Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-12
ONE FIRM PROTESTS,
But Manufacturers Generally
Approve the Signing
of the Scale.
ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION
Is the Reason Given by One Concern
for Shutting Down.
BUSINESS MEN ARE GRATIFIED.
Lmalgamated Association Expects Other
Firms to Come In.
ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION
BUSINESS MEN ARE GRATIFIED.
Lmalgamated Association Expects Other
Firms to Come In.
THEY WILL FIGURE OUT THE CHANGES

The agreement of the manufacturer and
Amalgamated committees on scale was
received with universal satisfaction by the
business men of the city. Some of the
manufacturers expressed some little dis.
satisfaction but only one firm has so far
made formal protest against it Several Of
the most prominent iron and steel manu-
fucturers were seen by DISPATCH re-
porter last night They expressed their be-
lief that it was about the best arrangement
which could be expec ted under the circum-
stances
The only firm so far that has made for
NAL protest against the scale is the Pitts
burg Forge and Iron Company. Secretary
F. E. Richardson, of this company, sent
word yesterday to Messrs Oliver and Bailey
that his firm could not operate under the
scale agreed upon, and they would therefore
not sign it Mir. Richardson was seen by a
DISPATCH reporter yesterday, and when
asked what prompted this action, said: SIT
would be utterly impossible for us to work
under the scale as agreed upon. I had no
idea that such scale would be signed, nor
did know that the committee had power
to sign any concessions.
Determination Claimed.
''The reduction granted is so small to us
that it is hardly worth considering. What
we object to is the unjust discrimination
against Pittsburg In the East the manu-
facturers get their boiling done from s. 25
to 81 In fact, the latter price is the scale
offered by the Amalgamated Association to
manufacturers east of Altoona. When we
take exceptions to this fact we are met by
the reply that Pittsburg has better natural
resources in the way of fuel, etc. Why
should not manufactures have the advan-
tages of the natural facilities when they
locate and put the capital in this city?
''As 1 said before, the reduction is so
small that 1t is not worth considering. Take
the bar mill for instance. Bar rolling by
the old scale was zoe FER ton. 1t was re-
duced to Csc; bar heating from zoe to
63c; bar cat ching from 43Ec to
1880. This would make the total reduc-
tion per ton as per scale on the labor cost
Just 1890. In the guide mill the base
price was formerly 50 80 for rolling. This
was reduced to s. 61, being a reduction of
29c per ton. In the scrapping furnace,
which does not amount to much with u.s.
the reduction amounted to 2Oc per ton.
The pudding price remains the same, and
in order to get the slight reduction in the
finishing we must run it through our pud
ding department, where the scale is direct
discrimination against Pittsburg manu-
facturers."
Steel Will Replace Iron.
The puddlers have certainly burned
themselves, as far as they are concerned, in
not granting concessions on their scale. Of
course iron has to be used for a great many
purposes, but it will be found that the pro-
duction of iron will materially decrease, in
asmuch as steel, which can be made cheaper,
will be run in wherever there is a chance.
The mills which wll sign the scale will run
their puddlers half time, and those having
steel plants back of them will not run them
At all Any mill which does not possess q
steel plant will ne in as bad condition, if
not worse, than before the agreement was
made.
John Jarrett Secretary and Treasurer of
the Association of Iron and Steel Sheet
Manufacturers, when asked if he could tell
the number of men affected BY the scale and
the amount of money which will be put in
circulation when the mills start, said:
THAT is big question, and I doubt if
there is a manufacturer or an Amalgamated
man in the city who can answer it correctly.
In fact 1 have not been paying much atten-
tion to the general scale, as all my time is
taken up with looking after the sheet iron
and steel"
Jarrett Non-CommittaI.
"You are in favor of arbitration, are you
not Mr.. Jarrett?"
well, don't care to say anything about
that now, but at some future day will give
you my views at length on the subject
However, am pleased to see that a settle
ment has been arrived at"
George McMurtry said: ''Our interest in
the scale terminated last July when we
signed for our mills. Any work am now
doing is of philanthropic nature"
Joseph ID. Weeks, in answer to query
OF the reporter as to how many men are
affected by the scale, said: 81 am at work
upon that subject now and find it very diff
hcuit thing to get information upon. The
manufacturers have never divided their
men into the different departments, so it is
impossible at present to ascertain how
many men have been at work.
'In regard to the effect of the pudding
scale 1 think it will be very disastrous.
You can to-day buy steel billets for 81 25
less than muck iron, and the price of biIlets
is unusually high, now caused by so many
of the mills being idle.
Taking the market in its normal state
there would be an average difference of So
per ton in favor of steel As result of this
steel will be substituted in great mauy
places where iron was used, and the puddlers
will soon find that they have not as much
work to do as they had. The puddlers are
cutting their own throats."
Reasonable Settlement
Henry W. Oliver when asked what he
thought of the scale, said: 'T think it a
reasonable settlement. Of course we did
not get what we wanted, but it was great
Gcal better to make some concessions than
to have long drawn out fight such as this
threatened to be. 1 don't think a puddler
gets any more than he should as compared
to other workmen, but do think it bad
policy for the Amalgamated Association to
discriminate against Pittsburg. The effect
OF this upon the production of iron in this
city depends entirely upon the conditions
of the market. If there is enough going to
fill up the Eastern markets, then the over
flow will come to Pittsburg. Of course, the
highest priced man will have to bring up
the rear of the procession. If the puddlers
by their discrimination prohibit the enter
ing of Pittsburg iron into the market, the
results are something they will have to
answer for themselves"
That the iron masters and the Amalga- |
mated Association had made an amicable |
adjustment of their differences was the talk |
OF the streets yesterday. Everyone had |
some view or opinion to offer upon the all |
absorbing topic. The manufacturers |
exhibited no little conservatism |
when questioned relative to their views, |
however. All are making preparations to