Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-03-01
LITTLE TOO PREVIOUS
In Settling the Sliding Scale for
Next Year.
Wotkmeh's intelligent Ysss-faIse Reports
Nailed How Sentiment is Manufac-
tured Against labor-The A.
A. Set Right.

ting the wage question, or more properly
speaking, the new scale Of prices OF the
workmen at our mills for the year COM
meDcing on the first of June. The work
men and also the manufacturers OF this
city are not at all pleased with the spring
ing up of so vital a question at this early
day. Irresponsible papers manufacture
all kinds Of interviews with mill owners
about the new scale, all Of which only
tends to widen the breach between the
workmen and mar ufacturers.
The true facts of the case are these:
Neither the manufacturers or thu work
msp, at the present time, know what scale
will be presented to the former on the first
of next June, as
NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE,
al really can't be done until the meeting
OF the scale convention at Pittsburgh,
which is held on the first day Of April of
every yesr. The laws OF the Ama!gsmated
Association Of Iron and Steel Workers,
state positively that at this meeting and no
other can the scale OF prices be changed.
1t is true, however, that tue question is
which are helo on the Slh OF March of eaoh
yesr, and al which meetings delegates are
appointed TO attend the scale convention.
These delegates are instructed by each dis
lrict Just how they are to vote on the scale.
Our readers can see clear,y from the
above that no one knows anything about
the scale for he next year aud the msjOri
ty OF the interviews in the irresponsible
newspapers throughout the country are
either manufactured in their offices or else
are the work of some mill owner who is
anxious 10 create furore about prices for
bis own benefit.
A MIsAPPREHENSI0N.
In Yesterdays issue of the REGISTER the
following Associated Press dispatch sp.
pesTjd:
"rITTsBU sGH, February 2S.-In accord
sncc with the rule all the lodges of the
Amslgamated Association have reported TO
The HEADQUARTERS in this city what rate Of
wegcs they favor demanding during the
year beginI ing June 1st. 1t is learned from
a reliable source to-day that the reports uni
form ~ are for no change in the present rate
Of - 30 for pudding when bar iron sells
for two and half cents per pound, and rec
onnsnd that the Conference CJmmlltee
Re empowered 10 accept a reduction OF ~
per cent r0ther than strike. Manufacturers
have not met yet but Individuals declare
they will be content with nothing less than
a ~ per cent reduction. WGrkmen lay il
this determination is adhered 10 there win
be a strike"
last evening REGISTER reporter visited
Vice President Thompson, Of the 4. A. OF
| and s. W., at his residence in the Eighth
ward for the purpose OF cleaning some re-
liable news about the proposed reduction.
Vice President Thompson said: Il saw the
article in both OF the morning dallies and
can say positively that II is
NOT TRUE IN ANY RESPECT.
was in Pittsburgh and attended an
official meeting of our order there last Sat
uGdsy. took particular pains to inq I'VE
Of the represen natives from each dis rIrI
how they stood on the wage ques:'On.
They all answered that they had no idea
OF offering, at the scale convention, auy
proposition tending 10 a reduction OF the
scale; in fact, they were all positiv3 that
each district represented would not &C
cept any reduction, no matter how small,
and that they would probably prese 1t the
sane scale as we are now working uader,'
AN ALLEGED INTERVIEW.
The reporter handed the Vice President
the following alleged interview published
in The Evening Journal Friday, 20jh OF
February:
"A prominent manufacturer SD this
afternoon: Pittsburgh srrangeS the scale
for pudding while Wheeling attends to
the usil cutting scale. The puddlers have
submitted a scale FOR the coming year
which Contemp!stGs d reduction OF 10 per
cent. The present sCgIe Was adopted to
govern when iron VS. selling at = cent
minimum. Now iron is below two celss.
and tie manufacturers want u scale adopted
on two cent basis. That is when iron
sells for two Ceuls s. - per ton shall he
the price and - hen I'le rise iuStities IL
propoftiona,e rise hal tase plac- in tue
price for pudding. This Wi, invOlye 4 re
duC;icn Of2O per cent, and l think tosre
will BE- no trouble about II, as the men
seem disposed 10 grant n reduction in view
of the low price of iror. In my opinion |
think thSre viii be corresponding reduc
ton in the wages Of all skilled laboTers
employed in the mills. think the good
sense Of the operatives will prevail in this
matter.
What do you think of that" asked the
reporter.
"Oh, that is q pack of lies gotten up for
tie occasion. l will, however, dissect ii
for you. The first sentence about Pitts
bulgh arranging the puddlers' scale, is
true, in this wise: there is q majority OF
pUddlers in Pittsburgh, though we have a
ssy-so in the, matter. The second SEN
ieLCe
Is LIE
ard shows itself plainly. Why, it is SIM
ply absurd to suppose its truth for one
moment. ANY manufacturer in this city
that knows anything about the laws OF the
Amalgamated Association knows that no
scsle could possibly be submitted un.
til it has first been drafted
md adopted, and it cannot be
.dcptsd until the first Sstur-
Jay IN April. I've next three SEN
teECes Of the interviewed are the SANE
Did cry raised by The manufacturers for the
last two years prior to the first of June.
LAST year the manufacturers signed the
scale when know positively that certain
grades Of iron were selling below cents
lsnd that it was the same iron they talk
of IN that article The workmen now.
under the present scale, are being paid
Just as small wages as it is possible for the
manufacturers to make them work for. ]
know full well that the workmen will not
sccept any reduction, for it is as much az
they can nov do to keep their families.
TIE good sense of the working men will
not allow any reduction to be made, and il
the manufacturers demand a reduction we
will strike"
VIEWS oFa THE w1RXNEN.
Seversl other workmen were interviewed
ny the reporter. The information gained
from them goes to show that they will not
accept shy reduction. Oue puidlsr r..
marked: THE Riverside mill has Al pud-
ding furnaces, % of which have worked
thirteen days in the last ten weeks and the
pmaining 10 have worked three days out
Of ten weeks. That shows how much time
a puddler makes, and do you think il DOS
sbie for Us to accept any reduction. That
Associated Press dispatch in your paper is
lie and was manufactured by the mill
owners. The papers should be careful and
only publish reports coming from reliable
sources. The Evening Journal should have
gotten an interview with an officer of the
Amalgsmated Association to report the
manufacturers interview, if they wanted to
give US fair show, &c"
Workmen are very much inceused at
false reports which they claim find their
way into the Associated Press and sre in
stigsted by mill owners. Such, they claim,
was that received here yesterday morning.
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