Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-02
vEDNEsDAy. APRIL
WHAT STRIKE COSTS
Amalgamated Men Figuring on Three
Idle Iron and Steel Mills.
THEY SHUT DOWN FOR A PURPOSE.
Figures Showing the Cost Of Production of
Ton of Product.
LABOR GLEANINGS OF YESTERDAY.

The labor circles are somewhat agitated
over the probable outcome of the three
strikes now being waged in the iron mills
of this city. A group of members of the
Amalgamated Association were standing at
the postofiice corner yesterday afternoon
discussing the situation. 1t was the general
opinion that the firms owning the Struck"
mills were keeping shut down for purpose.
The men said the general condition of the
iron business would not warrant such long
cessation from business. They figured up
what it would cost to close down the Tenth
street mill Of Oliver Bros. & Phillips, and
the following is statement of their calcu-
lations:
Each "a hours the company employs
about 5000 men. Their blast furnace, the
Rosena at New Castle with an annual capacity
Of 80 600 tons turns out $50 tons every "a hours.
Placing the cost of material and labor at Sl4 a
ton, this would make S210O. The average
amount used in their Clapp-G Griffith steel con-
verter in this city is just about $50 TONS The
cost to convert it into ingots and roll it into
billets is about $40 per ton, or l,5O0.
AN ARRAY OF FIGURES.
In their three iron mills are nine single and
double pudding and scrap furnaces. For
double turn supply it takes at least 200 tons of
metal. This would amount to So, 400. and the
average cost to finish it would be So, 900 more.
Finishing the $50 tons of AKA billets in such
grades and kinds as they are manufactured by
this firm cannot be done for less than SIS a ton,
making $3.50 additional.
The average consumption is so tons. This
amount is seldom less. Over half the time it
runs to fully rs tons day. Fifty tons at s23
per ton would amount to 81, 150 Then comes the
gas bill, which, 1t is said reaches about 81 900
a day for the steel mill and the three iron
plants. This would make an aggregate daily
expense of sl3.l50 While they sell great deal
of rail steel, they buy far more muck iron.
Last year they bought over 10000 tons of muck
bar, and made little over so 900 tons. The
finished amount was over 100000 tons. The
amount of iron and steel in their Pittsburg
plants IS nearly 450 tons, but the figures above
are estimated on a 400 ton day run, which is
below the average in the last year and half.
WHAT THE IDLE COSTS.
Now comes separate estimate on the idle
mill, which has 80 pudding furnaces. Using IS
tons of metal at SIT ton would be 81, ,2T5. and
Sl4 a ton to finish 1t would be s1,05O more. so
tons of old rails and all kinds of other old scrap
iron at S23 ton would be 81, $50, and then $40
ton to manufacture it into nuts and bolts and
other fine grades would be $500. The gas bill is
S2T5. That would make the expense for this
mill alone i245 day, of which 81 500 is paid to
the men. In addition to this the firm is con-
nected with the oliver & Roberts wire mill and
the Oliver Iron and Steel Company, operating
the Haiusworth Steel Works. The total daily
expense of this firm, it is said, is about $4,000
The Pennsylvania Tube Works. which is also
now idle, is the second largest pipe mill in the
world, having altogether IL lap and butt-weld
furnaces. with daily capacity Of 400 TONS The
average output in the last year, as given by Mr..
Joshua Rhodes, President of the works, has
been 800 tons day, and the average cost of a
ton of pipe iron to be delivered at the works is
about S45, making an expense for material alone
of S13, 500 And the cost to make a ton of pipes,
including the fuel is about $40, which would be
$1,000, making an outlay each day of over
Sl60GO
The Keystone Mill, which is also idle. has SO
furnaces. 1t consumes in two turns So tons of
metal at S17 per ton. This would amount to
81, AS and the cost to finish it Is 81, 100. The
gas amounts to $3.50. a total expense Of s., sos
day