New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-08
WHAT LED TO THE HOMESTEAD TROUBLE
AN EXPLANATION OF TIE DIFFERENCES bi
TWEEN THE EMPLOYERS AND THE
wORKMEN.


woRKMES.
| The Issue OF "The American Manufacturer and Iron
World, for July l. In commenting the labor troubles
which have since assumed such serious aspect az Inc
| Homestead mills, has this explanation of affairs;
AS we understand the situation at Homestead, three
questions are involved
First-A reduction In the minimum Of the sale from
| $o5 to $23 for AKA Bessemer billets.
7econdA change in the date Of the expiration OF the
scale from June 80 TO December 81 .
1hlrd-A reduction In tonnage rates Mt those furnaces
| and mills where important Improvements have been
greatly increased their output and consequently the
eam1gs Of the worklnen. Where no such improve
ments additions have been made no reduction ID
But. after all, the important question at issue Is the
third-the reduction In tonnage rates: ,,,
There is decided misunderstanding in the public
MUD what is covered by this proposed reduction.
how many are affected and what the enect OF INC pro-
posed reduction Will be on earnings. .,,.. ,,,.
THE % the %os s Rsy rR
inch slabbng mill, l19inch plate mill and open hearth
OF the $500 employed at the works only some ESQ
mon are affected By these tonnage reductions and the
total number OF employees who are affected both By the
reduction tonnage rates and In the scale minimum,
including the $50 is less than 325, not 10 per cent OF
the employees There IS; as Is stated above no rednc-
put a been very greatly INCREASED since the 1889
3 scale went into effect and further at me PROPOSED
every case be- greater than the earnings at the time
G Of the sG new scale the csnss vii many
cases be higher than at the $40 90 rate In force when
the 1859 scale took erect
For the first five months Of the Homestead Steel
Works wages scale, which expires June 80 le92-that
/. to saw from August December inclusive, 1892
he average monthly products Of the departments for
Which new scale from July l, 1892, was presented
81 the Carnegie Steel Company Uimitcd) to the
Amagsmatei Association were as follows
s2inch slabbine mill ...............7, 6s1 tons.
II a inch pate Mill ..................345S tons.
Open hearth furnaces .......,.. 20 tons per turn.
While the ionnagos for May, 1892. wee
coinch slabbine mill q, POS TONS
O. inch plate mill 81 PCS tons.
Open .hea rth furnaces ........ 23 tons per turn.
showing a tonnage increase in
22inch slahbng mill 200 per cent.
onch plate Mill of Iscr cent.
Open hearth furnaces or........ lT0 per cent'
The reasons, therefore, that have led to this Do
mand for a reduction IN tonnage rates are:
l. That as these rates are based selling
prices the old minimum OF Sc5 is too high In vtsW
OF the reduction in prices
.. That there hns been such increase IN out
put TO justify reduction and sl leave the earn
lngs OF the workmen practically unchanged, or In
some but slightly reduced. at the reduced
minimum. and further that in the near future these
earnings will be greatly increased.
fluctuations OF Bessemer steel blets from January
l. to June -. Up TO February they were quoted at
so5 ton, and then they steadily fell until June
when they touched So 40, and gradually rose TO
1913 - on June Pa.