Sharp County record., 1891-08-27

committees ana
IS that those who
man. Ii. peak of the inter-
,sts of labor, and that when they 60
{ awav they leave behind them all
thoughts of their working men, than
the actions of Mr.. Niedringhaus, OF ST.
Louis.
aN When Mr.. Niedringhaus took his seat
;n the Fifty-firs congress he made
speech declaring that he was there as a
Representative of labor; that he did not
want to 90 to congress, but was forced
10 bv the worlkmen of St Louis.
Now Mr.. Niedringhas has factory in
Isl, Louis in which he makes kitchen
utensils. Ex-Congressman Niedring-
haus is president of the St Louis Stamp
;ng Co.. a concern with factories in St
Louis, engaged in the production OF
kitchen hollowware. 1t also imports
tinned plates and is one of the prospect
I've tin-plate manufactures called into
Existence by the Mckinley tariff.
2 While agitating the question OF a
8. higher duty on timed plate the manu-
facturers held conference with the
Headers of the Amalgamated Iron and
Steel Workers, at which, according to
MIR. Weihe, president of this associa-
lion, the following occurred:
"When the tin plate association, OF
which Mr.. Niedringhaus was proml-
nent member, went before congress to
have the tariff on tin plate raised, its
members were afraid to go before the
ways and means committee themselves,
Enough they did sight of lobbying.
They came to our association and rep
resented that an increase in the tariff
would start the tin plate industry on
boom and would be big thing for us,
and they wanted us to help them out.
1t was necessary, they said, to have us,
the laborers, go before the committee.
We took in their talk and were really
persuaded that it would be good
thing. So we sent committees to ap-
bear before the ways and means COM
mittee, and, in consideration of this
work on our part, the tin plate
association agreed to a tin plate
wage schedule by which its members
would pay Is per cent extra for soft
steel work and 20 per cent. for changed
Iron and steel. Now they want to craw-
fsh out They say they cannot manu-
facture at such price. They are right
they cannot Another thing, they
s will not be able to turn out the amount
Of tin plate by 1897 called for by the
bill. They got the associa-
tion to help them, and now they want
To recede from their agreement with
lis, and Mr.. Niedringhaus, who should
be the very last is the first to try and
back out.
# Now Mr.. Niedringhaus refuses to
carry out his part of the agreement.
1.-The result is his workmen have gone
On a strike, and he has telegraphed
to the treasury department inquiring
lwhether the importation of contract
x laborers from abroad is permitted. The
FIRST reply sent to him was that the
him from importing skilled workmen
N and that no special forms were neces-
sary for doing it.
.lM But it was soon found that the Anal
gamated association controlled more
Votes than Niedringhaus could muster,
and accordingly, in view of the cam
N paign in Ohio, Secretary Foster wrote
10 Mr.. Niedringhaus repudiating the
N letter Of his subordinate and declaring
that the treasury department was not
n the habit of deciding supposed cases.
Here the matter stands for the present,
Mbut it will be hard for them to desert
N IN his hour of need this lively gentle
man to whom they have looked with
confidence for tin dishes and tin bills
of fare whenever they advertised a
high-tariff banquet, but when they
v understand the situation he will cut
VERY small figure by the side of the
N SAmalgamated Association of Iron and
Steel Workers and its votes. Secretary
SFoster has already silenced the officious
land learned Owen, and Niedringhaus
will soon discover that he has permitted
n N5his business to encroach nwarrantably
Nlupon the domain of practical politics.