Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-07-20
NOTHING In 1T.
WHEELING MANUFACTURERS DIsBBLIgvBD
REDUCTION STORY.
Carnegie, PhiPps & O.. Will Not Reduce Steel So
Per TOl-A Conference at Hellalre-
An Amicabs Settlement.

Yesterdays issue Of the Pittsburg Dis
patch gave great prominence and q scare
head to a statement, apparently very cir
eumstantially put together, that the great
steel manufacturing firm of Carnegie,
Phipps & Co. had made a reduction Of SIS
per ton in the selling price of steel plates.
This statement was naturally calculated
to produce something akin TO consterns-
ton in the steel trade, especially about
Pittsburg, snd it was a leading topic Of
conversation among all classes of iron and
steel manufacturers throughout the upper
Ohio valley. A good deal Of disbelief as
to the accuracy Of the Dispatch story was
expressed in local circles, but it was none
the less decidedly interesting, although
none of the plants in this vicinity were
directly affected, save the Junction, at
Mingo Station.
Among other things the Dispatch said;
Carnegie, Phipps & 90. have caused
another sensation, and big one, which, it
is said, will place all other firms who pro-
duce steel at their mercy. A seemingly
sweeping reduction in prices has just been
made, and when the great Homestead
works are started to-day or tomorrow
steel plates will be quoted at So per ton
less than the price when the mill was
closed.
This is considered by manufacturers as
one OF the largest, if not the largest, cut in
prices that has of late years been made in
the iron aud steel trade, and leaves the
81 50 ton cat by the Thomas Iron Com
pauy recently, which caused such stir in
manufacturing cigeles, away down in the
shade.
'In addition to the reduction in the
price for steel plates, it Is also Fsid that
the prices on everything produced by this
company have been cut down; but this in
formation cannot yet be verified. The first
part of the big news was kept very quiet;
but several of the manufacturers who
come in competition with Carnegie, Phipps
& Co, learned of it yesterday afternoon
through some of their customers, and 1t
almost took their breath away, as il GER
tainly made several of them turn pale"
Among the Wheeling manufacturers in
terested in the production of steel, seen yea
terday, was Mr.. Henry X. List. He said
he did not believe the reduction had been
made, and took little or no stock in the
story. Other manufacturers, while ali
greatly interested, stood upon about the
same ground.
Last evenings Pittsburg ChrORiele-Tele-
graph confirmed the suspicions of the
Wheeling manufacturers "a TO the I'M
truthfuluess of the report. That paper
said:
Carnegie, Phipps & Co. have not re-
duced steel plates Sc per ton, neither has
the firm reduced the price of other steel
produets. Chairman Abbott, of Carnegie,
Phipps x Co., was moved 10 express him
self strongly at the publication Of the
story.
CIT ia so prepostsrous, 80 untrue, aud
so utterly unbusiness-like as to need no
denial, he first said.
"'If.' he continued, "we desired to sell
our product below market prices, 80 cents
per ton is a reduction sufficient for sll
BUYERS. But we have made no reduction,
and l cannot imagine how such report
became current.
"'For months steel plates have bsen
selling at practically cost, in some IN
stances below; and if there has been any
change of late the feeling has been toward
better prices. l shall demand that
the paper which published this story make
retraction."
Il refused to sell customer thou
sand tons Of steel plate this week because
| wanted 81 a ton more than the spring
prices. There has been no change for two
months in the price of plate. OF course
there has been no reduction in the wages
Of our men. Such a story is wanton and
malicious lie. F"
when the officials of the Amalgamsted
Association and the workers at Home
stead heard the story they were dumb
founded.
"'Wss it for this that We agreed TO re-
duction?' was the irst exclamation. But
on second thought a general feeling OF I'M
belief was expressed.
President Weihe would express no
opinion; he preferred to wait for further
particulars, but when he heard later OF
the denial be said he could not believe
that such radical cut had been made.
"Well-informed workmen generally
laughed at the story az being utterly alb
surd."