Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-11

that We do not find anything in the letter
of Commissioner Owen the st. Ions
Stamping Company could possibly mis-
construe Ii states that the Immigration
laws will be strictly enforced by the dc,
partment, but as TO the importation OF
skilled labor the law passed by Demo-
cratic Congress and signed by pemp-
cratic President TO enable the. establish;
ment of new industries in the United
States is very clear and beyond the power
of the Treasury Department. That the
manufacture of tin-plate Is new industry
in the United States no one disputes. In
order. however. 10 decide the question
whether skilled labor can be found for
the manufacture of tin-plates In this coun-
try we have announced in the papers OF
the principal cities of the United States
(and herewith renew the ofer) that we
will employ any American tin-plate rollers
VINO may apply and pay them 100 per cent.
advance per box over what is paid Tor the
same work in England. The average duty
on tIn-plates il claimed 20 be about 20 per
cent, and we are perfectly willing TO allow
the workmen all of that and add 80 per
cent. thereto.
OBJECTION TO DICTArIoN.
"0n July 1st the union men employed at
our mills sent a largo committee 10 our
Office. stating that they were pertectS
satisfied with the wages paid and treat
ment received, but that the company
should employ about three times a. many
men tocut the iron as was necessary and also
that they should control them. They de-
manded that scale with these provisions
be signed by our company or they would
lay down their work. Both the manager
Of the mills. Mr. W. +. Nedrlnghaus. and
the writer told the men that IT mattered
not TO them what was done with the iron
after they had flushed it If they received
their pay, and that before submitting TO
such arbitrary rulings the company would
Quit business. We told them furthermore
that if they did lay down their work on so
tiimsya pretext our mills would thereafter
be non-uniOn They stopped work. were
paid of, and left the employ of the com
pany. Other American labor, lust as
worthy and as much entitled 70 make
good living, is taking their places and
quite o number of our former employees
have gone TO work as non-union men.
FALSE ALARMS.
This occurrence has been interpreted
by some periodicals. and dailies as strike
against starvation wages, when. IN fact. the
books of the company show that these men
have been paid at the rate of from Sc TO
@l2 per day for about seven hours work at
steady employment. Again. 1t has been
stated that the company intended 10 i'm
port 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 a. early as the
month of May, when there was no sign OF
any disagreement ever occurring between
the union and our company. These
alarms have no doubt reached your do
partment and may have occasloned tho
precautionary letter sent me.
LABOR FROM ABROAD NECESSARY.
"For the successful operation of this
new industry II is neCessarytO nave skilled
labor fresh from the business aS II is to-
day practiced IN Europe. but II will not es
far as our OUn company IL concerned.
amount 10 over ~ per cent. of tho whole
number employed. II we include the coal.
lead and lrOn-OTe-mlners. the bOX-tlmher
in the woods. and the cottOn-seed oil in
the seed and the producers OF pig-ron
(Which are the base or beginning OF our
operation-l. it will not amount TO 8 per
cent. of foreign labor TO successfully start
the industry and produce American tin
| plates for the market. Whom the bars
aud plates from which tln-plates are rolled
are inished-which l. done III our old mills
and partly bymills AZ Belleyllle aud Chatta-
nooga-the work is more than half done. All
| the company needs is some tin-pate
| rollers. aud perhaps half q dozen men to
run some patent machinery. Inc balance
Of the places will be filed 10y home talent.
| We have one train now running on TIM
plates in our mill manned eutlrely by
American young men. mostly born and
raised in the city of 81. Louis, whom We
have trained within the last SIX years, 30
that the tin-plates We will put on the
market for the next two months will be
| made entirely by home workmen. That
| crew, however, Is not sufficient 70 man ouI
new mills, where we will have six trains
and perhaps eight, to supply which 10 com
mence with some skilled labor Is needed