Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-09-04
DIRECT BLOW AT LABOR
Is What the Workmen Regard the
Steel Nail. {.
They Say il is More Expensive Than and
Inferior to the Iron Nail and is
Only to Strike Down Or
gained Labor.

After the various articles that have ap-
peared in the REGISTER it is unnecessary to
say that the commotion over the steel nail
is steadily increasing. In the minds of the
men it is resolving itself into question OF
struggle tor existence and that either the
steel nail must go, or the Amalgamaton
must 90. Their side OF the caseis presented
in an article addressed to the Editor Of the
REGISTER, IS follows:
THIRTY-FIvE HUNDRED MEN AFFECTED.
SIR:-The nail manufacturers of this
city have contrived plan which they now
have in operation, that will extensively
curtail labor, if the invention proves sue.
cessful. They have constructed two new
steel plants for the special purpose of max
ing steel ingots to be manufactured into
steel nails, as a substitution for iron nails.
By the extension and adoption of this new
process in the several mills in this city it
will eventually dispense with the labor Of
boilers, helpers, roll hands, coal miners
and laborers to the lumber of three thous-
and FIVE hundred men, all of whom will be
thrown on the already oyerstocked labor
market
NOT GOOD NAIL
The introduction of the steel nail into
the market now or at any other time, is
not necessity in any way, shape or form.
Il is only introduced as q barrier or an in
strument of war against skilled labor and
the Amalgamated Association of lronwork-
ers. The steel nail has no superior quail
tiles that make it a preferable article,
either in the sale or use The surface OF
the steel nail is as smooth as glass, it has
no fibre or staying qualities whatever. II
the steel that the nail is made out of is be
low tie proper carbon the nail is too soft
and will not enter the wood; it bends to
great extent and can not be broken of.
Again if the steel is too hard or above its
proper carbon the nail is worthless as the
head breaks off before it is driven in the
wood. The steel nail as a new production
in the market is not so heavy nor is it as safe
or as durable in frosty weather as the iron
nail is. The assumption here to under
value the merit of the steel nail is not done
through the prejudice of the writer. 1t
is the prevailing assertion of several
skilled carpenters of this city, who are
considered as competent and capable me-
chsnics in giving the steel nail fair and
impartial test. In order to give the steel
nail general trial it is for the carpenters
and wood workers of the country at large to
test the steel nail for what it is worth. The
manufacturers Of the steel nail are leav-
ing nothing undone to establish their pro-
duction in the market. They have samples
of the finest grades carefully packed and
sent out to all their agents in the principal
cities of the country for inspection and
their superior quality is III up as high as
one hundred per cent. above that of the
| iron nail.
MORE EXPENSIVE THAN IRON.
They have the selling price of steel nails,
/ now, at 81. 80 per keg, while the most ardent
of the steel manufacturers claim that the
! lowest figure at which steel nails can be
made at is 81, 10 per keg. Thus it can be
seen they are sacrificing twenty cents on
! every keg of steel nails to have them firmly
established in the market This is despe-
rate effort for few monopolies to engage in
to monopolize the nail trade in ITSELF 1t re-
quires desperate effort to remedy this evil
The suggestion here presents itself, as the
sincere wish and desire of the authors Of the
appeal, viz: That the carpenters and wood
workers of the United States will severely
| ignore and discountenance the steel nail
and leave it in the hands of the manutac
tuners. Since the discovery of this great
republic the iron nail has served as faith
( ;ui factor in building up and developing
his country, to what it is at present. PEG.
pie prospered and grew rich; the working
man had steady employment everywhere;
( there was general contentment. Now, why
exclude the iron nail, an old and superior
article, for q new and inferior article?
J ADIRECT BLOW AT LABOR
To do it is direct blow at labor organ
ization by monied men who do not care for
he interests of the community or the per
.ecution of the poor man Fellow working
men, carpenters and woodworkers through
out the length and breadth of this great ma
lion be up and doing! The monopoists
are trying their desperate game to strike
down labor organization in all its phases,
and to crush out of existence any union
tending to elevate the workingman. Hop.
ing this appeal will be carefully considered
and extensively circulated is the whole de-
ire of the FRIEND OF LABOR.