New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-21
hibit the loading of all rifles before going into
NOTES on LyDUSIRr IND TRADE.


mos PuDpfERs AGuv THrEArrYGvC.-Thc an
mail conference of iron manufacturers aud the
Amalgamatcd Association Of Iron Workers, which
was held ut Pitsburg Oh Saturday disclosed n
prospect of another prolonged strike. The manu-
fa"turcrs proposed n general reduction OF 10 per
cent in wages The men insisted that - 30 per ton
should stu be paid for pudding as heretofore
but offered some notifications which, they claim,
will rcluce WAGES of certain classes of workmen
from 10 % per cent As these are not given in
detail, the public cannot judge as yet how far the
proposal Of the men was reasonable, bat the manu-
facturcrs peremptorily refused to accept IL, and
suspension Of work in ali the mills ut the West
after June is Threatened, unless one party or the
other changes its views. In the absence OF dehnlte
knowledge to the pending propositions, one thing
is nevertheless ccar-that the rate demanded by The
pudders is altogether ont Of harmony with the con
dItOn or prospects of the ron trade in this or other
countries They are insisting upon the very same
wages they asked and obtained when trade was en-
Toying . season of extraordinary prosperity With
British puddlers seeking in vain for full employ
ment at only about one third of the wages de-
mandcd in Pttsburg it is not strange that the man
ufacture in this country is embarrassed.
COAL Production AND WAGEs.-Ihe question
arises whether the agreement of the coal companies
to cut down their output will lead to a strike OF
miners The agreement is to stop work nine days
in a month-in May, from the 9TH to the 10Th, IN
elusive, and the ODD to 25th, inclusive. Out of
twenty-soven working days, nine are to be idle,
and this affects the amount received by the
miner for his support as much n reduction OF one
third in his wages In reality. it affects him more.
because when men idle whole week they get
rid Of more money than when they are at work
week. An agreement to continue this partlal
suspension through the year is worse to the miner
than work full time at only So cents where
he now gets 81. More or less suspensions
of course the miners are compelled to anticipate.
But tho long period Of part work last year, ana
again early tins year, was said to be suiicleht 10
put the market IN good shape, and to insure steady
employment afterward. Disappointment in that
respect, 1T is now asserted. may lead to a general
strike for higher wages. UnhappIIy, the men must
live and feed their families, whether they are at
work oruOt If the companies see fit to open or en-
courage so many mines that their total output,
working full time is One-half more than the de-
mand for c0usumption-and this is the logicot their
curtament Of production-then the business must
be sufficiently profitable to afford lower prices to
consumers or wages to the miners to compensate III
part for Idle time. These reas0nings of the miners
are not unnatural. In form another, the cost
of getting ont coal with the men idle third of the
time must be greater than the cost of mining with
the men fully employed. There Is simply
no help for it, The new arrangement,
however. seems to give to two companies
the power to regulate suspension as they please.
The companies are to vote on the question, it is
said according to the quantities they deliver. The
Reading with its len ed line, the jersey Central,
moves about half Of the whole; hence, with any
other considerable company. it can dictate
stoppage Of work or prevent one. 1t seems hardly
likely that such arrangement can be Satisfdc-
tory long, either TO consumers or to producers.
WHrsKEY SprLLED.->ales of 200 barrels at Gin
cmnati were reported on Saturday at 81 %. One
year ago aud for long time before and after, 81 l3
was the ring price; the market was controlled
after fashion that Mr.. Gould would doubtless like
to be able TO initiate; and some members of Con-
gress and others persuaded that the ownership
of a few hundred barrels of whskey would pres
entity make them Independently rich. 1t is proper
to observe, however, that IL proved easier to buy
the Ohio Democratic Convention, and the election
too, than t carry through Congress legislation for
the relief of this much-oppressedindu AS the
market has now got down to 81 Oh with many mill
ion gallons more held in somewhat precarious
way, the persons who pushed production beyond
all reason in the certainty that they could do what
they pleased with parties and legislators may find
reason to reconsider their views.
WHEAT PRosPFCTs.-The official report for April
records an estimated increase of about per cent
in the acreage OF winter wheat and the condition
is %, against SO in April, 1888. This promises,
far "a present indications go. an increase of about
one-ffth in yield of winter wheat. should this
rate of increase be realized in spring and winter
wheat BOTH the crop would be the largest ever
grown. BIT as to spring wheat little can be said
as yet The weather is backward and in some
measure dishear;ening, but it has happened more
than once that the sowing for a large crop has sue
ceeded though the spring was late. And the estl-
mates thus far are that the increase in acreage,
on account of emigration to the far Western
States and Territories will probably exceed the
decrease IN the older States caused. by unsatisfac
tory results last year. But these necessarily
mere estimates.