Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-11-19

Il
and the first great disruption in the rank
of the greatest and most powerful labor or
ganization the world ever saw had tskel
place.
l. WAR FORMALLY DECLARED.
"By the first of June the nailsrs were al
out. The operators had demanded tht
adoption OF new ssale based nominallI
on 81 card rate and a l7.cent rate at tina
card for cutting 10 penny nails. The scale
was to increase cent for each % cents sd
vance in the card rate and decrease in {
like ratio, nominslly to 81 card, bat il
reality to 81. all breskages from care
lessness ere TO be charged to the nsileri
and reduction Of Is per cent. was to b.
made from the scale for the use OF self
feeders. The nailers asked for the olt
scale, having limit of $2 on the card rat,
and q cents for cutting l0-penny nails
On these two demands the fight is nov
being made.
The BEILAIRE MILL
carried out its engagement and signed the
scale There was no factious delay, bu'
as soon rs the factory was ready il started
up. But the management keeps faith with
the other operators Their nailers are moi
permitted to work overtime, ncr are they
permitted 10 divide their time with other
wotkmeu. The factory is just running
along al it's usual rate In this way came
about the withdrawal OF the nailers from
the Amalgamated Association and it is
this movement which will beat them, il
they are beaten. For had they remained
in the Association, day every iron.worker
in the West would still be idle If the scale
was not signed.
DEPRESSING THE FEEDERS.
The contest had now became fight
between the operators and feeders on one
side and the naiIers on the other. Every
good mailer has four feeders and receives
half the wages each machine makes. The
feeders have always been desirous to be-
come nailers, but no trade has been 80
iealously guarded as this, with the proba-
ble exception of the making Of silk plush
hats by a peculiar class Of hatters. So
strict were the laws OF the union that o
mailer having two sons could only teach
one of them his trade. They have always
asserted that the trade wRs one Of peculiar
difficulty aud required special intelligence
and the skill resulting from long practice
The manufacturers on the other hand have
always claimed Ihnt-sn average feeder
could BE made an average mailer in six
months and as good as any mailer in one
year. 1t had been theory, now was
THE TIME TO TEST 1T.
Trouble existed between the feeders
and the nailers. They first wanted GER
tain per cent. CT their number taught each
year, but the rsieTs wanted to shut down
on the teaching for three years, claiming
that they had taught too many already.
This created coolness which the manu-.
fscturers we're not slow to take advantage
of. They promised al! feeders to put them
in charge Of machines aud pledged them.
selves to stand By them to the end. The
first break was made at The Belmont mill
and soon about COO machines were ruE-
ming.
The best class Of feeders did not go to
work at first but it is claimed now that the
manufacturers have go n any applications
for machines that they hre able now to
choose the best. Bat the neilers claim that
the poorest men are at work, some Of them
not being good feeders, and that the best
ore heartily with them in the strike.
THREE DISTINCT ISSUES RESULT.
"As a result Of all these movements the
strike has now assumed three phases. 1t
is not only question OF wages, hut Of q
retention OF the feeders in the places they
now fill and the further question ol learn
ing the trade II the feeders can bacome
good nhilars within year, then the trade
is not what the nailerS claim it 10 be,
Then the nailers will never consent TO 90
work with the feeders at some Of the ma
chimes, and the operators are bound in
honor TO keep them there 4 settlement
scenes impossible, and the great stumbling
block is the feeders. As soon ss the feed
ers began 10 90 to work the uailera made
overtQres and the matter OF teaching the
feeders the trade wsa satisfactorily ar
ranged.
HOW FEEDERS WORK.
The manufacturers have gone rig ht
along paying no attention TO Rll these
movements. They have feeders at work
and claim that after six months trial the
nails made by them are just as good as
any ever turned out, al which statement
The strikers smile. Everybody in the mill
watches the nails Ss thay cole out and
offers his suggestion. AS q consequence
the nails are now equal in quality, bat the
machines do not turn out the full product.
The manufacturers coy from tWo-tbirds
to three fourths OF the product and again
the mailer laughs and cites two instances
where it took seven days and eight days
to make grind, which ia done By sn eX-
pert in about FIVE minutes. The nsilers
Claim that the manufacturers have secured
about as many feeders as they can. The
rest, they claim, will stand BY them. The
weebly statement Of the manufacturers,
they say, shows the number Of machines
at work Int meyer gives The output. They
are anxious to know this output, as they
expect the country to force the msnufsc'
turers to give them their prices and are
prepared TO stand out for year yet. They
are frmer to-day, and at the end of six
months not a single mailer has deserted
from the union.
Eap RITAL CLAIMS.
The manufacturers expect TO win this
fight through the fseders-their one, theiI
only hope. If through them they can best
the railers they are Just so much ehesa
The nailers expect t. EiH seeause they
clsim right ia On theif ode; because thu
manufacturers know they can't make nail
successfully with inexperienced feeders
and the broken nail machines in many
mill proves it; beeause tie demand 70
nails viii force tie leaqtsetGSers to &C
cspt thsig 'teEms; and beeaass only ID
lowest grade Of feeders are now at VII
They say that The Clair O. 8, Il Ine demand b
ing fuhHt nov is ridiculous, else why Ii
should the manufacturers every Grse Ii
factories shut down increase the oltpu
Last Yesr toe output in the East was il
creased 5000 kegs. bat in the Vest the i
crease amounted to go, 900 keys. At Il