Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-09-02
THE NAIL QUESTION.
"obseryer' Gives the Manufacturers side
of the Question.

"ob.e Gives the manufacturers side
of the Question.
TO the Editor Of The Regi'ter:
SIR:-The editor of the News Letter says
did not tell the whole truth-thst my arti-
Gle was plausible but not honest" Let US
see how much he knows about the subject:
Iasserted that Wheeling manufacturers
cannot pay the Il cent scale and compete
with the east on nails He disputes this
BY saying it is an old cry, "in the face OF
which the Wheeling manufacturers have
sent THAR nails into eastern markets and
sold them at fair profit. When The card
price was high enough to G9ord fair mar
,in, suppose he mesns-tor must guess
at much IN bis article He certainly does
not mean noir, when eastern nails are OF
fer ed in the Baltimore market at I.S5 base
az d delivered in our own city at S2.OOH
Wheeling nails have been sold in eastern
markets at a profit, and at loss, owing to
he condition OF those markets. At the
esen. time they would net handsome
lOA% Generally the eastern markets are
sought by our manufacturers when they
w,sh TO unload their surplus, and nat for
Il e sake Of profit.
But here are the Newsletter mans
reasons why we are able to sell at fair
profit in the eastern markets:
The wages OF otnsilers here are higher than
in the east, but the eastern mailer does not
perform as much labor as the western nail
er. There he is only grinder, and when
his machine needs repairing, the services OF
a macbinist are necessary. This requires
the presence in every mill OF number OF
extra men. There is also difference IN
he output In the east IA to l6 kegs OF lO
rennies constitutes q day s work tor ma
hine. Here they turn from 10 to Y kegs
, ey day, or in other words, machine here
urns out one-third more nails than ma
chine in the east, fact which Of itself of
It's the apparent difference in wages be-
tween the two sections. Coal is another
tenn which must be taken into considera
tion. Ia lhe east it IS dearer and not OF as
cod quality as wefierE coal
The simple reading OF these reasons by
pefsons who know the facls ia sufficient to
condemn them. The wages OF nailerS here
are reyy much higher than in the east
about sixty.eight per cent. higher on the
gase of the scale-and all orr factories en-.
ploy machinists to repair nail machines, or
10 ANY cher necpssary machine work,
even az rhey do in The east. Bat when
II comes TO IqLor that's where our mailer
!gfts in his work Why, | have
kTown many a poor fellow to have TO
drop his paper two or three times Of a morn
ing 10 attend to something about bis ma
cbines. This is very exaspsrStlng oi
course, and our manufacturers have sought
10 relieve the situation BY purchasing a very
fne quality of imported steel for knives, 80
that one grinding per Gay might do for
each machine, and enable the mailer TO en-
ioy more pro,racte1 seasons Of quiet read
ing. To be sure this steel costs forty-hve
cents per pound, but there is compensation
| in the fact that our Dailers are improving
their minds and resting their weary oo1ies
| The difference in the output, as stated
above, places our nails in q worse light than
| dreamed OF, but of course the News'Let
ter man must be honest while criticising me
for dishonesty, and his figures must be &C
curate. From "l4 to Is kegs ten pennies
constitute a DAYS work for one machine 10
the East" he ssys. Then Is kegs ~o1ld
be a fair average and so kegs days work
for four mechinss At l3c per keg this ID
$3.50 on o full JOB Pay one-half to the
feeders, and the mailer has g 80 net for his
DAYS work Here they turn out from Is
to % kegs" continues my editor friend,
Then 2O5 kegs would be fair average, and
| 90 kegs a dsy work for four machines. Al
2lc per keg this is Sl1,22 on tull job. Pay
oue-balf TO feeders, and the mailer has 1851
net for his days work. Thus our mailer car
make s. II more in one day than his east
ern brother, which is l2O per cent. Gues'
we could furnish every mailer with Q
machinist on this basis, and save tea
homes. pennies per day.
The increased output referred to NIGH
be Of some advantage to Us II there "as
spy profit in nails, but the eastern manu-
taciurer gets bis work done 90 much cheap
sr rhsn We do thai be won't let Us have an
profit While be has nails TO sell lastly
he uses the coal argument. We hsvI
cheaper and better coal. he says. Thai i
true; but coal is hardly a factor in the pro
duc,ion of nails nov, since boiled iron ha
Siyeu vay TO steel In some sections OF 70
east soft coal. Ike our own. is used, and
COG very little more In the authracit
regions the cost is greater per ton, but =
/ ali know the great difference in It's hsa;io
power. Copnellsvine coke is about 3
| cheap ore place ss another, snd ~e asV
more interest in il than coal at present.
| OBSERVER.