The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-07-15
THE SArIoSALrrEs.

Chairman Oates said: MI. Welhe,
1 would like to ask you what nationals
ties arc represented in the Amalga.
mated Association"
Mr.. Weihe-"Well, some are English,
Irish, Scotch, Welsh and good many
Americans. Our organization is not
secret except the pass word"
Mr.. Boatner-"Does your organizes
ton foster or countenance any such re-
sistance to employers as We are now In
yestigating"
mo, sir"
GLOW many men who work in the
Homestead mill belong to your associa'
tion?"
Mr.. Broderick-"Does your association
encourage any violence|
mo, sir" ,
Mr.. Frick was recalled and said: 1--WE
asked for reduction OF wages because
by reason OF the reduction in price Of
our product on every ton OF blooms,
billets and slabs we sold this year we
lost money. Our Homestead mill and
the Duduesne produce IL per cent OF all
the steel biilets made in the United
States.
"In our 2S-inch mill our two rollers
were paid in May S2S5 and S2N. The
six heaters each got $50, and tho heat
ers' helpers $50. In this mill We Hsk
noreduction. The mortgages we hold
on houses Of our employees IS only TO aid
them in the erection Of his home. Wo
allow them to pay it off by tho month.
We have never foreclosed d mortgage OF
this kind. We churgo them 6 per cent
and allow them tho same whom thcy de.
posit with us. Our men at Homestead
have about $4,000 on deposit with US,
on which we pay 6 per cont, and We
hold mortgages amounting to $4,000.
"The market price OF pig iron !s Sl4
and tho cost OF converting this into
steel billets on an average is' about SlO,
so that on an average to produce ton
OF steel billots costs S24; this Is leaving
out tho Investment"
Mr., Oates-What does it cost at
Homestead to produce o ton OF steel?
"That I must decline to answer.
That is going into private business. l
have givon you the average I'LL over the
United States to produce ton OF stool
billots."
Mr.. Boatner-well, then the McKin'
lev tariff has caused q loss in the price
you got for your output, and a conse.
ouent reduction OF wages.
Mr.. Frick-No, sir; the Mckinley
hill does not have such an effect Tho
iower prices we're tho rosult OF ovorpro-
duction.
company has takon foreign contract
for steel rails at 81 less than the price
Mr.. Frick-"That is not true. We
have made no such contract"
HCould not your works be continued
at the old scale, and your company
no. sir; ws could not. 1t would
certainly drive us into bankruptcy II
there was no adjustment OF wages"
MIR. Droderick-"You feel the tariff
has no place in this trouble"
mo, sir; not in the least. Had tho
duties on tho goods We manufacture
been reduced, Il would have had seri.
Charlea Mansfield, a real estate dealer,
testified that he was positive the first
mot was fired from the boats. The men
ON the boats said: Men, we Rre Pink
ertons, and we arc going in that yard.
We will give YOU fifteen minutes to got
out OF that mill yard"
Chairman oateS-rhe committee be-
lieves II has finished tho investigation
so far as this branch Of tho trouble 10
concerned. and We will adjourn. We
have the Pinkerton system to invcsti'
gate in this connection, but will have to
20 to other places.
The committee will leave for Wash.