Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-11
ALIEN LABOR NEEDED.
Mr.. Niedringhaus Makes a Plea to
the Treasury Department.
TOO MANY REVERSES THIS YEAR.
A Conference Between the Firm and Men at
Sharpsburg To-Day.
MISCELLANEOUS INDUSTRIAL NEWS

| Ex-Congressman Niedringhaus has writ
ten letter to Acting Secretary Nettleton,
of the Treasury. 1t is reply to the letter
of Secretary Fosters of July 80, in regard
to the importation of skilled labor for the
| tin plate industry. In the document Mr..
Niedringhaus scores the Amalgamated As
sociation pretty severely for wanting to
force more men into his employ than were
really needed. He reviews the difficulty
at his mill and still insists that it will be
an absolute necessity for him to import
workmen fresh from the business in Europe.
Continuing, Mr.. Niedringhaus says:
'In answer allow me to state that we do
not find anything in the letter of Commits
sioner Owen the st. Louis Stamp Company
could possibly misconstrue. 1t states that
the immigration laws will be strictly en-
forced by the Department, but as to the
importation of skilled labor, the law passed
by Democratic Congress and signed by
Democratic President to enable the estab-
lishment of new industries in the United
States is very clear and beyond the power
of the Treasury Department.
AN OFFER FOR WORK RENEWED.
"That the manufacture of tin plates is.a
new industry in the United States no one
disputes. In order, however, to decide the
question whether skilled labor can be found
for the manufacture of tin plates in this
country, we have announced in the papers
of the principal 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 ad-,
vance per box over what Is paid for the same
work III England. The average duty on tin
plates is claimed to be about 20 per cent, and
we are perfectly willing to give the work
men all of that and add 30 per cent thereto.
"On July l, the union men employed at our
rolling mills sent large committee to our
office, stating they were perfectly satisfied
with the wages paid and treatment received
but that the company should employ about
three times as many men to cut the from
than was and and also that they
the scale, with these provisions, be signed
Dy our company or they would lay down
their work: Both the manager of the mills,
Mr. W. +. Nienringhaus, and the writer said
1t mattered not to them what was done
with the iron after they had finished 1t.
If they received their pay, and before sub
mitting to such arbitrary rulings the COM
pany would quit the business. We told
them furthermore that if they did lay down
their work on so flimsy pretext our mills
would thereafter be non-union. They
stopped work, we're 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 n number of our former employees
have gone to work as non-union men,
FOREIGN LABOR ARRANGED FOR.
"This occurrence has been interpreted by
some periodicals and dailies as a strike
against starvation wages, when, in fact, the
books of the company show that these men
have been paid at from So to sl2 per day,
after about seven hours work, at steady en-.
ployment. Again, it has been stated that
the company intended to import foreign
labor to take the place of these men, when
the fact is that foreign skilled labor for the
new tin plate mills was partially arranged
for as early as the month of May, when there
was no sign of any disagreement ever oc-
cnrring between the union and our COM
pany. These aliens have no doubt touched
your department and may have occasioned
the precautionary letter sent me.
For the successful operation of this new
industry it is necessary to have skilled labor
fresh from the business as it is to-day prac.
ticed in Europe, but 1t will not as far as our
per cent of the whole number employed.
All this company needs is some tin plate
rollers and perhaps half q dozen men for
picking wash 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 Ameri
can young men. That crew, however, is not
sufficient to our new mills, where we will
have six trains, and perhaps eight, to sup
ply which to commence with some skilled
labor is necessary"
GETTING THE WORST OF THE DEAL.
An effort was made last night to see Presi- |
dent Weihe on the above, but, although q
call was made ut his home after IL O'Clock, he |
had not yet arrived home. He said yester- |
day afternoon that he had heard of no new |
in regard to the controversy |
now on relative to the importation of these |
workmen.
Comments are becoming frequent to the |
effect that the Amalgamated Association is |
getting the worst OF the deals this year. and |
the almost universal question is, What |
would the association do had they presented |
a scale for an increase in wages this year? |
They were on the conservative scale for
sure and are still having as many disputes |
as they had before.
For five weeks past a strike has been in
progress in the chain department of the l
Findlay Rolling Mill, and over 100 hands |
have been idle in consequence. The Anal |
gamated Association had adopted q new |
scale for the chain workers. which provided |
for IL different advances in wages When
the scale was presented nine of the advances
were conceded, but two were refused, and /
the men quit work. The Executive Commit
tee of the Amalgamated Association has been
the men decided to abandon the two de-
mands the company objected to- when the
scale was promptly signed by the company.
The big mill is again in full operation.
The Sharpsburg strikers were quiet yester-
day. They held meeting last night and In
structed their representatives how to act on
all questions coming before the conference