Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-07-21

HlBHJS were tldUB from lnIDTmatlOn re-
ceived: he had carefully read the
Mckinley bill and denied that the bill
called for decrease on all other articles
also.
Judge Taylor--I understand you tc
give it as your opinion as to the cause of
reduction on the selling price of billets,
tho reduction of the duties thereon and
the increased production by this COM
pany3
Mr. McLuckie-That is the idea ex-
actly, sir.
Question--IIow could this company
make more money by selling their billets
cheaper?
Answers Simply because it is very
small item in the productive capacity Of
their mills.
Judge Taylor--I can not understand
how they can make money by selling
their billets at less price than before.
Mr.. McLuckie-"Thc Duquesne is not
union mill and the men have nc
defence there, they have no regular
scale of wages. At any time the com
pany wishes to reduce these mems
wages they have no defence. They can
run bilets down to almost any price SO
10 " IOlIlDtl tIblll W ~ hphI NlNli
them and then bring it to the HOme
stead plant also. We make some billets
at Homestead, also, but while we may
possibly make 100 tons of steel billets
VIC make 5000 tons of beams, DC.
Question-Why should the firm want
this reduction, when they certainly lose
by it?
Answer-Because every article pro-
duced is based on that particular item
Of steel billets They could do it with
out the tariff, if they had our scale
signed and our wages based on the price
of these billets; they could have done
much better than they have DONE If
they could get the minimum basis low
enough it would pay them to take all
the tariff off.
Question--Do you know the diff
ference between here and England in
the price of billets?
Answer--I understand 81 difference
There was a conspiracy by this COM
pany to do by legislation what they did
not succeed in doing with the deputies
three years ago.
Judge Taylor-You think this con
spiracy consisted of whom?
Mr.. McLuckie-I think the Pacific
railroad people were connected.
Question-And whom else?
Answcr-H. G. Frick and the Carnegie
interests. think there was quite large
circle il you cared to gather them up.
Question-Any members of Congress
Answer-rhc bill was passed.
Question Then a majority of Con-
gress must have been in it? st.
+ Ala nnt Sou 90 ~,
here for the purpose of insulting this
committee.
THOUGHT THE MEN WE'RE MAKING TOO
MUCH MONEY.
William Roberts, an ex-vice-president
of the Amalgamated Association, was
next called. After number of pre-
liminary questions he was requested to
make his own statement in his own
way. Mr.. Roberts worked in the armor
department, and was one of the scale
committee that conferred with the firm.
SIN January the firm asked the men to
present scale. We did SO. Two weeks
later we were sent for-we supposed to
discuss it. Instead we were pre-
sented with scale by the firm, who
asked that we present their scale to our
people. We agreed 10 do so providing
they would give us some reasons for
asking such reductions. They would
not discuss the subject, but finally Mr..
Potter said the heaters and men like
myself were making too much money.
| said this was strange, because there
were no reductions proposed in the
wages of the men whom they claimed
were making too much. The reduc-
tions effected some who for eight weeks
had not averaged 81 per day. When
their ultimatum came out May Both it
contained foot note fixing my wages
at the old rate. Mr.. Potter told me
that it would be useless to hold confer
ences unless our committee had power
to act. told him il we agreed upon a
scale he need have no fear of it being
changed. We had been given every
reason to contemplate trouble. On one
occasion Mr. Potter said to me: wait
till July comes; your little gold mine
will be closed up. '"