Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-10-01
SENT HERE UNDER CONTRACT
How 1t is Sought to Make the
"American Tin"
Niedringhaus Imported n Lot of Welsh
Worlsmen to Take the Place of His
American Strikers. But the Foreigners
Refused to go to Work--An Interesting
Exposure of n High Tariff Fraud.


States and to ST, Louis, but does not APP
pear to have been entirely successful in get
ting them TO go to work in his factory, the
imported men having refused to go to
work in the mills of the st. Louis Stamp
ing Company when they learned that they
were expected to take the place of Ameri-
can. union workmcn who were upon
strike.
A resume of the efforts at tin-plate
making by the st. Louis Stamping Com
pany and the consequent labor troubles
which led to the closing down of the
Destrehan street mills may not be out of
place at this time. Immediately after the
passage of the Mckinley tariff law Mr.. II.
q. Niedringhaus, a member of the firm,
and who, rs a member of Congress, had
voted for an increase Of duty Of % cents
per pound upon tin-plate announced
through the public print that he would
engage in the manufacture of American
tin-plate. Immediately thereafter MIR.
Niedringhaus caused to be distributed In
the Republican conventions of the diff
ferent states sheets OF tin-plate and tin
cups which he averred were manufactured
in the tin-plate works of the st. Louis
Stamping Company, and that owing to
the tin-plate duty of the Mckinley tariff
law they We're alone enabled to do So
shortly after these claims. had been
maui W tne NleuIlileiltuScS lftpuoNc
representative inspected the tin-pate
works of the st. Louis Stamping Company.
lie found that il consisted of small and
hastily constructed lean-to, and that the
force employed consisted of Welsh tin
plate dipper and four or five small boys,
and that the amount of tin-platc produced
did not near supply the demands of the 81.
Louis Stamping Company alone.
THE STRIKE
Several months later, when the scale of
the Amalgamatod Association of Iron
workers was presented TO the St. Louis
Stamping Company for signing. they re
fused to sign. There was difference of
opinion OH the scale question and the
result was strike.
Both sides were firm, and after several
unsuccessful attempts 1T arbitration, Mr..
#. q: Niedringhaus secured from the COM
missioner Of immigration a decision that
under the contract labor laws he could inn
port contract labor TO be employed in IN
new industry" he claiming that skilled
TIN plate workers could not he secured in
this country. shortly after this the super
intendent of the Niedringhaus mill and
Mr.. +. Il. Niedringhaus two SONS sailed
ior England for the purpose of securing
HERE, BUT WILL NOT WORK.
Last Wednesday the first consignment Of
ten imported Welsh tin-plate workers
reached 81. Louis. They were taken to the
mill and learned of the difficulty with the
men. ~ so happened that all the imported
men were members of the union in Wales.
and they at once sought out the members
OF ivory Lodge of which all of Nedring-
hans' workingmen are members. Last
ednesday night u meeting of the union
was helu and the causes leading to the
strike were explained to the new men.
they at once announced that they were
union men andthat under nocircumstances
would they carry out their contracts to work
in the mills Of theSt. Louis Stamping Com.
pany Ivory Lodge is supporting them in
lhe meantime and has them quartered at a
boarding house Mt No. 1918 North Eleventh
street,
HOPE FOR A SETTLEMENT.
The lodge is evidently hoping ia bring
about settlement of the trouble through
these men. and they have kept the news of
their arrival in this city secret. A repre-
sentative Of the R,pubiic saw several Of the
strikers yesterday and they denied the
presence Of the men in the city Others
referred him to the press committee of
Ivory Lodge for information Thereporter
accordingly called on James Hutton. n
member Of the committee. and asked him
regarding the matter.
lie replied that the lodge at present de-
sired nothing said about the matter. as ne.
Eutlntiols We're pending with the II. Louis
stamping Company whereby II was prob
able that the strike would be settled within
several days. The Niedringhans Brothers
felt agsricyed at the prominence which
mad been given by thepress to thetroubles
IN the mills and the members Of the UNION
feared that If the story of these men WAS
printed the peuuiuu upp otintinns ,,,nntJ H.,
declared of.
IN response To questions Mr.. Hutton adj
mitted, after considerable hesitancv. that
a number of Welsh tin-plate workers had
come to st. Louis at the request of the
Nicdringhauses, and were at present being
cared for by Ivory Lodge. The number Of
men he declined TO state.
There is no danger Of their going IN
work here until the trouble Is settled
said Mr.. Hutton. They are firm union men
and now tnat the cause OF the strike has
been explained to them they are on our
side.'
"What do they say about being induced
to come to ST. Louis9n
1--WE have not asked them about that.
They are union men, and if they cannot
secure work in the st. Louis works they
can readily secure employment elsewhere.
We hope to settle our difficulties this week.
and at our meeting on Saturday 1t will
probably be decided one way or the other,
We are iirm and will not give up the fight,
as it is one of principle"
1t is limited thai the lodge is holding the
imported laborers over the head Of the 81,
Louis Stamping Company and threatening
that in the event the amalgamated scale Il
not signed prosecutions will be begun
against the firm under the contract iabor
law. which imposes a 81 900 fine for each
iaoorer brought TO this country under con-
tract.
THE yIcE-pREsfDENT ADMITS 1T.
An effort was made to see Mr.. f. G.
Niedringhsus last night but the reporter
was Informed at his house that he was out
OF the city. \ call was then made on Mr..
William +. Niedringhaus, vice-president
Of the It. LOUIS stamping works. He was
disinclincd to talk very much when asked
if the, Welsh expert tin-workers had
''Oh, we have had some tin-workers here
for three or four months" was his first
reply.
But these said to have Just arrived are
said to be experts in the business, which it
was necessary to have and were to come
from abroad to work in the washing or
dipping departments, said the reporter.
The dipping is the most unimportant
part of the preparation of tin-plate. II is
getting the plates ready to be dipped that
requires skill"
You mean the rolling2'
Yes. You see, tin-plate is nothing but
iron plates dipped in tin, and if the plates
are properly rolled the dipping can easily
be done"
Then these men are to work the tin
sheet mills in preparing the plates to be
Yes; they have been here three or four
days. and we will probably put them to
is not quite ready yet"
How many are there?"
''About eight or ten"
Are they to teach others so Americans
can be employedT'