Arizona silver belt., 1892-07-16
rHE STRIKE oF TEE CARNEGIE sTEEs
 " REERs.

The strike at the Honestead Steel ! Works, from whatever aspect it may be ! viewed, is most deplorabls, and re- proach to our civilization and our laws undsr which such occurrences are pos sibls. In view of the many labor troubles and riots with which the authorities of Allegheny county, Pa, have been called upon to deal, and with full knowledge of the desperation of the strikers and sympathy of the pso- pie of Homestead with them, it would appear as though the sheriff was highly censurable, if not crimiuslly oulpable in failing to make earlier and more vigorous preparations for the preserya- ton of peace.
 There is Q good deal of misconcep- ti0R as to the cause of the strike which has been purposely obseured and dis torted for political gain, and this is the most odious feature of the lameutable occurrence, that partizan and servile press, for no other reason, Or with TO other excuse, than the questionable ad. vantage which might accrue to their party, suppress the facts and appeal to the worst passions and prejudices of their readers,
 The scale of wages at the Homestead works which went into operation July 1st, 1889, s1pired Juno 30th, 1892. It was sliding scale, i. e., wages usre governed by the fluctuations of 4x4 steel billsts above @ minimum price of S25, below which wages could not go. Under this scale the price of billsts rose to S37.50, in January, 1890, and wages advanced correspondingly. Since that time prices have steadily declined, and in order to offset the loss thus oc- oasioned, the Carnegie Company have from time to time introduced new ma chinery and appliances, which have largely increased the production, and as tho wages of employees were based upon the tonage output, the improve nsnts made by the company at an out lay of hundreds of thousands of dollars had the effect of largely increasing the wages of the workmsn
 
 The decline in the price of steel has been severely felt by manufacturers. From January, 1890, to May, 1892, the price of billets declined from s37. 50 to s22.25 per ton. During this period the workmen were protected from the decline by the increased production ef fscted by new machinery, The com pany felt that it should share in this benefit and in the new scale proposed by them S22 was fixed as the minimum, and after conferences with the work men, they agreed to conosds sl DOT ton, making the minimum s23. This the men rejected, although the selling price of 4x4 billets has recently been bslsw that figure
 The reductions contemplated under the new Homestead scale affected only those departments in which the tonnage has been greatly increased, and n some instances wages would be greater.  Iron Age, the oldest paper of the trade in th. United States and strictly relia- bis in its statements and figures, pub fishes a very instructive table giving a comparison of wages in the three mills, under the old and new scales, figured on basis of s26.5O. It shows no ma ts-ial rsaactiors Only in three or four departments of tho 1f9-inch nil, which has increased it's output 52 per cent, have any important reductions bssn made, and in many instances the earnings would he increased. The highest daily earnings of g single work man in the three mills, according to the ssble on basis of s26. 50, would be S7.68, S9.55 and 8. 76 respectively, and the lowest, S2.14, s3.3s and s2. .S3 "A careful study of the table, says Iron Age, Twill show that under tho new scale the workmen would be about as we'll or better of than they were under the old.
 But aside from the question of fair wages is the more important one whether the owners of property in the United States shall be permitted to en- joy undisturbsd possession of it, and employ men who are willing to work on ths terms offered.