Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-05-30
MIDSUMMER SHUT DOWN.
The Nail Mills to Close Down To-
Day,
Unless the Scale of the Manufacturers AS
ISOLATION be Agreed to---The
Points at Issue.

To-day all the nail manufacturers in
Pittsburg, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and
Illinois will submit to their men q ne"
scale of wages materially lower than that
under which the mills have heretofore been
running, and unless the same be accepted
by the United Nailers-which contingency
is very improbable-the mills will close
down. The most important change In tins
scale is the reduction OF three cents per keg
in the price for cutting. The old price was
q cents per keg for l0.pennies on basis
of 81. so card rate, with an advance Of |
cent per keg for cutting for each % cents
advance in the selling price.
THE NEW SCALE
Gxes the price for cutting l0.pennies at Is
cents when the card rate is $3.50, and pro.
vides that the cutting price decrease l cent
for every % cents fall in the selling price, as
we'll as the advance contained in the old
scale. Under this arrangement the nsilers
portion with nails at 1926 would be II
cents and at g. 90, Is, cents, with no dis.
tinction between steel and iron. AS a mat
ter OF course, all other sizes run in the
same proportions as l0-pennies, aud the
reduction extends to all branches Of the in
dustry.
A manufacture in speaking Of the exist
ing trouble yesterday said:
THE Nail Association has had no idea
at any time of equalizing the difference Of
wages between the East and West. We
recognize that we must pay higher wages
here in Wheeling than obtain in New
England. But we do desire to reduce the
present difference so as to enable US to
keep eastern men out!of our territory"
What prices are paid in the EastT
I'm New England, about II! cents per
keg for l0.pennies, and in eastern and cen
trail PENNSYLVANIA Is and IA cents. We
cannot market goods at profit under
SUCH DIFFERENCE
as has existed in the past"
viii not the Eastern manufacturer meet
your cut by a corresponding cut in the
wages of his men, and thus bring about the
same old ratio in his fsvor|
Now that is favorite argument of the
mailer, but there is nothing in it Reduc'
tons can be forced by manufacturer when
his workmen are unorganized, or there is a
great surplus of labor, down to a certain
limit. That limit once reached, the EN-
ployer can not 60 further, because no skill
ed workman will work for a sum upor
which he and his family can not live in
comfort. They will say to the manufac
urer, Il can not live on that compensation
you are forcing me into other branches Of
industry Now that limit
HAS BEEN REACHED
in New England. Twelve and half cents
keg for l0.pennies is as low as you can gel
nailers 10 work for in America, and as a result
of this our proposed reduction will simply
tend to close up the gap while it insures
our men a steady run at what, with the
present low prices of provisions clothing
and everything else, are as good wages as
those obtaining in war times"
us the trading field of the Eastern men
limited to New EnglandH'
lob, no, they ship all along the Atlantic
seaboard from Norfolk and Richmond to
Mobile and New Orleans. When this terri
tory is full, they
MAKE A DASH AT US,
loading nails at Buffalo for Chicago, which
as you know, is one of our main distribu'
ting points. AS soon as they put their cheap
nails in the Garden City they made price
which we are compelled to meet or lose our
custom"
will the manufacturers enter into nego'
tistions with the Nailers' Association in
case the latter shows a disposition to
treatY
"Well, that depends I'll talk about that
again. But whether our scale is rejected or
negotiations are entered into the mills will
stop pending a settlement" -.
Nailers are very reticent as to what will
be DONE and no expressions of opinion
could be gained from them. 1t is inferred
however, that the terms of the manufactur.
ers will be rejected and that shutdown will
be The result.
THE IMAGINATION SCALE.
What are the prospects out at the
Crescent asked a reporter Of Whitaker
mill man last night.
"Oh, guess we are all right, but whether
the scale is signed or not our mill will shut
down for week or ten days for repairs.
Mr.. Whitaker has always done the square
thing with us, and while, OF course, we have
no absolute means of telling what will re-
suit, the boys are all feeling pretty good,
The mill has just put in new PAIR of cold
rolls for polishing sheet iron, and there is
corresponding improvement in our out
put"
IMPORTED Thueringer beer, on draught
10 day at Henry Blumenberp's saloon.