The advocate., 1892-07-06

1StA AADbs SNS5'
Andrew Csrnegie's ieutenants are pre-
pairing for great struggle with organized
labor az the Carnegie mills at Homestead,
where 1900 workmen are employed chiefly
in the manufacture Of armor plates for the
government. The men have given no sign
of accepting the scale Of wages which was
presented TO them some time ago by the Car
neVie firm. They have until the oath inst.
to decide, but il is evident that the Carne-
gies do not expect the answer to be sstisfac-
tory, and so they propose to displace the
old employees with nOn-union men who
will work for the wages offered.
The great Homestead plant, with its ex-
pansive yards and endless tracks, covering
nearly 400 acres, has been enclosed by an
almost air tight board fence which is fully
nine feet high. Along the top Of this fence
are stretched three stands Of barbed wire,
which, when tbe war begins, will be charged
with electricity, and cannot therefore be
touched. Inside of this fence are now being
constructed double rows of gas and water
pipes. At the main entrance and just inside
the ponderous gates have been erected two
substantial water plugs. Cook houses are
being built within the enclosure. Sleeping
arrangements have been made for the
workmen, who are to be imported, and an
enclosed platform, extending from the
railroad station over the high fence and into
the works has been built.
This covered platform, it is explained,
will enable the company to bring wOrkmen,
should the threatened lockout occur, with
out their being seen or known to those
whose places they will take. The large fire
plugs at the main entrance, with pressure
of 400 pounds to the square inch' are to be
used, il is claimed, to protect the workmen
against any assault that may be made from
the outside.
The scale proposed to the workmen, it is
claimed by the Carnegies, will not lessen
the earning capacity of the men to whom it
is offered. Il is intended, they say, only to
equalize wages and give to the firm it's
rightful share Of the profits that result from
improved facilities.
The workmen on the other hand claim
that the new scale will reduce their wages
from Is to 40 per cent They are members
Of the Amalgamated association, whose ma
tionsl convention is now in session at Pitts
burg, and say they will fight the new scale
to the end.
The present acting head of the Carnegie
interests, II. G. Frick, is known as an ag-
gressive opponent Of trades unions, and it is
believed the new scale is offered as much
with a view to making the plant non-union
as to secure lower wages.
Perhaps the part Of this dispatch most
significant Of the fact that Carnegie Is
preparing for wholesale bloOdshed if
necessary to carry his point is that he
has employed H. @. Frlck to manage his
interests. On his head rests the blood
of hundreds of Pennsylvania working
men, who, In times past, have been shot
down In the Connellsville coke regions
by Plnkerton detectives In his employ.
Blood has flowed till 1t nearly put out
the fires In his coke furnacep, while he
has gone on, apparently undisturbed by
the slaughter. And this Is the man whom
Carnegie. this petted product of "protec-
tion," selects to manage his campaign
against the men who object to cut down
of from 10 to As per cent in their wages.
Can anyone fail to see the significance?
From the dispatch heretofore quoted
1t appears that Carnegie propoes to In
troduce some novelties In warfare. He
intends to use electricity as a killing