Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-02-19
NO TROUBLE EXPECTED
In Adjusting The Scale for This
Year.
Views of Manufacturers and Workmen on
This Question Of All Absorb
ing Importance.

ing importance.
The wage question, even at this present
day, is being discussed in quiet way BY
the manufacturers and workmen, and both
sides are determined not to give in to the
other, yet both are eager to run the mills.
Nearly every year this wage question has
created either strike or Q lockout, and
the brunt OF which always fell on the
woIkmen, though one thing is certain the
workmen of this city are composed OF
much more determined men than in any
other district. The men here would leave
the city and go elsewhere to work at other
business before giving in when what they
consider their just rights are at stake.
TOO EARLY YIT.
Nothing Of q reliable nature can be as
certained at this early date as to whether
there will be trouble between the two fac
tions about the sca'e for nfxt year, and
nothing definite will be learned until OF
least q month hence. The recognized
Journals OF the manufacturers in their
editorials express the opinion that the
state of trade fully warrants reduction OF
wages, but at the same time doubt the
feasibility eff forcing such measure this
summer. There is no doubt that this sum
mer the mills in this sestion will close at
there be no difference between
the manufacturers and workmen
on the wage question. The rec.
oenizei journals of the Amalgamated AS
ISOLATION express the opinion that trade
this ing season will be very brisk and
that the work men need not have any fears
OF an attem pied reduction in their wages,
but on the othsr hand thst' their wages
should be advanced proportionately with
the immense profits realized by the manu-.
facturers during the last year, - -,
several manufacturers reporter was in.
formed that in: their opinion no trouble
would be experienced this season about
The wages, citing several instances wherein
The man ufacturers failed to stick up to
their agreement to hold out against the
workmen until the issues were decided in
favor of the manufacturers.
MANUFACTURERS VIEWS.
One gentleman spoke as follows:
III think the prices should be the same
here cs they are IN the East; but unless we
all stick together there is no possible
chance of ever realizing it,
do you think that trade will brighten
up sufficiently to allow the card rate OF
nails to be advanced"
~ certainly do. At the present prices
none of the nail mills can run any length
of time, simply because they would be
losing money TO do so. The ruling price
now is actually below the cost Of produc.
tl1aN fne atyc
The nail card will be advanced, and, by Sd
doing, the mills will be able to run until
the 1T VI June
The general impression throughout tae
city is that owing to the numerous stops
made by The mills lately, they would bs
able TO maze a long sn1 steady run. Is
that impression correct"
NO >ir, il is not. ] can tell you the sit
uatior exactly and why think the wage
question will
NOT BE BoTHEREp THIS YEAR.
Last sun mer the strike or lockout did tis
more coed than anything that could posi-
BILE have taken place. 1t decreased the
supply OF nails Oh hand and stopped the
production. Had that not taken place the
country would now have been flooded
with nails and the price would have been
much lower than il is at present. The
ndLuTHI WOulu uhN6 Uetu
closing of all the mills this spring or
big reduction in wages would have had
to be made to allow manufacturers to run
and make expenses. The last stop of near
ly two months, / am sorry to say, has not
assisted the nail trade as the stop took
plsce when there was no demand for nails;
and further at the time OF year when no
nails are used, and especially so this win
ter which was such a severe one. The de-
msDd for nails will hardly be felt until the
middle of next month, and probably we
can advance the card rate so that it will
pay to make nails"
Then you do not think that any effort
will be made to reduce the wages"
IL really do not know. My opinion is
that no reduction will be asked by the
manufacturers"
WORKERS VIEWS.
The reporter met several workmen and
they were of the opinion that the Amalga-
mated Association would not advance the
scale price, owing to the depressed condi
ton OF the trade, but all OF them were very
confident that no reduction in the wages
would be listened to by the association.
The fact OF the matter is just this, the men
do not now receive any more money than
they can live on, and in some cases they
do not receive enough. The public should
bear IN mind that workmen at q
mill do not make full year,
and most years they only get
in from five to eight months time,
hence should few Of them make more per
week than it really takes to support them,
that small amount will hardly ever carry
them through these enforced stops OF the
mills. The following WAS clipped from an
exchange, and coming from raanutac
turer, shows just how the wage issue stands
in other section governed by tie Anal
gamaled Association:
AFRAID TO ATTEMPT IT.
The other day a gentleman connected
with the iron trade expressed 10 strong
teIms his opinion OF the Manufacturers
Association, and the present outlook for
next years scale. There is DO reas on in
the world why reduction Of at least ten
per cent should not be made in the rates
afraid TO attempt it. The Anna Ssmated
Association cannot stand q long
fight this year, because there is no
money in the treasury, and the member
ship has fallen off considerably since the
big STRIKE. know Of but one association
weaker than the Amalgsmated, and that is
the Manufacturers association. They
wont strike for any great length OF time.
Why last year We Heterogeneous made
by which lockout was to be inaugurated,
and il WAS understood that all the mills
were to remain closed until our terms
shoU'i he accepted. just before the first
oi junr We found that the Western man
u'sGurers had arranged to pay the wages,
leaving US to fight it out. We blocked
their game by signing the scale at once
ard continuing work. They won't play
that on US again. Likely the scale will re-
main the same il the men make decided
stand for it"