St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-07

steady funds and the nail market is sup
piled, to the detriment of the trade of the
locked out mills. The amalgamat pre-
pares for war by accommodating money dur
ing steady runs, and it was it's boast in
1881 that it's treasury contained the1 snug
sumof $150,O00.
DANGEROUS BREAK.
-Four years ago when the enormous and
unhealthy profits of 35 per cent. in the
nail business induced capitalists in the
West to put up nail machines, Wheeling
began to feel her prestige, as the great
enter, slipping from her. To retain it, the
steel nail came to the front, and to-day the
thirteen large mills in that district are all
making or preparing to make steel nails.
The result threatens disaster to the ANAL
gamatiOn. Heretofore ''boilers" and
''heaters" have been it's backbone and
sinews, the Sons of Vulcan having been it's
foundation. The steel nail, by doing away
with the forge department, eliminates
puddlers, rollers and heaters from the
amalgamation, depriving it of its princi-
pal support The forge departments OF a
mill is that department which converts the
pig into nail plate; for the steel nail the
mills will procure steel nail all ready from
the machines, thus entirely disposing of the
forge department. Without voice or in
fluence in the councils of the amalgama-
ton it once controlled, the forge men must
now retire, while the nailers come to the
front, the latter having already reorganiZed
as the United Nailers with headquarters at
Bellaire. And this change is potent
factor in the strike which began last Mon
day.
THE PRESENT STRIKE
is a repetition of those in the past. Early
in the year it became apparent that, keeping
pace with industry all over the East, mill
owners would demand heavy reduction.
Needless OF this, the last years scale was
presented by the amalgamation, but re-
jected by the employers, who demanded
what is equivalent to a 20 per cent. hori-
zontal reduction. For the most part the
mills are closed, some few having signed,
and the situation being daily outlined in the
Geographic columns of the GLOBE.
ST. PAUL SENTIMENT.
In order to ascertain what would be the
effect of the strike on the iron trade in gen.
eral, and..in this part of the country in partic-
ular, GLOBE reporter recently interviewed
several men in ST. Paul acquainted with the
iron industry, with results as follows:
The general manager of the Minnesota
Iron company, Mr.. George C. Stone, said
the trade was in a terrible condition. There
was too much iron produced. He didn't
look for an improvement this year. The
iron men had to produce at the lowest
figures and sell at the lowest prices ever
known.
81 am unable to see any signs of improve
ment this year," continued the gentleman.
Business of all kinds is dull. Whenever
the iron business is good all other branches
are good. The iron trade is the best ba-
rOmeter of industries there is. No observing
man will deny that when iron is prosperous
all other lines Of trade are in good condi-
ton. Even during this dull year the con-
sumption of iron has been enormous, and
you'll be surprised to hear that it has been
within 10 per cent. of what is called good
year. Iron men expect to sell their ore at
less than it has ever brought. Few mines
are getting the cost of their ore at the pres
ent time"
c. N. HACKETT.
''The effect of these difficulties between
the manufacturers and the laboring men
will be very slight indeed upon the country
at large. Of course about the works
themselves many thousands of men will be
out.of employment. The strike will injure
not only the strikers themselves, but good
many people in that immediate locality
in which they have been dealing. I do
not see how it could operate to produce
failures in any other part of the country.
No doubt the manufacturers were perfectly
satisfied to have the strike commenced, and
were perfectly willing, probably. to shut
down. Stocks are large and they were
manufacturing more goods than they could
sell. If the scale of prices paid by
the manufacturers in the district east
of Pittsburg was the same as
that paid in the district in Pittsburg and
west, then it would be no benefit to the
manufacturer to ask for the reduction of
the price of labor. because whatever they
take from the laborer they give away to the
dealer and the dealer then gives it to the
consumer. The manufacturers undoubtedly
desired to shut down and only wanted an