The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-10
VERSION OF THE MEN.

They GIVE Their side OF the Conero-
versy Over Their Wages.
HOMESTEAD, Pa. July 9.-The following
statement was given out Tonight by the
Homestead iron and steel workers:
HOMESTEAD EMPLOYEES ANSWER TO THE cARNEG1E
COMPANY.
The differences existing between the Carnegie
company and their employees at Homestead d
have drawn from H. @. Frick q statement of
the points in dispute, which makes necessary q
reply in order that wrong impressions OF con-
ditions may not be received by the pubic
1t is asserted that the employees. combined
with others of their trade forming the amalga-
mated association, wish abs lutte control over
the Homestead works. This charge can
only be supported to the satisfaction Of
those who deny the right OF
an employe to enter objections to any eondi
Iions offered by an employer. The workingmen
st Homestead, nor at any other Of the hundreds
of mills organized into the amalgamated associa-
tion, have no desire to dictate the wages they
Shall receive; but they see no good reason why
they should not exercise the right OF engaging
with their employer in a controversy through
which the rate OF compensation for their labor
is fixed.
The workmen are now, as they always have
been, prepared to meet the repres sntatives of
the company and discuss the provisions con =
tanned in the scale submitted by them. If the
conferences already held failed to bring about a
settlement, it cannot be said that this was the
fault of the workingmen. The scale
under which the men at Homestead were
working was arranged in July, 1889. The rate
of wages was fixed according to the selling
price of AKA besseer steel billets, wages advanc-
ing and declining with tne selling price of that
article It was proviied that the minimum
should be S25. Complaint is made that no
minimum should have en- insisted upon. 1t
is the experience of iron and steel workers that
some precautlon is necessary to protect them
selves from being reduced to extremely low
rate of pay by the acceptance by manufacturers
of sales below current rates. AS the working
men do not sell the product, there must be
point where reduction in wages Dy reason OF
low figured sales snail cease.
1t is alleged that labor organizations are iniu-
rious alike to toilers and those by whom they
are EMPLOYED; in substantiation of which IL is
represented by the firm that there is no organ-
ization amongst their employees at the Brad
dock, nor the Duquesne street works; that the
men there are satisfied; that they receive good
wages, and that no strike has occurred at those
works since the institution of that management.
1t may be said that the satisfaction of which
Mr. Frick speaks as existing at the above works
is forced rather than voluntary, as may be
proven by the many efforts of the
men in these mills to organize themselves
in secrecy, knowledge of such intentions
coming TO the ears of the company would oe
and was followed by discharge The wages
enjoyed by the men at Braddock and DuQueSne
are the direct result of the rate OF compensa-
tion sustained by the organized iron and steel
workers. While they are not organized In
these mills, the rate Of pay for the class of
work done by them, fixed by their fellow
tradesmen, determines the pay that can COM
mand their services. 1t is the custom OF en-
pioyers of non-unon men in the iron and steel
trade to pay the rates provided by the amalga-
mated scale in order to secure the services of
men of that trade. 1t is found, however, TO be
invariably the case that while these
employers pay the rates provided by the
amalgamated association the men are
required to accept conditions which are
ta1tamount to a reduced rate although not so
appearing on the face. We have reason to be-
lieve that the union plants of Braddock
and Duquesne can be proven TO be no excep-
tion to this rule.
TIE Introduction of improved machinery, to
which reference is made by the company, has
displaced men that were necessary before the
introduction of such machinery. and in this
manner repays the costs OF the Investment.
The output Of the mill is always considered
when arranging the scale, and If an increase Of
output without increase OF labor TO workmen
il brought about by improvements, there
is every opportunity offered by the workmen
to arrive through conferences, at an
equitable scale; but when employers refuse to
engage in discussion with the employed on the
matter, all hope Of a just settlement is lost.
An attempt is made to lead the public into
the belief that the number Of men affected are
few Here again it becom,s necessary to i'm
press on the public mind the fact that there
are three distinct propositions contained in the
DISPUTE namely a reduction In the minimum,
another reduction on the prOportionate rate OF
pay, thus making double reduction, and that
the scale terminate Dec. 81, 1898, instead Of
June 80 1894. IL must be understood
that, while all of these propositions
do not affect the whole OF the Homestead
workmen, few Of the $500 employees OF that
place escape without being affected BY one or
more of its provisions What does not affect
one does affect others, and it might be said that
instead of the company's proposal altering the