The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-07-16
IRON WORKERS.


Something About the AmnIgamnted As
sociation-A Powerful aud shrewd set Of
Men at the Head of IL.
PITTsBURGH, July s.-The Amalga-
mated Association of Iron and Steel
Workers, representing the working
men in the present labor conflict, is
powerful labor organization, in the past
having n good record for it's conserva-
tive methods of dealing with wage
questions. Its lodges can be found in
every town where an iron furnace rears
its head or the clank of steel-worlSing
machinery is heard.
Each year the lodges send delegates
to convention which meets at Pitts
burgh to adjust wage scales. 1t has
been the plan for the convention to pre-
pare it's scale and then treat with the
manufacturers organization, when con-
cessions on both sides would result in a
satisfactory adjustment of all differ
ences pending.
The association has regular offices in
Pittsburgh, with an intelligent presi-
dent at it's head, a secretary and other
officers in charge of the different dis
tricts. VIM. Weihe, who for years has
been at the head of the association, is q
man noted for his powers of organiza-
ton and his conservative and business
like manner of dealing with grave
questions.
In personal appearance he is is per-
feet giant, being over six feet tall and
of physique that is commanding.
| Vice President Garland is also n very
conservative business man. Every one
of those at the head of the association
are cool-headed men, who have in the
present trouble done nll in their power
| to keep the hot-heads from doing rash
| acts
The A. A. of I. and s. w. ranks with
the Glass Workers association as being
the most conservative labor organiZa-
| ton in existence.
Many outsiders had floclted to Home
stead and the sight of the hated Pinller-
ertons, acting like red flag Haunted in
front of the men, placed them beyond
the control of the cooler element.
The association has fund of between
5000, 900 and $3.50, 900, which will, so its
officials say, all be used if necessary in
the pending struggle.
Mr.. Carnegie was poor boy when
he landed in Pittsburgh with his
parents from Scotland, and began
business life as a telegraph messenger.
| When he had earned and saved a
| little money he bought an interest in
a little foundry, and he made his first
million by the manufacture of steel
rails To-day lie is the largest manu-
facturer of pig-iron, steel rails and
coke in the world. He has house on
Fifty-firs street, near Fifth avenue, in
New York; a residence in Pittsburgh, a
summerhouse in the south, Highland
castle in Scotland, and an English
manor near the Ascot race track, where
he is living at present. He owns iron
furnaces, mines, railroads and syndi'
cate of English newspapers.
A steel billet is four inches wide and
deep and of varying lengths. 1t is to
the steel manufacturer what pig-iron is
to the iron manufacturer. 1t was made
the basis of sliding scale of wages,
which Mr.. Carnegie and the Amalga.
mated association of iron and steel
workers signed three years ago. The
market price of steel billets as quot
ed on board cars at Pittsburgh
was to govern the pay of the men
who used their brain and Drawn and
muscle and energy in operating the fur
naces and mills of the Carnegie inter
ests When the scale was signed in
1889, after strike which was marked
by exciting scenes and some bloodshed
at Homestead, the market price of steel
billets was S2S. The minimum price
for the purposes of the scale, was
never to be below s25. 1t did not re
main at S2S long.
AS he manipulated the steel-rail in
dustry years ago, so Mr.. Carnegie be
gan to manipulate the steel billet in
dustry, From s2s a ton the price o:
steel billets dropped to s22. During
the three years just ended the mini
mum price for the sliding scale was
$25, and the employees at Homestead
have been paid accordingly. Even a
s22 a ton Mr.. Carnegie is so amply pro
tected against foreign competition tina
he has none.