Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-01
them an earning of 50 16 turn, or s12 GO
each weekly.
APAC1rY UNDER RESTRICTION.


each weekly.
CAPACITY UNDER RESTRICTION.
ssWith the restriction of the production
removed so boxes turn can be turned out
with present appliances, and the men are
satifed with 50 per cent advance in wages
for this country, no matter what is said
here to the contrary. This will give them
81 80 a day, or S27 week. An apprentice
to this business of ave,age intelligence be-
comes proficient in u months and capable
Of taking charge of his pot.
Hence his working capital may be repre-
sented by this period of service, and in
which he is paid also a certain rate of wage
contract, this earning of S27 a week, with
the earnings of other skilled labor such as
filters. blacksmiths. masons, bricklayers,
etc. etc, ana the necessary time to acquire
proficiency. and the conclusions are patent
10 anyone possessing modicum of sense,
bearing in mind as well that there is no more
risk OF accidents or danger to health in one
than the other"
The Axle Mill Company, at Wellsville,
O. has commenced the erection of a large
addition to its mill which, when completed,
viii be used for the manufacture of tin
plate The plant will be fitted up with
all the latest machinery and will give en-
ployment to about 20 additional men,.
The following telegram was received from
S.. Louis last night, containing eX-Congress-
man NeidrinChaus' reply to the first state
ment from the Amalgamated officials, pub
lished in The DISPATCH on Thursday, TO
the effect that Mr. Neidringhaus preferred
foreign workmen TO Americans:
VERY DIRECT DENIAL.
'sNe discriminating against American
workmen2 he said. after reading the Pitts
burg advices. "Now, I'll tell you what it
Is I'm doing Just the opposite. I'm trying
10 find American workmen for my tin plate
works. and if vou'll tell me where they are
10 be found III be much obliged to you.
So far as / have been able TO learn, there
are none in this country. There is no rea-
son whv there should he, because, with the
exception OF an attempt some years ago,
there have been no lin plate works IN this
country. consequently no demand for
skilled labor in thar line. You can't go out
and rick up every timer who thinks he is
qualified to work in such a factory, because
there iS vast difference between the skilled
labor that makes the tin plate and the or
dinarv tinnerwho makes articles out Of it.
discriminating against American labor?
I'll answer that charge by a direct offer.
You can make the following offer as coming
direct from me- If there are any tin plate
rollers anywhere in this country who want
emDloNlutll L VIII SudIdllltt W pay lutIu
lust double the wages they are receiving
anywhere else, no matter where, or double
the wages they ever did receive for
that work, either in this country or
Europe. That offer ought to settle this
question. oughtn't 1t? They state that the
duty is 20 per cent. Well, I'll Just pay the
workmen 100 per cent more than they have
ever obtained so that they will therefore
not only get the full benefit conferred by
the duty, but a little more Oughtn't that
to show that / am willing to encourage
American labor? But there's none TO en-
courage in the manufacture of tin plate,
ana that's Just the trouble"
Have YOU made efforts to find skilled
wOrkmen IN this country, Mr. Niedring-
haus?"
CANT FIND SKILLED LABOR.
Indeed have. and have been in CORES
pondence with people all over the country,
bur without any success
''What seems TO be the trouble?'
simply that the labor wasn't skilled. If
we wanted only ordinary timers, We
wouldn't have to go outside of ST. Louis to
get them. But we want men who know how
10 make the tin plate
How about the charges of Mr.. John d. |
Rees, of Pittsburg?"
y don't remember his case" said Mr..
~
I NAV have seen and talked with him. But |
ii / did l suppose l found that he was only /
a practical timer and nothing more. As to |
his statement that he could find 20 practical |
Tin plate workers in "a hours who could do |
the work l want, why, Just tell him if he |
can do 20 send EN- along and III pay 'em |
double what they were getting before for |
that work. But il cant be done, for I've |
tried it myself, and l know Just how the |
! l.. 1.
AmalCamated Association is that they are |
contounding our efforts to get workmen for |
our regular factory with our efforts TO find |
skilled tin plate workers. They are two |
very different things, / can tell YOU"
Then YOU have about given up hope of |
securing skilled labor in this country?''
"Wha- can I do? II the offer l make |
don't bring EN-, nothing else will.
ALETTER TO THE PUBLIC
Are you closing arrangements to bring |
Welsh TN plate workers 10 this country, |
Mr. Niedringhaus?"
well, now. I'd rather not answer that |
question: answered the ex-Congressman.
You know there so many chances of get |
ting statement of that sort wrong unless |
YOU write ii yourself"
I'll tell YOU what / m going to do if the |
public interest in this tin plate business |
keeps up. I'm going TO write a letter to the |
public explaining the whole thing and just |
let the newspapers publish it, so that the |
public viii get the facts in the case straight |
That's all I've got to say now. But you |
publish that offer to skilled tin plate work |
ers. That's my answer to the Pittsburg |
charge"
This opposition from labor organiza-
tions, said Tom Niedringhaus, the ex-Con-
greSSman's son, SIS just what the silk in |
Ffrrg try u
There wasn't any skilled labor in that field, |
but still the labor organizations didn't want |
foreign workmen employed. It's Just the |
same now with tin plate manufacture. |
There isn't skilled tin plate workman in
America to-day"