Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-27
WARMING TO WORK.
Puddlers aad Roughers and Catchers
Join Hands to Capture
AMAJORlTY VOTE IN CONVENTION,
They Will Meet on Mag Q, to Increase the
Boiling Price, and
CHANGE THE BASE AND CERTAIN WAGES

The strike in the building trades will be
followed by lockout of iron workers along
in the summer, if the Amalgamated officials
and the thinking men in the association
don't sit down on the radical movement on
foot between the puddlers of the Pittsburg
district and the roughers and catchers over
the country. There will be meeting in the
American Hall on the Southside on the 9th
of May, at which an important coalition
will be sought to be made. Puddlers of the
district to the number of 20 will meet to con-
cert measures for obtaining $6 a ton for pud-
ding and change of the base from bar iron
to skelp iron. They propose to solidify their
strength and send united body of delegates
to the convention in June, pledged to carry
these points. But they do not depend on
their own numbers alone. The roughers and
catchers are after more money too, and an
offensive and defensive alliance will be en-
tered into between the two branches.
Roughers and Catchers for Allies.
The roughers and catchers will help the
puddlers to carry their point, If the puddlers
will do as much by them. The roughers
and catchers want one.third of the product
of the mill instead Of the fourth they now
receive, and they propose to get it by Coop
Grafton with the puddlers.
At the last convention both these branches
of the industry sought to carry the points
they have combined on this year. They were
defeated because the sense of the conven-
tion was against them. This year they will
have better showing. There will be nearly
$50 delegates in this years convention, or
about 80 more than last year, and between
them, the puddlers and roughers and catchers
will control working majority, unless they
can be prevailed upon to forego their pur-
pose. The action has sprung from the pud-
dlers of tine American Iron Works. and it
was of course, intended to preserve secrecy
regarding it. because the radical element is
aware that the association generally would
would not support anything of the kind
In seeking to accomplish their purposes,
the puddlers and roughers and catchers will
have to reckon with the rollers and their
following in the convention, and if they
succeed, will have to induce the manufac-
turers to accept their views.
Position of the Manufacturers.
The rollers will of course, antagonize
anything which will reduce their earnings,
and the manufacturers equally, of course,
will not give these propositions moments
thought They, themselves, are thinking
of asking their men to accept S. ton for
boiling: in consequence of the depression in
the business and the condition of trade, and
that this has not been denied, rather
points to a reduction in cost rather than an
increase. So that whatever fight
might or may be made on S. 80,
it is tolerably certain that proposition to
advance the price to Sc will be strenuously
opposed. For other, but equally potent
reasons, the manufacturers will oppose any
change in the base on which the price for
for a good many years. and the price is ar
ranged on cents per pound as base. The
argument advanced by puddlers for chang
ing to skelp is that there is practically no
such thing as common bar iron" in the
market. They say that though it is made it
is Dever sold as such. In other words, they
say that no matter what prosperity may
reach other lines, that bar iron never gets
above the 2 cent point, because the manu-
facturer won't let it. He will sell
any amount of iron ''of a little
better quality" but the common iron sis
not called for. and there is no money in
making II" Skelp iron, on the contrary, is
susceptible of change in value. according to
tHo uemanu ioF pipe, h1t-iTon, etcs, anu
puddlers argue that a price for boiling
based on skelp would be only equitable.
Claims of the Roughers and Catchers.
The roughers and catchers sought to get
one-third Of the product last year. They
claim they are better entitled to get one
third of the rollers earnings than the heater
is to get one-fourth. For the sake of the un.
initiated it had better be mentioned that
the roughers and catchers, between them,
get one-fourth, or one-eighth each; they
want one-sixth of the rollers wages each.
If the branches named succeed in forming
their coalition, they will be able to control
the convention, and of course, the scale, and
so will be able to carry the points men
toned. That a lockout would follow is
regarded as an absolute certainty. But |
there is yet some time before the convention |
will meet.