The Daily clarion., 1886-01-10
A TITANIC STRUGGLE.
STRIKE or THE NAiLERs AGAINST A
REDuc ION OF WAGES
Eight Months OF Idi'nsss and ihS Men
ttnI firm-Non- Union Salts 80 Jcot.
trd--Oniy One Black sheep In Five
1bouAand-A strike o, hIstOry.

y
striks Of the uailers, rollers and heaters en-
pioyei by the nail manufacturers who col
lectvey make up what IL known % the
Western Nail association, has nov entered
upon its eighth month, with the end seem
iugIy as far away u ever. Toe struggle be-
tween manufacturers aud Wor rkmsn for NJ
premRcy has teen one Of the most prolonged
and bitter ia the history OF the western iron
trade, ami has been liKewlss remarkable for
the tehacitg with which the STRIKE srs hang
loye,her. Out OF the 2JO1 members Of the
United Nailer} Rollers ani Hsatsrs' a,so-
cation, scattered through the west from
New Castle, Pa, to Csicngo, aud south to
Ashland, X, bat ons min, NJ Clinton, Of
steubenyids, Olio, has ds4srtsl 10 the
enemy lie Is qlite wealthy. being wor to
hoouy 500 OOJ and being lafge ocxhol Ter
In the H'r,ion iron worXs at that point,
he deci1eJ TO cast his fortunes with the other
stockholders when they dsLarninsI to start
the mil with "s'utR"
The pres ri 80 for ths continuance OF
the twenty -Jus celt scale Is the hrst differ
ence occurring between th, nail mInu.ac-
turers aud th'ir m n for Dine years There
WAS strike 10 ys2, bul tnol the point Of
difference Was between the puillers and tbs
mill owners, and, as ali iron workers tlsl
baOngei to th, Amalgamatsd az ,oc IA ION,
the trouble was sool adjusted IN, scale
based upon twenty -one cents for cutting a
key of tsnpeunoj has poaA in vogue since
1877, nnl during that time tho mill owners
havs made enormous sums out Of their IN.
vsstmant Tbs helyy proh.4 have mostly
been eNp'nl.l, Ia this vicinity, in the en-.
lHrgsment of the mills. until nov syuo Of
them are OF enormous capacity, -in sls ac-
tories turning out eight THOUSAND 10 ten
thousand Kegs pr week when run ilug full.
The cons quencs OF thi cnurmJu ilitlon
20 tls capa city OF ths m il3 wls ov r. pro.
duction, and with it clms cutting OF selling
prices until SlSj was reached. The cs,ab-
llshment OF mil, II the far WIS., Cnclyo,
Bayvi'w, via, st. Louis Omaha an PI-
eplo Colo bad largely r,iu si the avail
abe mlrSet territory OF the u ,Jsr OliO val.
Icy manufacturers, and, afCer canvas ing
the situation, reduction Of sew nteen cents
-yuish meant n cut OF AZ per cent in the
average earnings OF the nDlles, rollers and
hoater,-wis determined upon, in tle hope
that tho lesseuel cost oI manufacturing
would enlbl' tha Olio valley mills to en-
large their selling territory 10y obtaining u
too.holl In the elstsrl m1r;s.
Tne demand for a reduction met with
prompt refusal from the men, AMI on June
| the mills shut DOM ind 5OJ1 mel were
idle The then jl,t organ 1I Ulitel Nail.
ers' union was far from beln prepared for
n s,rlke. NiJh just $lDI in / treasury, its
otlic srs prepares 20 bu,tlc VIII The millions
n the disposal OF the manufacturers, with
what success has been seen rrom tha fore
gong Tna wor ling nailers ui the east aud
tle labor organizations Of tie Oaio vail
and the vest maize liberal donations OF
money, and as result OF this lioer1lity tens
Of Thousands O dollars have been disburssl
from the head trters Of tha union ol this
city for tle spport Of the lille Nor4,
III n, The EAriJg up Cf tue general
miis ct the tweuty-one cent scale has lately
very materially Increased the revenue of
the sIrliers, and now the absolute nece3.
si's of the men are supplied While many
Of the members Of the Nailers' union receive
n pruportonate share OF the funds thus ar-
qure /, 10y far the largest portion Of it Is d :.
trinutel among the feedrs, packers AMI
other moderately raid mill employees who,
depending upon the nailers for eupioyment,
are necessarily idle with them. These msn
largely outnumber q combined strength o,
the nailars rolllrs and heaters. and to them
the manufacturers naturally turned tor all
NJ hroaEiug the strike aud forcing tne Udite
naNSrs TO como TO terms
ThNtoc 'i,s were thrown op'n and the
feeders were invited TO enter anl lean the
trade o, naiiny, worSing at seventeen cents,
and uuaurets o. the nailels' assistants, tirei
with the mhiuon OF learning trade here
totore SO zealcusly luudgd, went TO worl
and the exocratons ani deuunciations OF
their more loyal fellows, vino determined to
stand by the nauers 70 the las, Tlus
"scahN nails came MO the world, and here
many OF thom PROMISES 10 remain until
vicJ-r} by tine nulers will send toem to the
scrap pile aud the heating furnaces Tue
carry attempts OF the "tceder-uuAels' TO Gu,
merChauttlJ nails resulted in enormous
losses to these mills maiing the cxrer,-
utenL lhous luds OF kegs cf worthless nails
were cut; Lut the manufacturers p,rsa-
var1d, 0ul now, according to S,crstNry
Wise, oi tus We3y2rl Nail association, tn,
following nils are running al tbs seven
tecn-cauJ rate;