Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-13
THEY WANT UNIFORMITY.
The $4,000 Coke Workers Will Insist
That Wages and Prices in the Region

There is money in coke, evidence OF this
having been given in The DISPATCH yes
terday morning, when it was announced
that two leading window glass mannfac-
turers had decided to engage in the business.
Ever since the disruption of the syndicate
there has been no uniformity in wages or
prices. The H. c. Frick Company is the
only concern that adopted q sliding scale of
wages, and the wages paid are 6H per cent
above those paid at other works in the
region. This scale will remain in force un-
til February 1. and although the workers
have made demand for a uniform scale of
wages, no attention has been paid to the
demand by the operators.
A representative of Coke Country
Chronicle has made tour through the re-
gion and has obtained some information
that will be very valuable to the workers.
A reporter of this paper, who secured a
copy OF the article that will appear in the
current issue of that paper, showed it to
several leading operators and 1T was pro-
nounced correct in every detail. The 1g-
ures given below will be OF interest to the
Is, 600 men employed in the coke region.
Under the 81. c. .Frick coke scale the follow
ing wages are paid, and to make 1t plain it
has been reduced to days, ovens and wagons
Mining coal g bus. wagons Qevel fulp @ses-loc
Haulers, per day of hours. .......a s. q 90
Day laborers per.day ay........:....:....;. IS
Drawing small ovens at Eagle. David
son (same size as Jimtown and Laugh
Drawing large ovens at standard, Nor
gans, Henry Clay and Trotten, same
size ovens (but lighter chargers) as
Leisenring, Alice Redstone........ 76to 79c
At the Jimtown works of the philan-
thropic J. NJ. Schoonmaker the following
wages are paid:
Mining coal IS bus. wagon (pfed up)........ 2s1sc
Day laborers per ay........................" 20
Drawing, small ovens. SIC
large ovens... t3c
At the Redstone Alice works of the same
company the following wages are paid:
Drawing large ovens. s......................'.. 65c
Day laborers. per day y.........:.;;..;..... ! 10
Mining COAL S5-bushel wagons (piled).". 2Sbc
At James Cochran s, Sons Jackson mines
they pay:
Drawing and leyeiing small ovens ...... Soc
Mining coal per 3O-bushel wagon. .......... 24c
At the Connellsville Coke and Iron Com
pany's Leisenring mines they pay:
Drawing large ovens. ns........................ CSC
Mining coal, 6-bushei wagons tpiiedj..... 4a1sc
AT Laughlin's, Broadford:
Drawing and leveling small ovens 63c
Drawing and leveling large ovens CSC
Mining COAL 34-busheI wagons (piled) .... 2sHc
The other companies get as much for
their coke and in some places more rent
for their houses, and can afford to pay the
same wages as the H. c. Frick Company.
There is also a great difference in the
prices charged at the company stores of these
leading companies. A list and comparison
of prices of necessary articles at the stores
of the Union Supply Company (Frick),
Jimtown Works (Schoonmaker), and the
Leisenring's stores. are given below:
Frick >Schoon- Lesen-
maker. ring.
pair :.:::...:".s % 81 60 81 % 81 50 to s. Is
ladies' h oysrshess 25 80 so
i lbs. sugar.. sugar.. ""''s. % nlbs 90 lbs %
BIB. can table peasl- -
BIB. can pie peaches,
Il. Coffee Isc for g g lIS IS. eass s5o l
Tea, 4 lbs; for. GO cheapest soc 6O
BiaiRf6erries, BBlisRfGSerrfs; sfs ST. for for 3 12g
As will be seen by the above prices the
Schoonmaker and the Leisenring firms have
larger profits in the stores than the Fr1ck |
Company, although the latter pays higher
wages. The company houses at Jimtown,
it is stated, are almost unfit for habitation,
and large rents are charged for them.
The Chronicle concludes by saying:
Aside from the matter of wages paid for |
labor and the 'pluck-me" prices, the measure |
taken by some of the employers to crush out |
and keep out organization was not only cow |
ardly, tyrannial and un-American. but it was |
treacherous and inhuman. To enter into de- |
tails would require too much space, but suffice |
it TO say; The difference in the condition of the
men with and without a scale to govern their |
wages should convince all that it is only justice
to men and operators that all should have the |
same pay and privileges.
Organization among the workers is neces-
sity and the sooner all are in the fold of the |
National Progressive Union the better.
AS before stated, the Fl. c. Frick Company |
are not paying wages that are too high. In |
fact their scale should be higher than it is, but
nevertheless the others should be compelled to |
give the advances necessary to equalize wages. |
they were in position to strike if necessary, |
but they should prepare, and if circumstances |
compelled stoppage of work, public opinion |
would not be against them.
Several large operators were seen by a
DISPATCH reporter yesterday in relation to
the report that a restriction of production
was necessary, and the substance of their
remarks is given. The demand during the |
past month was extraordinary, consumers
evidently expecting an advance in price.
Most of them have a stock on hand at pres
ent, and the demand has fallen off, In
order to prevent an overproduction some
operators have decided to shut down their
works one day a week. The lull is only |
temporary, and it is believed all the ovens |
will be in operation six days week in
short time.