Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-26
A PUDDLERS' CAUCUS
Called to Secure United Action in the
Next Convention of
THE AMALGAMATED ASSOCIATION
Only o Few Days left Until the Eight
Hour Strike Begins.
SATURDAYS GRIST FROM LABOR'S MILL

Proceedings are in progress among the
puddlers in the Amalgamated Association
that will create nice little battle at the
coming annual convention. The lodge COM
posed of puddlers from the Browstown mill
OH the Southside. has issued circular to
the other lodges in the association,
calling caucus of puddlers previous
to the convention for the purpose Of con-
sidering certain matters pertaining to the
scale. 1t is we'll known that this is one of
the lodges that favored an advance in the
boiling scale last year, and when it was not
secured, some of the members became
greatly dissatisfied. Early in the present
year they started a movement which re-
suited in the circu referred to-,
being issued. Various charges are made in
the document against the Grand Lodge off,
GERS, the Wage Committee, the Conference
Committee and few individual members
of the association.
The chief feature of the circular is the
allegation that at least four delegates to the
last convention had been instructed specific
ally to vote for an advance in wages; that
but when they listened to President
Weihe's address on thecondition of the iron
trade they changed their minds and voted
against the so cents increase They are now
charged with having violated the confidence
Of the lodges they represented, and Of
jeopardizing the interests Of the puddlers.
Puddlers Alone Were Notified.
ofo do 60 tha osr ot71o
from getting into the hands OF any but pud-
dlers, but this tailed. 1t was mailed only
to puddlers outside of the two cities, and
personal invitations were conveyed to the
local members
1t is this same faction that secured the ap-
pointment of the special committee to con-
slider the change OF the base of the scale,
after they discovered that it would be i'm
possible to get an advance on the present
base. They are out for the advance this
year again, claiming the increased quanti-
ties of hard iron they have been compelled
to work is justly sufficient to secure them
the advance. But the sentiment seems to be
against them. Only IL lodges have recon-
mended an advance, and probably they
might not all be in favor of it when the time
for voting comes.
So far only IL lodges have expressed de-
SllC lol AhOlC pu1y anu IuC SiCab Duih W buS
membership is against it. 1t cannot be
learned when the meeting will take place,
but it will be held shortly. An effort was
made to see the puddlers on the Southside,
but none could be found who would talk on
the subject. The information was gained
too late to see the Amalgamated ofn cials.
ard besides President Weihe has been alb
sent from the city.
Purpose of the Puddlers' Caucus.
The purpose of the caucus. as given by a
puddler, is to unite all the workers in that
particular branch of the industry, with
view of getting passed any measure they
may desire to introduce in the next conven-
tion. They claim that they do not get JUS
tice from the National Lodge, due, to a GER
tain extent to their own divided forces.
This year they will unite if possible, and an
effort may be made to pass minority report
on the question of an advance.
Now that the fact will be made public
the elections for representatives will be
made more exciting. The opponents to a
change in the scale and those who favor it
will be pitted against each other in the en-
deavor to get men of their own mind elected.
The joint meeting of the Homestead
lodges that was called for to-day has been
postponed. The difficulty there has been
referred to the Executive Committee of the
National Lodge, and it will be settled next
Tuesday.