New-York tribune., 1891-04-29
IRON MEN UP IN ARMS.
NEW-YORK DEALERS OPPOSE MR.. CAR
NEGIE.
THEY SAY THAT PITrsBURG MANUFACTURERS
ARE HURTING THEIR BUsINESS-CAUsES
OF THE TROUBLE

OF THE TROUBLE.
Reports Of trouble in the iron trade have been
circulating for some time, growing out Of business
transactions Of certain manufacturers OF cast steel
and rolled iron and steel dealing directly with the
owners OF large buildings In construction conempa-
tion instead Of with the iron workers. 1t alleged
yesterday that the latter had formed combine
with the purpose Of making "boycOt' against the
manufacturing companies Of which Andrew Carnegie
Is the head The purpose Of the combine 1t was
said, was to compel the Carnegie firms to deal
with the ronworets instead Of the proprietors OF tie
big new buildings themselves.
To get at the facts Tribune reporter visited Mr
Carnegie at his home, No. 5 West Fifty frstst. last
evening" but found him ndisposed to speak on the sub
ject. really not familiar with the details OF the
natter he said, and have had yet 10 time to In
qure about it. think A. Il. Whitney who Is our
agent here, could give You some information per
haps."
Mr. Whitney was found at his homo, No. $50 Mad
sonave.. and in explanation of the situation he said
We had not received fair proportion OF orders
from the Iron men who take contracts for the large
buildings going up. We, therefore, notified
the owners that could furnish them
what wrought steel and wrought IRON needed
for their buildings at the standard rates
We make steel columns and steel beams at our Pitts
burg mills, but do not furnish all the material
We allow the iroDwOrkers to furnish the castiron
portion and they put all the material in the building.
The first intmation had that they objected to this
was the passage of bill by the Assembly, claiming
tho approval Of the Building Bureau OF the city,
which required about twice much rolled steel and
wrought iron in a column aud prohibiting the using
Of steel columns in buildings. This bill was the
work of inspector Of the buildings Bureau, and it
went through the Assembly although superintendent
Brady refused TO give it his approval have called
tho attention Of the senate Committee in charge Of
tho bill to its injustice, and they have agreed to
have it properly amended before passing it.
"Ihe iron workers were dissatisfied with this and
called meeting one of them who Ind the contract
for large building downtown notified the owner that
he would not handle any of material IN New York
Eut to-day other parties came forward and offered TO
take the contract. that the building is going for
ward without trouble After We had taken the con-
tract for the DugTo hotel building the iron made
technical objections to the superintendent Of Build
ings. but Mr Brady overruled them, ard the building
is going up with material.
The best architects ard engineers OF the city have
signed remOnstrance against the unfair dlscrinna-
tiOns which have been attempted against rolled steel
and rolled iron columns and in favor Of castirOn co..
umns, which is intended to be accomplished by As
sembly bill No 14S1. the measure 1 have referred to.
Among the sgncrs arc such men as Theodore Cooper
and Leopold Eidltz. the well-1nown engineers, and
McKim Mead IL White, the architects. The signatures
OF fifty more such men condemn tho attempt OF the
persons | have indicated. The chief engineer OF the
Fire Department, Mr. Bonner recently said that rolled
steel columns far preferable to casron. for in
of FIRE the latter would be liable to snap or while
the rolled steel was subject to such danger
Tho ironworiers alluded to said to include the
firms OF J. b. d j. NJ. Cornell, Post McCook and some
others. None OF the principals could be found last
evening but OF their representatives denied that
their movement was directed against Mr.. Carnegie or
any particular mills. They had no intention,
they said TO boycott Mr. Carnege'S mills or
any others. Their attitude rather Of
protest against an evident purpose to take their bust
ness a large part Of it. out OF their hands: cir
cular letter had been sent TO mOwners, asking them
not 10 contract directly with prOpreOrs. If the pro
test was not needed no other measures were conef
plated 1t was not denied however that the iron
workers had refused to material which came from
the Carnegie mills.