The Oskaloosa herald., 1892-07-21
WAGES IN AMERICAN AND ENGLISH
MILLS,
Chicago Inter-Oced

Slavery" says the Chicago Herald,
'had its Legrees. Protection had its
Fricks." For once, Snd for wonder,
our estimated contem pOrary has stated
the case correctly.
We respectfully remind the Herald
that Lsgree was Southern Democrat
who solved the free trade problem by
paying his laborers nothing per year.
We call the Herald's attention to what
the protective Mr.. Frick has been pay
ing the 325 labOrers, who resent, and it
may be justly resent, proposed reduc.
tion of IL per cent.
The Iron Age of June 80, 1892, gives
the following figures as the wage list
of "a we'll equipped mill in Western
Pennsylvania, working under the Am,
algamated scale determining the rate
of wages at Carnegie's works. We
place English rates for like work in
separate paragraphs:
The American wage list stands thus
for the year 1891:
Per turn,
Rollers In 7-iDch mill, 422 turns
of 8 hours each per year. S5,826 SO Sl3Sl
Rollers In l0-inch mill, 1853 turns 924S4 1916
Rollers In guide m,Il, 6l4 turns. 7l6O.32 1893
Rollers In bar mills, 276 turns. 1866 7.IS
Thus it seems that the lowest pric
paid for eight hours work to any roll
er was 81. 78, and the highest for labor
of equal duration was $l9. .76.
We make bold to say that there is
hardly one editorial writer on the regu.
lar staff of any one of the free trade
papers whose editors,in-chief give
orders for "slashing articles on Frick
and Carnegie's starvation wages" who
is paid at the rate. of s.. .248 Al for 46S
turns" at his work.
The English pay of roller in iron
mills is $3.50.
English pay 80 50 per day. Ameri-
can starvation wages" from S7.78 to
$19.76 for eight hours work.
In which country does the modern
Legree live-in protection America or
in free trade England?
Let US now. consider how "heaters"
are paid in American and in English
iron and steel mills. The wages in the
Pennsylvania mills have been as fol-
lows for the trade year just ended:
Per turn
Heater in T-inch mill. 422 turns of
| hours each. ........S2.Sl4 ~ S6.SO
Heater in lO-ineh mill, 46S turns of
| hours 6acn n..................... 4,b2t " y So
Heater In guide mill, ola turns Of
| H..
Heater in bar mill, $50 turns OF
| hOuTS each... h............'.'......' o,ZIUOO %
English pay 81 go for a days work,
American pay from So. .83 to SO. S8 for
eight hours work.
1t really seems that if"protection has
it's Frieks," as the Chicago Herald re-
marks, Great Britain must have some
thing very much worse.
The pay of blast furnace keeper has
been 1926 per day under the scale
hitherto in force in the Pennsylvania
mills, and 50 in England. Ladle men
have received from $2.75 to So. .75 in
the United States, and from 81 to 81 10
In England.
This, perhaps, is why the southern
| employer, who desire cheap labor, are
in favor of repeal Of the infamous pol
icy of protection, and why their Obedi-
ent servant. the Nolthern Democratic
press, clamors for it..
Converter men are paid from 81 80
to $3.50 in the American iron works,
and 81 45 in England.
Certainly 81. 40 is nearer to the limit
of starvation wages" than $3.50 or
$S. SO. Weare acquainted with people
who have saved enough to become
house owners out of an income of less
than 90. so per day.
Rail straighteners earn $40 per day
uDder the Amalgamated scale in Amer.
lea, and S1.s5 in England.
Ten dollars per day is equal to the
salary of the judges of many Circuit
Courts in rural districts. Itis $50 pei
week. 1t Is quite nice thing to have
Sixty dollars a week may be starVa-
ton wages, but If Cleveland should be
elected half million or so Of Demo
| CEAI5 wall 10 AO0uN 0SA ah1blah6 Ava pun
lie offices that pay less than half Of sixty
dollars q week.
II The lowest priced labor employed In
mills running on the Amalgamated
scale receives 81. 80 per day. Its coun
tsrpart in England is paid 62 cents.
These figures are submitted to th'
consideration of all thoughtful people
without reference to the proposed re-
duction. of IL per centat the Homestead
! works, though that proposed reduction
Affects only 825 of those who have beer
earning from s6sS to $40 75 for eigh
hours work, and does not touch thu
wage list that ranges from 81. 80 Il
81. so . day. The agures prove thai
, under protection wages in Americ'
have reached an eminence that seem
. | incredible to the Earopean workman
The Homestead matter is 10 be deter
. naned mpon evidence. II. despite Of |
. fali of 1s per cent ln selling price, 81