Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-04-04
the NAIIERs sEcEDE.
The New Organization Formed and
0ficers Elected,
Close Of NJ. Murphy's Temperance Work.
Permanent Organization Formed
General City News.

from the mills west OF the mountains, which
has been in session in this city for the past
two days, concluded Its labors at about FIVE
o'clock last evening and adjourned sine die,
after formally s~evering the bond which has
for so long united all the iron workers of
the country in one solid organization and
setting up q separate and distinct estab-
lishment for themselves. 1t has been long
APPARENT that this step must be
taken, as the nailers and puddlers were
drifting farther and farther apart, and Of
late, although the tact has been concealed
from the outside world, serious conflicts and
much ilfeeling has resulted from the widely
divergent and conflicting interests of the
two elements.
The name Of the new organization is:
| The United Nailers Of America, and the
| officers who have been chosen TO watch
over It's infancy are: President, John K.
Wier, Of Bellaire; Vice President, Joseph
Fl. Clay, of Terre Haute, Ind. Secretary,
Matt Chew, of Wheeling; Treasurer, Theop,
oils Pugh, of Martins Ferry; Warden,
John K. Potter, Of Bayyiew, Wisconsin. A
Board Of Trustees was also chosen, but the
officers Of the convention refused to divulge
their names.
AS on Thursday, the session of the Con-
vention yesterday was characterized BY strict
secrecy, and each and every delegate posi-
| lively refused TO talk Of the proceedings or
! of the probable effect the formation OF the
new organization would have on the mills,
| the Amslgsmated, the nailers themselves,
| or, in fact, to refer to the matter in any way.
A REGISTER reporter appeared in the Con-
veniion hall Immediately after the adjourn
ment of the session, but on being recognized
the President raped for order and said:
81 wish to warn the delegates that q reporter
is in the room; they must be very careful
in what they say"
OF course, after a give away like this
the n~twsgather could get no information,
and alter shaking hands with a number OF
personal friends, all OF whom seemed anx-
ious to talk about the weather, or General
| Grant, he Withdrew.
A number of mill men, nsilers and others.
were met during the evening, and in the
course of general conversation over the &C
ton Of the meeting it was aseertained that
the delegates were far from a unit on the
question Of secession, and one gentleman,
who asserted that he spoke from authority,
said the vote was very close, but nov tina:
,hey we're committed to the new state o.
affairs thew would all stand shoulder to
shoulder ard maintain On efficient orgaHiza
zion.
Another mill man, who is not a mailer,
and yho stands high in the estimation OF
the workingmen of this city, said:
Il hope the new move will be a success,
but | am very much afraid there will De
trouble; and III tell you why. Under the
old order of things every man about a nail
mill belonged to the ~Amalgsmation, and
when one branch Of skilled lsbor-for in
stance, the nailers-had a difficulty Of any
sort, the rest of the men stood by them un
til it was settled. Now the good feeling aud
mutually beneicient system is all knocked
in tie head. The puddlers and nailers are
al swords point, and about all the
former in this community, with their
third hand and helpers are out Of work.
Now suppose there should be trouble be-
tween the nailers and mill owners and they
20 out. Don't you suppose these puddlers OF
helpers, many Of whom are in actual want
would lump at some of the vacant jobs
The nailers may laugh at this, and they
probably will, but all the same | believe It'll;
q source of danger. Most Of the class Of
men / have referred to have been raised in
mills, and know more or less about the bust
ness nailers make q specially OF. | kno"
numbers of men, not ~nailers, who arc
competent TO take charge Of machines
or who would be competent with
q very short apprenticeship, and tor thi:
reason | think the secession of the mailer;
ilLadyised, and calculated to make trouble.
A uailer, to whom this was mention
laughed immediately for about five min
utes, and then said:
That's about as ridiculous a Statement
as a mill man ever made. A man car
work about q mill until he is gray headed
and be no more fit to run a nail machine
than you are. Why, l know feeders WHIT
have worked for half q dozen years, Wit
couldn't run my machines with thre'
months practice. No proprietor who retains
his senses would ever put any such men Il
work, for they would break a bushel o
knives every twentytour hours, and smssl
a machine every day. Depend upon it, tn,
nail rs will have no trouble from tina
quarter
1t could not be definitely sscertsined, yes
terday, whether or not the heaters, sheer
men and nail plate rollers would be taker
, into the new organization, but 1t Is prob
able they will be admitted in the future, i
provisions for them has not already beef
made.
District conventions Of the A~malgamste'
Association will be held in all parts Of tn
country to-day to elect delegates to the Ma
tionsl Scale Convention which meets il
Pittsburg April Is. 1t is thought the dele
gates will be instructed 10 vote for the az
ceptance of q 10 per cent reduction in wage
for the ensuing year The manufactures
ask for a reduction of 20 per cent, but thi
will not be conceded.
|, In this connection, the following, iron
: yesterdays Pittsburgh Dispatch, will b
found of intereSt:
The Pittsburgh district meeting shoul
be attended by at least one hundred an
GRy members, but probably not more ths
halt that number will appear. Since tn
mills have been running so ir~regularlY, an
some not even half time, the workmen hsv
lost interest in the affairs ofthe association
: At some lodges the doors are locked until
reaction in work takes place. 1t is, thert
fore, not improbable that some of tn
lodges mentioned above will not be reprt
: sented. Since the formation of the ANA
gamaled Association its membership ha
never been less than it is at the present TINS
The number would undoubtedly be still les
, even than it is. had it not been for the reir
i iorcement ofthe old rule, than any strange
, obtaining workin q mill is subjected to
series Of questions as to his membership. J
he isa member in good standing he is a
: lowed q certain time in which to produce b
card. Should he fail to do this, he
"dampered," that is, the men lower Ii
hampers on the furnace stacks and refu'
to work with them. 1t has been found tht
in places where this rule is not adhered
very ~stringently, the association has lost i
membership. There are nov quite q numbt
. ! OF mills, the employees of which, numberin
from 100 to 600 men, have made up the Mo-