Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-07-13
On the Stand Before the investigating
Committee.
HOW THE TROOPS ENTERED THE
Quiet Town Of HOmsStsad-Since the Soldiers Have
Come, the Leaders Have Resigned All Control
to Them, and Drunkenness and Oarousd
is Taking the Place of Quiet and
0rder-SOldisrS and Strikers
GuzLs Beer Together.

OQp6IlD DLeQU6lb TObG6T, VI Ju6 OdIu 10
Company, and President VIM. Weihe,
Vice President Roberts, David Lynch
and Oliver Searight, Of the Amalga-
mated Association.
Mr.. Frick was accompanied by his
attorneys, MesSrS. Knox & Reed. The
| banquet hall in the Monongahela
House, where the session was held,
faces the Monongahela river, which
| just one week ago was incarnated with
the blood of intruding Pinkertons.
The committees inquiry continued
until after ten o'clock with Mr.. Frick
on the stand the entire evening. His
examination brought out many new fea-
lures in the present trouble,
notably the plan by which
the Pinkerton- men were employed
| and the arrangements that were made
for their transportation TO this city,
The wages paid under the sliding scale
and those proposed were all brought out.
Mr.. Frick was put under a severe cross
examination by Representative Boatner
just before the adjournment, which
proved to be the most interesting part
of the evenings proceeding.
Chairman Oates swore Mr.. Frick and
conducted the direct examination.
Mr.. Frick said the company was not
corporation. at was formed under the
limited partnership laws Of Pennsylva-
MIA"
"What business is the Association
engaged IMP"
"They are owners of the Edgar
Thomson, Bessemer, Homestead and
| DequeSne Steel Works, the Lucy Fur
mace, keystone Bridge Works, the
| Upper and Lower Mills, Beaver Falls
| Mills, Scotia Ore Mines, Larimer and
Youghiogheny Coke Works. We en-
ploy in these several establishments
about $4,000 men,"
Mr.. Frick here produced the pay roll
of the 119-inch mill for the month OF
May last, which contained the name OF
every man and boy employed in that de-
partment, the number of days he worked
and the amount he received. The
wages ranged all the way from $40 TO
S275 per month. The wages OF the
rollers were the highest. These aver
aged from $3.50 to S275 per month. The
heaters from S1S5 to Sl9O. Heaters
helpers about $50; trainmen from S97
to S12O; head shears SlO0; shearers' help
ers sos; guagers S75, and variety Of
other men averaging about SIS. The
total amount paid in wages to this de-
partment for the month Of May was
$40, ,2O2.95.
Mr.. Oates-"Now, Mr.. Frick, you
have spoken of the earnings of several
skilled workmen. Upon what basis are
these men paid?"
Mr.. Frick-Upon the basis Of con-
tract made July l, 1889, which was to run
for three years, expiring July l, 1892.
1t is known as the sliding scale system.
The rates when agreed TO were con-
tinued for three months, determined
upon the average selling price of steel
billets, and the average price of one
term TO be the basis for the next three
months. the standard grade AKA billets
TO be the basis of price. Mr.. Frick here
detailed to the committee the mode Of
the quarterly settlement Of the scale.
Mr.. Frick stated that the proposed
reductions were based on the decline in
prices during the three years. Tank
steel plates were reduced 21 per cent,
beams and channels SO per cent, and
steel billets 16 per cent. The reduc-
tion in wages was about Is per cent.
Mr.. Frick attributed the continual
decline to reproduction and the re-
ductlon in the tariff.
Mr.. Frick then stated that another
point in dispute was the change of date
for the signing of the scale from July
to January, because it was against their
interests to be idle during July and Au-
gust when building is most active.
The men were willing TO reduce the
minimum from S25 to S24, but desired
that the scale extend to July l, 1895.
An agreement could not be reached and
the works shut down.
Mr.. Oates-"What is the cost Of
production per TOM"
Mr.. Frick-"I cont think that is a
fair question. don't think you should
ask that"
Mr.. Taylor-"Would you object to
tell the cost OF ton of steel, including
everything?"
Mr.. Frick-"Yes, sir, I would have
the same objection"
Mr.. Bsatner-"You don't propose to
give away any of the secrets of the
trade?"
Mr.. Frick-"No, sir, not yet"
Mr.. Oates-"Will you state the labor
cost alone?"
Mr.. Frick-"That would be equiva-
lent to stating the whole cost"
Mr.. Oates-"Hou state that after the
Sheriff failed you employed the Pinker-
tons. Did you appeal to the Governor?"
Mr.. Frick-''No,s sir. The experience Of
past years was that the Sheriff was pow
erless. We concluded to employ our own
watchmen, put them on our own prop
erty, and have them stay there TO pro-
tect it. We hired them and agreed to
pay them SIS per day, and we secured
500 Of them on June "a. We concluded
il would be necessary to protect our
own properly and employ new men,"
Mr.. BOatner-"NOn-uni men?"
Mr.. Frick-'We did lot care whether
they were union or non-union, so OF
June 25 we wrote this letter to the
Pinkerton Agency in New York.
OFFICE OF THE CARNEGIE STEEI. Co,
PlTTsBURG, PA, June -, 1922.
DEAR SIR:-We will need 800 guards for
service at our Homestead mills as q meas
ure Of precaution against inter-
ference With our plant TO start the
operation Of the works July 9th, 1892.
The ooiSf tronnle we anticipate is tina
~ ntfemr viii Be made 10 prevent such
cur men. 9TH whom we viii By that tine
4 .ss inn satisfactory argao 1ents, 1lom