Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-03-05
TIE NAIL SITUATION.
How 1t Has Become Complicated of Lat
The Superior Wheeling Nail.

How 1t Has Become Complicated of Late
The Superior wheeling Nail.
Cold Short" writes TO the st. Louis Age
Of Steel as follows:
The nail strike seems 10 have become
more mixed than ever. Last Friday Sam.
uel Lauehliu, President of the Junction
Works, resigned his membership in the
Western Nail Association and compro-
missed with his striking operatives, just
splitting the difference. The manufsctu-
rers' scale ia II cents on a 1925 card.
The strikers demanded q cents; Mr.
Lsughlia compromised at l9 cents. This
is mutual concession, but the causes and
effects are decidedly different from the coke
strike. The Western nail manufacturers
have powerful Eastern competition, which
with the aid afforded by the Penn.
sylvauia railroad in discriminating in
their f4vo- with regard to freights, gives
them decided advantages in the Northwes,
tern and Western markets, even at the
same scale OF prices paid for cutting nails
The eastern nail makers are not homo.
geseous, so to Bpeak-thst is they have no
well established operatives union to fight,
and 30 they pay pretty much what they
please for cutting. At Harrisburg they pay
IA cents; at Pottstown, Pc, they pay IL
cents, and so on. By some ingenious ar.
gument, which seems to have neither rs-
t,onGl predieates nor logical deductions,
the Wheeling mills have alWays paid at
least so psr csnt moro than The Eastern
The strongest claim the Western operative
has ever advanced is that the Wheeling man.
ufacturers would no. tolerate the style of
nails cot by the Eastern mailer. His nail
is made out CT better material and must be
cut more shapely, requiring more skill and
hence better Northumberland from this the
Wheeling manufacturer gained his great
prestige Now the Wheeling manufactur.
er has submitted to this for years, bat in.
cressipg production and the advent OF the
steel nail has shorn the business OF great
profits and endangered the prestige Of the
Wheeling nail, and it looks like the short.
es, pole, losest price, would hereafter
reach the persinmons. So the Wheeling
manufacturer naturally wanted to protect
mis- interests and sought to reduce
expenses. The mailer refused
and demanded the old scsle-snd this
now nearly nine months shut down has
been the result During this time through
the efforts of the manufacturers 10 com.
pass the ends, another hard nut to crack
got mixed up in the dificulty--the feeder.
naile: aud lie 10 considerable of an obsfs-
Gle. In the language Of the proletaire he
is called scsb. This strike was insugu-
rated in May Of last year, and up to this
detection Of Mr.. Laughlin both sides have
been firm. 1t is probable that there has
been somewhat too much irmness. /
think little yielding would have settled
this difficulty some weeks ago. Eat there
are VIZ SIS within wheels; some have been
benefited and others have been faithful
even against decided inequality ss to
effects produced, The Western Nail
Association claim that Mr.. LaugbIiu has
Tylerizsd, acted in bad faith aud zone
back % biz pledges. There is q quesriou
Of commercial ethics involved, ard am
got lawyer enough 70 express an opinion |
On it. Mr. Lsughlin has made one pretty |
lair psss at the Gor6isu knot; whether be |
has actually severed it or not few dAys
#iIl tell Mr. Lsughln told me t at in
lis efforts to bring about an adjustment he
rad been snuhhsd until ais lasnhood re-
'olted, aud supported, If not to som. ex.
ent dictated TO, By his board he conpro
Missed, There is TO say Tor Mr. LaUghlin:
lis company have iust completed q steel
liant at very considerable outlay and The
of the product Of
his plant became q serious question,
nd his stockholders and directors nstur-
lily BECAME FESTIVE, es me most profitable
ray to dispose Of it was 10 cgt it Cd into
ais in their own mills, getting the profit
{ both end4 whatever here IL Of them
here is no question Of philanthropy in.
Owed, fer in business, which mesns dol.
Irs and cents, there is no generosity, no
hsrity, 10 benevolence, not even friend
alp; but rivalry, jealousy, the war Of CON-
e,idon, epd the egott 70 gsin advantages.
ith but l:itls eontcieltiogs reckoning IS
} whether tie hansn sgenCies employed
70 better or woGsted. The general cues.
On is very much complicated b. Ar. Laugh.
Do action Tie feedef-nsiler is q factor
q .ult to hsnd!e. He when be denied the
ght Of pstition BY the nsilers. rebel.ed,
ID ct the insigstion Of the Trsdea AZ.
nbly, scce5ted the situation offered by
Q manufacturers, tie latter guaranteeing
stand BY him and pay him II cent?
It'll July next. This Is The text Of the
rtract bttEeen them. Nov nice fscto
. are operating 902 machines. fully So
r cent, Of all in this district, with fee der.
Tiers, and il seems raioael ikst tlose
De ssn eolt their own at Mr. Lsupia.
Is compromise Ee.le the uaiIers are By
means victOrg 10 tie contest eyes,