Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-01
No CHANGE IN RATE.
The Scale Committee of the Anal
gamated Association Will
REPORT FOR LAST YEARS PRICES.
Conductors on the Pittsburg Division of
the P. R. R. Get More Pay.
GOOD OUTLOOK FOR THE STEEL TRADE

The rate for making iron will be un-
changed this year. When the committee Of
the Amalgamated Association on the new
iron scale for the year beginning July adj
journed Saturday night, it had reached
point which practically settles
the scale Of wages for that
period. The members of the committee
began their labors on Friday, continued
them on Saturday and are expected to have
completed the scale in time to report to the
convention on Tuesday. They finished up
the week by fixing the price for pudding at
S. 30 per ton on a 2-cent card, and 20 cents
for heating and rolling in bar mills. The
price for catching in bar mills was placed at
ive-eighths the product. These prices are
the same as ruled during the year now
closing.
This agreement is an important one and
foreshadows what may be expected from the
convention. This body may, of course, not
accept the report of the Scale Committee
and may try to increase the rate. That it
will be successful is regarded as out of the
question.
Hard to Change the Scale Base.
It will require two-thirds majority to
change the base of the scale, viz:
$5 30 per ton on the price
of bar iron on 2-cent card rate
There will be about 325 delegates in the
convention, and it is regarded as out of the
question that 200 will be found to oppose
the verdict of the Scale Committee, which
is composed of Is men especially
selected for their judgment and ability
to pass on this very important phase
of the yearly deliberations. This commit
the President, Secretary and Treasurer of
the organization. The decision on the rate
of wages to be offered for adoption and
ratification by the convention is only
arrived at after very earnest con-
sideration of every circumstance bear
ing on the question, and this is
SO well known and understood by the
workers and delegates than the report of
the Scale Committee has always been finally
adopted, though attempts have been made
by radical delegates to make its figures
higher. So that it can be very safely stated
that when the convention adjourns, in three
weeks time, the Amalgamated scale of
wages will be found to have been altered
only in unimportant details from the scale
now running.
This morning the committee will take up
the guide mill scale. The rates in this class
depend on those fixed in the bar mill, and SO
catchers are again agitating the question as
to the proportion of the product they
should receive. They now get 25 per cent
of the earnings and want 80. 1t is not like
ly the committee will agree to
this, and the reason is found
in the fact that the puddlers
on the committee, six in number, will
hardly agree to give the fnishers an ad-
vance when they themselves are not asking
for any. 1t is open to the fnishers to make
a minority report, of course, but this is a
course that has not yet been taken, every
Scale Committee report so far submitted
being report of the whole.
In last years convention 112 delegates
were found who desired to change the figure
for boiling in the Scale Committee report
from So 30 to S6, a majority of one of the
whole number, but the Chairman ruled
it required two-thirds majority,
and in this ruling he was sustained.
A similar attempt is expected to be made
again this year but it will be found, it is
confidently claimed, to be equally abortive.
A Sliding Scale for Steel Workers.
The Committee on the Steel Scale
is also preparing its report. There
is a general feeling among steel
workers for sliding scale similar to those
in vogue at South Chicago, Joliet and
Homestead, and as there is corresponding
desire among manufacturers, it is thought
some such general plan will be submitted.
While the Homestead scale expires every
three years, the South Chicago scale is ter
minable only on six months notice from
either side.
1t is generally believed that manufactur-
ers will accept the current rate for the new
year without attempting to reduce it, as has
been suggested in some quarters. The out
look for the year is not particularly good,
but sufficient business is in sight to obviate
any excuse for q reduction on this score