The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-05-10
THE HELPERS STRIKE
AT THE MARTINS FERRY NAIL MILL,
Vice. prnidtnt Thompson E1plaiss liz Action In
the Mattsr-1te New lsatiug Purnaes 81 tho
La itlle Niil-Ar. ThompsoA'a Views On tho
Possibility Of = Strike Other Mill News.

The heaters' helpers at the Laughlin nall
mill, Martins Ferry, are still out, aud refuse
10 return 10 work until The company accedes
TO their demands. Thla the'coinpany posi-.
lively refuses to do, and IL still making an
effort 10 I'll the places Of the strikers.
Vice President Thompson last evening
handed In the following communication
To he Editor ofiht Inhui0eneer.
EiR:-I desire TO make q statement OF my
understanding OF the difficulty with the
heaters helpers at the Lsughlin mill. On
| Monday, May 9th, I received d telephone call
from Mr.. Lsughlin, stating that the heaters
helpers had quit work on account Of the
firms refuaipg 10 pay. them for a fnll days
work when they made less than eight heats,
and he requested me 10 como over and try to
stated 10 him that they were not members OK
tho A. A. OF |. 4 S.TW., hence I had nothing
10 do with II. He replied That he knew they
were not, and was sorry for.it, but requested
me 10 come over and try 10 settle 1t. / con.
serted to do so. On ARRIVING at Martins
Ferry ] met four OF Tho helpers, and stated to
them that they wera not members Of the As
ISOLATION, but II l could do anything 10 bring
about q settlement ! was willing 10 do 1t
and requested them 10 give me a statement
OF their sido Of the case, and II they were
right / would tell them 60, but II thsy wore
wrong l would be equally frank with them.
They stated that they had formerly receiv.
cd pay for Il full days work when they knock
ed oil on seven heats, but the firm now re-
fused 10 pay thsm for more than geven'
cighths Of a day for 90 ven heats. The. help
eIs claimed that they were working more
piles OF iron than other milla OF their class
and demanded that the extra piles DO taken
stopped work. / stated 10 them that IL thRi
vas tbs case l did not think they wsrl
wrong.
l waited upon Mr.. Laughlin, and he utatet
TO me that he would not ask his men to worl
any more iron than the mills In Wheeling
He then arranged with the helpers for then
10 appaint a committee to 70 with me 10 70
the weights OF the Riverside mill, and STATED
that II he was working more iron than they
were he would bring his down to theira, pro
yiding they would work for the same money
and under the sams rule,; but II he wa
working less iron he would not ask them Il
come up. The helpers consented to do this
We then weighed the piles OF the Lal ghlir
mill. and the helpers told the manager t
light up.
On'ths following day, in conjunction will
the committea Of ~helparJ, I secured tht
wcighta OF The Riverside mill, and gave then
a copy Of 1t. supposed that was the enc
OF 1t.
Ga Wednesday I received notice from Mr.
Laughlin that the helpers had refused T.
comply with their agreement, and had qnit
WORK, He requested me to meet him at the
McLuro House that evening, and he There
Informed me thst the company was willing
to bring tho weight Of their piles down Ia
conform with the Riverside, but the helpers
refused 10 work unless the company would
take oil the extra pile or pay them for 8 full
davis work for seysn heats. This he refused
to DO, l then stated to him that II that was
the case the helpers had quit unjustly, end J
was willing to make 1t pEhllo that they were
not members OF the Association, hence 1t Wst
not an Alalgamated Association strike. ]
have been informed to-day, by the helpers,
that the firm refused 10 bring the iron down
in weight.
l desirs to correct & misstatement in the
communication 10 the Register OF yesterday,
signed "Helpers' Committee" 1t states thai
the company agreed to take oil the extra
piles. That isincorrect; they agreed to bring
their iron down SO that the helpers would
not have to work more iron than the Riyer
eide helpers. :;
As for the item in TCesdsy's Issue OF the
INTELLIGENcEE. I know nothing about 1t and
did not give it to the reporter.
As TO the communication in yesterdays
Register, signed Justice desiring to know
by what authority I interfered with the btrikt
OF the helpers at the Laughlin mill, I woult
repeat that 1t was by the request Of Mr.
Laughl;n, sanctioned by the helpers them
selves, that l did SO. Judging by the com
munication, the author Of 1t is not q mem
Der OF the Association, and 1 would edvis'
hIm to come into it, and we will give hin
"mo.s light and justice"
9. D. THOMPSON,
Vics President i. A. ]. It. W.