Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
PITTSBURG IN LUCK
With Labor and Other Troubles
on Every Hand the
Local Mills Are
STILL IN SUPERIOR SHAPE.
They Have Once More Proved Their
Ability to Beat the World.
REPORTS OF NEW INDUSTRIES.
Orders Booked and Improvements Made by
the Various Firms.
STILL IN SUPERIOR SHAPE.
REPORTS OF NEW INDUSTRIES.
PLATES FOR SEA AND LAKE STEAMERS

activity. The volume OF orders offering the
different mills is not so great as to tax their
capacity, but it is fortunately of sufficient
proportions to give local mills enough to do,
ami keep the immense army of workmen
they employ steadily engaged. While the
trades have been extremely quiet since the
first of tie wear, the dullness has so far not
Interrupted the activity mills have e1pe-
Iienced for many months back.
Mill workmen have seldom witnessed
such continued prosperity as they have been
blessed with during the last two years. All
the mills have been working steady, in
many cases not finding time to make neces-
sarv repairs; no serious labor difficulties
have arisen to mar their peace and prosperi-
u: the standard of wages paid has been verv
satisfactory, and on the whole they have
much to be thankful for. They need enter
tain no fear that Z continuance OF the pres
eat dullness even for more than a reasonable
period will interfere with their present pros
peritv
The Current Demand for Iron and Steel.
The fact that under ordinary crcum-
stances the current demand for manufact-
ured iron and steel is never much less than
il is at present, that the construction and
equipment of the Pittsburg mills demon
srrate their ability to manufacture iron and
steel comparatively cheaper than mills else
where, which is q guarantee of their ALWAYS
receiving their share OF what business is
going, coupled with the knowledge of the
known fact that cessation of operations
among iron and steel mills is never caused
from lack Of business, but to strikes, acci-
Cnnts, etc, warrants the prediction that no
fFOn will in
steady condition of work in the mills.
pHite m opposite and deplorable condi-
tfaa Of afldirs 70 that recorded above pre-
walls throughout the Monongahela river
mining districts. where l., 900 miners are
idle and throughout the entire Councils
Vile coke district, where it is estimated
some l5,o50 men are also unemployed.
The coal operators are taking the matter
very phIlosophically. They assert that they
cannot accede 10 the demands of the work
n,eu, owing TO the poor condition of their
trade and the abnormally low price that is
ruling, and that it is more profitable to let
their works stand idle than to operate them
e. loss. They are making no strong effort
TO breach the difficulty over, and the out
look for N early resumption of work is not
very bright.
Open to q Friendly Conference.
The Frick Company has posted notices at
lis various works noti wing their employees
that they are open to j friendly conference
iu the matter Of wages at any time thev de-
sire 10 return to work. \ peculiar feature
s. often witnessed IL labor disputes was
brought cut at the recent conference between
the operators and the labor leaders. Before
the close OF negotiations the Miners Com
nitiee proposed arbitration as 4 means of
settling the difficulty. This proposition
was readily consented to on the part of the
operators when, however, the workers rep
TeScutatiYes could give no assurance that the
decision of the Joint Board of Arbitration
would be recognized and obeyed by their
constituents. So the iuea of arbitration was
abandoned.
Out of a total Of nearly 16 200 ovens in
the region only 400 are reported to be in
active operation, and the consequences of
such distressing state of affairs is that the
general trade o! the region is stagnant. The
question viewed from any standpoint cannot
be called cheerful for either operators or
workmen, and the likelihood of an imme-
dIate resump ptioD of work is very remote.
The only consolation that can be wrought
out OF such deplorable state of sffairs is
that the forced inactivity may indirectly
benefit the iron trade. The continued shut
down of the furnaces in the Mahoning and
Shenaugo Valleys since January 10, which
throws some 5000 or 10, 600 men out of work.
is an evidence OF how much the pig iron in
dustry is in need Of a reyiYer.
Pinsburg I'm a Good Position.
In briefly reviewing the labor situation 1
again repeat the assertion that Pittsburp
workman have cause to feel contented. 1t
Is seldom that such general idleness is
forced upon the workingmen of these u.s.
uallv thriving districts. Within radius
o. 70 miles of Pittsburg it can be safely said
that fully 10000 men are idle, with pros
poets Of an early return to work not very
bright, ana, while this city is the hub of the
inactive districts, it is indeed pleasing to
know that neither her workers nor mer-
chants are sharers in the inactivity.
Work has now been resume ed in nearly all
those mills and blast furnaces which were
compelled to close down last week owing to
the high waters. Nearly every mill located
on the river fronts was forced to close from
three to six days. Altogether there were "a
iron and steel mills idle, and manufacturing
interests suffered heavily by losses to ma
terials, loss of time and damage to furnaces
aud machinery. Among the mills at which
the damage was particularly heavy were those
O. the Allegheny river, extending from the
Wayne Iron and Steel Works of Brown &
Co. to the Lucy Furnace, and included such
industries as Mcintosh, Hemphill & Co.,
Zug s. Co., Shoenberger s. Co.. Pittsburg
Steel Smelling Company, Oil Well Supply
Company, Totten & Hogg Iron and Steel
Foundry Company, Pittsburg Steel Casting
Company, Hsinsworth Steel Company
HUssey Brown s. Co., the Carnegie mills,
Crescent Steel Company, McConway &
Torley. Along the Monongahela river the
damage was also very considerable.
Ffac-s rF tI,a FJi-T, JVa.or
The number estimated 20 be thrown out of
work while the waters were at food height
is $4,000, and the production of muck bar
is estimated to have been restricted about
1000 tons and finished iron about 20, 900
tons.
Or the q blast furnaces in this district u
we're chilled on this account, and all the
other furnaces were compelled to close down
with the exception OF the Carrie, the Edgar
l1omson, and the Monongahela Company's
Iiants. The latter furnaces, which were
'aiy constructed last year, were built above
fne high water mark Of 1884.
The improvements, additions and repairs
uoDg all the local industries keeps pace
nth the prevailing activity, and is an indi-
c ton of the increased business that mill
nwncrs ere anticipating for the coming
spring. AT the Hainsworth Steel Company
partial test OF the newly erected blooming
mill was recently made with quite satisfac-
tory results. II as Leen stated. though not
thoritstiVely, thar % new pudding fur
n1ces viii soon be erected at the EIba