire machinery running steadily without
trouble of some kind. The Pittsburg Times
says:
1.-THE officers of the Amslgamated Asso-
citation are rejoicing in the fact that tor
the first time in the history of the asSocia-
ton not a single strike has been reported IN
any section Of the country for a month and
hone are likely to occur in the near future.
Prior to the beginning Of the associations
year, June lst, strikes were in progress at
four mills. Two were located in this State,
at Danville and Beaver Falls. AT the hrst
place a reduction Of 80 cents per ton had
been offered puddlers. and at Beaver Falls
the fight was for the recognition OF the
union. Aurora, Indiana, was the seat of
trouble, because wages had not been paid
regularly. The South was represented BY
one OF the mills at Birmingham Alabama.
The last Of those strikes was settled q short
time ago. The men at Aurora made a
satisfactory arrangement about their pay;
those at Danville accepted the reduction
by the men employed in other departments
ofthe mill and
REASONABLE CAUSE
for continuing the strike could not be
found. The mills at Beaver Falls and Biz
mingham were declared open.
After reciting these facts yesterday Presi-
dent Weihe was asked whether as a whole
the outcome had not been rather disastrous
to the association. He promptly replied
that he did not think so. The association
he said. has held its own wherever w had
trouble this year. 1t is true we gave in
at Beaver Falls and Birmingham, but
at the first place the com
pany now a~cknowlede that they
madea mistake by going into the tight. At
Birmingham We only had one man IN the
mill when the strike was declared, but the
company did not know this and thought
they would push the A~malgamated Associa-
ton TO the wall. After a fight that lasted
nearly a year they now have more amor
men at work than ever before. The men at
Danville are getting as good wages as are
paid elsewhere in the east, aud those in In
diana wen a positive victory. At all these
places the difficulty was inaugurated by the
firms owning the mills and not by the
Amalgamated Association. SO far as we
are concerned this has been.
THE MOST rEAcEABLE YEAR
on record. 1t can be attributed to nothing
else than the rules OF the Association.
They have simplitied the relations between
employers and employees, and | think the
feeling all over the country to-day IS better
than it has ever been before. There Is lit
tie danger now of mills being shut down ~
or Is hours for trivial causes. Each party
understands the other too well for that.
The question of wages being touched
upon, both Mr.. Weihe and Secretary Mar
tin stated that while there than dur
ing some previous years, the wages
Of employees, considering the selling
price ofiron, had been better than for many
years. Bar iron has been sold in this city
as low as IL cents per pound. If yearly
agreement to pay not less than $3.50 per
ton had not been insisted upon, they are Of
the opinion that puddlers would have been
compelled TO work for 81 per ton before this.
As an evidence that iron workers believe
this, Secretary Martin states that since the
meeting of the National lodge in this city
last August, charters have been issued for
II new lodges in different parts Of the coun-
try. During the same time four charters
have been surrendered, showing an actual
growth of eight lodges.