Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-06-15
LOOKS LIKE TROUBLE.
rHB PROSPECTS GOOD FOR A BIG STRIKE
Or LOCKOUT
Between the Amalgamatsd Association and the HAN
uiactnrers-Ths First Scale Conference
Held Yesterday.

IL IS beginning 10 look InOlo anu he'e 80
though there was going to he big strike
in iron and steel circles before long. The
seem 10 be determined 10
insist upon the adoption Of the wage scale
drawn up by them at the recent sessions
Of their committee, while the officials OF
the Amalgamated Association, and the dele
gates to the general convention OF that
order, now about closing its session, as
strongly assert that their scale must be the
one which is to govern wages during the
coming year. This being the situation,
one side or the other must recede from Its
position, or q strike or lockout is inevita-
BILE.
Yesterday morning there was meet
ing of iron manufacturers, which was
by every manufacturer in
Pittsburg and quite number from
other portions of the country. The
object of this preliminary meeting
was to reaffirm the scale they made
about one week ago. At 1890 o'clock
this meeting adjourned, but during the
session the most important action ever
taken by the iron manufacturers was ar
rived at. It was unanimously agreed that
one and all insist on the adoption by the
Amalgamated Association of the scale the
Western Iron Association had drawn up.
The manufacturers insist they are not to
90 in session with the Wage Committee of
the Amalgamated Association as mere
figureheads, but that they would insist
that their scale Of wages is liberal and
must be accepted, or lockout, never
before equaled, will occur. 1t
is said they will not be satisfied if the
Amalgamated agrees to withdraw the few
extras they inserted. They will demand
the wholesale adoption of their own scale,
which means from 10 to 50per cent. reduc-
ton. They will also demand that the
price of boiling be S. on 2 cent card. In
speaking of the feeling among the manu-
facturers about their scale, Mr.. Byers, a
leading iron manufacturer, said: There
exists a general and strong feeling among
manufacturers that the scale adopted by
them was as liberal and Just as the
state of the market would permit
that, in fact, it was more liberal than the
present depressed condition of the market
could stand"
Another manufacturer said: "The man
ufacturers were never in better condition
than they are at present to resist such de-
mands as the Amalgamated calls for.
There is not much in making iron at the
present price of labor, and we can afford to
have our mills lay idle all summer and
winter if necessary. / firmly believe there
will be q long suspension, and some OF us
have refused to receive orders on this &C
count for more than week"
II. W. Oliver said he will not sign the
scale until it is reduced to basis of IS per
ton for pudding.
The feeling on the other hand was just
as strong, the Amalgamated men declaring
they would stand by their scale. One OF
them said:
"We may agree to striking off the ex-
tras, but will not submit to general re-
duction. 1t may be that the manufac-
turers will close down, but believe that
it will be only for short time. The SEN
timent of all of our delegates to whom /
have talked is strongly against accepting a
reduction"
At two o'clock yesterday afternoon the
Manufacturers and Amalgamated Associ-
alton Wage Committees began their joint
session.
The conference adjourned Last evening
until this morning, nothing definite having
been accomplished. The final outcome
cannot be predicted.
There ia really very little change made
in the new scale which the workmen have
presented.
The first change is in the memorandum
of agreement where o rule has been added
which reads ''for all crop-ends on finishing
mills used for merchautable purposes the
same shall be paid for" In the scale for
boiling two new rules have also been added
as follows: That the puddlers and boilers
be paid for all blooms and sliders equiva-
lent to 400 pounds where the charge is 500
pounds per heat" spd '$l per ton extra
for boiling in furnaces where four puddlers
and their helpers work on the same stand
ing"
In bars and plate work a few changes
and amendments occur.
In plate and tank mills strong iron is
classified as charcoal iron, oil steel, oil
two. thirds steel and one-third iron. AL
heavier gauges running from Nos. 10 to II
have been stricken off the schedule.
In the sheet mill hands scale the second
rule has been amended to read: "This
scale of wages is basel en- 1870 pairs pei
turn; for single mills and No. % gauge and
upward doubled in pairs 81 pairs per turn
doubled in threes los pairs per turn. y
There has not been single change made
in any thing in Carnegie's mills or Others
where structural iron is made.
Single self-feeding machines in the scale
for spike-cuttipg has been made 9.16-inct
diameter 20 cents, 2-inch diameter 20 cents
7 .16-inch diameter 81 per ton, 2,OOt
pounds.
On the naii-cutting price list three new
rules have been added, az follows "Fol
making tools the company must furnish
mushet STEEL" "when chisel or cut-point
nails are made the price shall be % pei
cent. above the common cut nail OF thu
same size and length" and when chise
or cut point nails are made lighter than
the weight of common nails the price to b
40 per cent. above the price paid for com
mon nails of the same length"
Fashionable Event of tho Season.
No one should miss the magnificent pro-
gramme to be given at the Opera House or
Az. -..>.-o co. NJ Frank Hannig',