Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-19
IRON MEN MEETING
To Join in Yearly Discussion Over
the New Scale of Prices.
THEY GET DOWN TO WORK TODAY.
Delegates to the Convention Spend Pleas
ant Day at McKeespOrt.
ENTERTAINED BY THE FIRST DISTRICT

The conference committees of the Anal
gamated Association and manufacturers
will meet to-day to discuss the terms of the
next years scale. 1t is generally expected
that the scale will meet with acceptance by
the manufacturers, but there are one or two
new clauses or alterations from clauses in
the present scale which may engender
lengthy discussion before their adoption, if
they should be accepted.
The memorandum of agreement has an
other clause tackled onto it this year. 1t
runs as follows: The time in scrapping and
busheling, also finishing and all other de-
partments, shall in no case exceed nine 10y
hours from the time the first heat is charged
until charging shall cease. This is not to
apply to boiling departments Except scrap
ping and busheling), also rod mills, wire
mills, nut and bolt works, and other depart
ments working under the eight (s) hour
system.
Practically Nine-Hour Day.
Joseph D. Weeks, in commenting on this,
says that the clause practically provides for
nine-hour day in many departments of the
mill. The effect of this clause will differ
greatly in different mills on different days.
The atmospheric conditions may be such on
given day as to make the nine hours too
short for producing the tonnage which the
proprietor would have right to expect in
view of his investment in plant Over these
conditions neither the employer nor en-
ployed has any control, but furnace may
| be badly designed or constructed, and a
workman may be an inferior hand. In these
cases the furnace should be improved on
| one side and the workman on the other
Section in this years scale has been en-
| bodied in Section 2 of the new, and with an
alteration which is regarded as leaving
many loopholes for grievances. The change
consists of the following: "By the word ma
ty T11nQ mt of ha f11r naa
working hard iron, inferior coal, tools and
scarcity of ore and scrap, or any of them,
shall be considered grievance"
Fearful of Complications.
Regarding this Mr.. Weeks says there are
more strikes and contests hidden in this
clause than in any clause that ever was put
into scale. He asks who is to determine
what is inferior coal or tools? and what is
scarcity of ore? He says that this clause is a
storm center.
Three hundred delegates to the convention
journeyed down to McKeesport yesterday
afternoon in pursuance of a hOspitable inv1-
tation extended them by the McKeesport
delegates. The party arrived at McKeesport
at 4;3O, when they formed into procession
headed by the McKeesport Second Ward
Drum and Fife Corps, and marched via
Fifth avenue and Market street to the rink.
Mayor Tilbrook was waiting to receive the
Sits guests Is Mr. Logan Of 6MeKsefsper
duced the Mayor to the assembly. In OPEN
ing the proceedings Mayor Tilbrook said
that if it was any hotter at the furnaces
than it was there he didn't want to work at
them. He, as representative of the citizens
of Mckeesport had welcomed many de1ega-
tions on previous occasions to that city, but
he could safely say that never before had he
had greater pleasure than in extending the
hospitality of the city to the members
OF the Amalgamated Association of Iron and
Steel Workers. McKeesport had risen
in property, and only few months ago it
was created city of the third class. AS first
Mayor of the city he had very great pleasure,
indeed, in welcoming to McKeesport the
delegates of an Association whose members
had done so much to build up the present
commercial Importance of the city. With.
out the strong arm of the iron and steel
worker the city could not long continue to
exist.
Response of President Weihe.
President Weihe responded on behalf of
the Association. The delegates would al
ways remember, he said, with
to them by the first Mayor of McKeesport
lon, of Pittsburg; Garland, of Pittsburg;
Doherty, of Pittsburg; Jones, of Steelton,and
Carney, of Pittsburg, also spoke. They were
ba hest Of h OF ee0
mainly arranged with the object of strength
ening the union of McKeesport. He claimed
that the trouble which existed between the
National Tube and the National
citation had been in large
measure due to the action of some members
of the association themselves. There were
plenty of good men in McKeesport who
thought it was good enough place to make
living in, but not good enough in which to
belong to a union. This he hoped, would
be altered in the coming years. and the visit
of the delegates to the convention would
have a most beneficial effect.
At 6 o'clock the party proceeded to Home
stead where, under the guidance of Super
intendent Potts, the party made tour of
the buildings, and the working of the various
departments. In the evening the delegates
assembled in the Homestead OPP
era House, where refreshments had
been arranged for by the First district.
Vice-President William Carney bade the
visitors welcome in the name of the workers
and people of Homestead, to the entertain
ment of the evening. John Kilgannon re-
sponded to the invitation on behalf of the
delegates to the National Association. Mr..
Carney, in introducing Representative D. A.
Jones, of Pennsylvania, as the first speaker,
paid high tribute to that gentleman.
Mr. Jones reviewed the conditions, past
and present, of the works in very happy
speech. He was followed by John F. Cox,
H. Kilgannon and Jeremiah Doherty in short
addresses. A motion of thanks to the Home
stead district was moved by Mr.. McIlvay
and carried by reclamation. Mr. Coyle, of
Homestead, responded.
During the evening musical selections were
given by various members of the convention.