Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-10
WON'T WORK IN IRON.
B. F. Jones and A. N. ByerS Say the
Eight-Hour Movement Will Fail
IF 1T Is TRIED IN THE BIG MILLS.
The Carpenters Said to be Against the
ShOrter-Day Movement.
p1TH1 POINTS FROM BUSY WORKERS

-
stated that Vice President Martin, of the
Federation of Labor, agitated the idea of
making the first eight-hour break in this
city on May 1. He also favored the inaug-
uration of the movement among the men in
the iron mills in this vicinity.
The news was a surprise to the people who
| are interested in the matter. A number of
labor leaders said it was good idea to hove
the iron workers introduce the eight-hour
day movement. Others thought there
were other industries where success was
more certain, and criticised Mr.. Martins
action. Several iron manufacturers stated
that the movement would be failure if
tried in the mills.
Mr.. A. NJ. Byers, the well-known manu-
facturer, was seen at his residence on West
ern avenue, Allegheny, in regard to the
matter. He did not wish to be interviewed
on the subject, not caring to get into con-
troversy with the leaders in the movement.
He was very outspoken, however, and in re-
gard to the idea he said:
IT IS IMPRACTICABLE.
"Such an idea is preposterous. It is GER
can see will it be feasible. An attempt to
make eight hours days work in any manu-
featuring industry would only result in fail
ure. Particularly would this be the case in
the iron business. In mill the men work
by the ton and job. They have SO many
heats to get out in day, and must get them
out no matter whether they work eight, nine
| tan 10 in tho fT1rn
it must be pulled out. If the men can get
it out in eight hours, all well and good. If
they can't, then they must work until
they do.
1.-THE majority Of the men working in
mills work by the ton, and not by the day.
| We have an agreement with the Anal
gamated Association by which wages are
regulated by the number of tons of product
worked and turned out This agreement
runs until June 80, and how Secretary
Martin intends to inaugurate the new move.
ment without interfering with the yearly
scale do not know.
"If there is any reduction in the hours of
working, you can rest assured that there
will be reduction of wages. A man who
is now doing a certain kind of work in nine
hours for say s. 80, certainly cannot expect
the same pay if enough of this work is
taken from him so as to enable him to do it
in eight hours, as he is now receiving.
However, it is too early to trouble ourselves
about the wage question. The annual worry
will come along in due time without hurry
ing it."
JONES PREDICTS A CALAMITY.
Mr.. B. f. Jones, of Jones & Laughlins,
said: at will prove perfect calamity to
oI1 1of fho pr,fo of int Ebo,,
make Pittsburg the battle ground, as sug-
gested by Mr.. Martin. The system is i'm
practical any way. 1 mean by that that it
is not equally applicable to all trades nor to
all parts Of the country. 1t will add to the
cost of production and more than wipe out
the profits in many instances. A large pro-
portion of the men here are now paid
by the hour, and many of them by the piece
or ton. The eight-hour system would be of
no value to them.
THE MEN WOULD SUFFER.
"The additional cost of production which
the adoption Of this system would cause,
would fall on the men and affect them as
well as the manufacturers. They are con-
sumers as we'll as producers and cannot
stand two-tenths reduction in wages. 1
don't believe it is possible to bring this
thing about by law. Formerly II hours
were counted as days work. Without
any law, association or demand, it
naturally dropped to 10. When the popu-
lation of the city becomes still larger and
denser, the laws of nature may make it neces-
sary to adopt the eight-hour system. 1t
would be particularly hard on Pittsburg if
this is made the central point, and they
make the initiative step in the iron indus
try, because the men here are all
busy now. They are making good wages,
and 1 do think they ought to be salts
fed. don't regard 10 hours as a large
days work"
Mr.. Jones concluded his talk by relating
a story about Michigan chair manufac-
the adoption of the eight-hour system will
have on the laborer's product. The
Michigan man was a German. He en-
ployed large number of men, and one day
they came to him and said: "We will work
only eight hours day hereafter" "All
right" said the German, "of course you
will accept a proportionate reduction in
YOUR wages?" ooh, no, we can't do that"
replied the men. tWell," said the Ger
man, 81 have Just received an order for 100
dozens of chairs, I'll only send the man 80
dozens, and if he pays me for the full 100
dozens, it will be all right
o'SHEA'S OPPOSITE VIEWS.
John E. O'Shea, ex-Special Agent of the
Builders League, when asked what he
thought of the iron mills taking the lnitia-
tive step said:
'T think the proper thing to do first
would be to organize the mills thoroughly
and there would then be some prospects of
success. Look at the large number of non
union mills in this city and you will see
&c
ment OF this kind would have. Take such
mills as Parks, Clark's, Carnegie's at
Braddock, Singers, Woods at McKees-
port, Dilworth's and others. The
Amalgamated Association has no organ
ization in any of these, and they could
not get these men to stand firm in the eight
hour movement. do not agree with Mr..
Byers in his statement that the idea is not
practicable. The men only work eight
hours in several of the mills now, and there
is no reason why they should work longer.
CARPENTERS AGAINST IT.
'tI think it would be a big mistake to try
the movement in the building trades here.
I do not know of one union Of carpenters in
favor of the movement. The carpen ters are
the strongest organized body of men in Al
legheny county, and the movement would
be a failure if they were not in
it. One thing against them IS the
fact that there is difference in
the number of hours worked now. In the
city they only work nine hours. In town
like McKeesport they work ten hours. They
are not sufficiently organized in these small
towns to enforce their demands for eight |
hours. If the movement is q success in the
city and the men gain their point. the nat
ural consequence will be that there will be
such an influx of carpenters to the city that
a great many men now working would be
crowded out of their positions. 1t would