Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-08-11
A FINE-TOOTH COMB
WILL NOT Unable NIBDRIssHAUS 10 FIND
WHAT BIZ WANTS
M Im.r;an Tin-Plais Workers Come TO HIN
Though Be Offers Double Wsg's-Anoihsr
Bluff a. the Treasury Department
MIST HaYs Foreign Workmsn.

WASHINGTON, d. c., August 1O.-Act-
ing Secretary Nettleton has received q
letter from T. d. Neidringhaus, Presl-
dent of the St. Louis Stamping Com
many. in reply to the letter OF the Sec
rotary of the Treasury OF the SOtn uit.,
in regard to the importation OF skilled
labor for the tin plate Industry. MI.
Neidringhaus says: SIN answer allow
me to state that we do not lind
anything in the letter OF Commissioner
Owen the St. Louis Stamping Company
could possibly construe. 1t states that
the immigration laws will be strictly
enforced by the department, but as 10
the importation Of skilled labor. the law
passed by Democratic Congress ana
signed by a Democratic President to
enable the establishment OF new indus
tries in the United States is very clear
and beyond the power OF the Treasury
Department. That the manufacture OF
tin plates is new industry In the
United States DO one disputes.
In order, however, to decide the
question whether skilled labor can
be found for the manufacture OF
tin plates in this country, and we have
announced in the papers OF the princl-
pal cities OF the United States, and
herewith renew the offer that we will
employ any American tin plate roller
who may apply and pay them 100 per
cent. advance per box over what Is PAID
for the same work in England, The
average duty on tin plates is claimed to
be about 20 per cent, and we are per-
fectly willing TO give the workmen all
of that and add 30 per cent. thereto.
THE STRIKE.
"On July 1st the union men employed
at our rolling mills sent large commit
tee to our Office, stating they were per-
fectly satisfied with the wages paid and
the treatment received, but that the
company should employ about three
times as many men TO cut the iron than
was necessary and also that they should
control them. They demanded that the
scale with these provisions be signed by
our company or they would lay
down their work. Both the manager
OF the mills, Mr.. w. +. Neidringhaus,
and the writer said it mattered not to
them what was done with the iron after
they had finished it if they received
their pay, and before submitting to such
arbitrary rulings the company would
Quit business. We told them, further
more, that if they did lay down their
work on so flimsy pretext our mills
would thereafter be non-union. They
stopped work, were paid off, and left
the employ of the company. Other
American labor, just as worthy, and as
much entitled to make good living is
taking their places, and quite a number
of oar former employees have gone to
work as non-union men.
FOR THE SUCCESSFUL OPERATION
of this new industry it is necessary to
have skilled labor fresh from the bus
mess as. it is to-day practiced in Europe,
but it will not. as far as our company Is
concerned, amount TO more than 10 per
Cot Qt the whole number employed.
an Mate "lpany needs is some
aabout half dozen men Hi0f
picking house and tin houses, to run
some patent machinery. The balance
of the places will be filled by home
talent. We have one train now running
on tin plates in our old mills manned
entirely by American young men. That
crew, however, is not sufficient TO our
new mills, where we will have six trains
and perhaps eight, to supply which TO
commence with some skilled labor is
necessary"