Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-12
WANT A REDUCTION.
The Iron Manufacturers Will Not Pay
the Present Wage Scale.
A STRIKE Or LOCKOUT EXPECTED.
Ice Dealers Meet and Refuse to Grant the
Drivers Demands.
GLASS PACKERS CAN'T GET A CHARTER

Notwithstanding the fact that President
Weihe and Secretary Martin have issued a
notice to the members of the Amalgamated
Association of Iron and Steel Workers on
the wage question, prominent member
yesterday gave the opinion of his lodge on
the subject. As is well known the iron and
steel trade is not in very good shape at
present and the manufacturers contemplate
big reduction in wages when the new scale
is made in June. All the lodges in the Anal
gamated Association have prepared their views
- the matter and almost all agree that the
present scale can be continued for another
year.
An old member of the association who has
served his lodge as delegate to the annual
conventions for three terms was seen by re-
porter for this paper yesterday and said;
1.-THE iron trade is dull and the men want the
they will not succeed. The manufacturers
have some very good arguments showing that
reduction in wages is absolutely necessary,
but the men have no arguments to counteract
gamated Association is as strong to-day as far
as membership is concerned as it ever
%ss SsTs b61t but many oSd,o OF the @,sv me% @11i
accent reductio0 ratSsT tSan remains yoe for
short time and win a strike. am tired OF
the business, and will not represent my lodge
in the convention this year. If the men made
present scale, ] believe they would WIN, but
do not think they will Thev have not the
material in the organization that they had
Few years ago, and the present members may
weaken"
Some of the members of N. D. A. 217 K. of
L., are applying for membership to the Anal
gamated Association, but they will not be re-
celved unless they can show that they are in
good standing in the order and have cards per-
mitting them to join another organization.
The following telegram on the wage matter
was received at this Office last evening from
Wheeling:
AS is usual at this time of year, when the
Amalgamated people and nailers are active in
the preparation of the scales for the coming II
months, there is great cry being raised among
the nail manufacturers as to the terrible con-
dition of trade and allegations of dismal out
look for the future are to be heard everywhere.
To-day leading local manufacturer almost
shed tears as he dwelt upon the dullness of
trade in his line. He didn't see any chance for
an improved demand for six months 70 come,
but could not predict any permanent improve
was meeting with constantly increasing de-
mand, which took the cream of the cut nail
trade and good deal of the skim milk besides.
1t is settled that the manufacturers are going
to insist upon large reduction when the new
scale is presented to them, and this will be par
tcularly the case with small nails. The men
are willing to concede a cut in those sizes
which are being turned out by the tack factory
plckllng process, but nothing more. A mailer
said to-day: "a reduction in wages would bring
no relief to the manufacturers, but would on
the contrary be a bad thing for them by break
ing down the pool. We have refused the re-
duction proposed BY some mills in the Wheel
ing district recently, but we will concede one
thing, and that is a reduction on fine three
penny to IS cents, 36 cents of from the present
price This reduction was offered to two mills,
to go into effect at once and was accepted, but
we got no more work out of them than before.
That is about the way it would be If We were to
concede general reduction Many nailers are
in favor of demanding straight 2l-cent scale
all through, and this will probably be laid be-
fore the Amalgamated convention.