Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-07-06
A TEST OF STRENGTH

To BE Made by the Carn0gie's Nova
Political Organization Being Effected
by the Men.
PITTsBURG, July 5.-Mr. Fl. c. Frick,
chairman Of the Carnegie Steel Com
pany, limited, went to the Sheriff's office
this morning and asked that 100 depu-
ties be sent out to the works at Home
stead as soon as possible to protect the
steel works. Sheriff McCleary immedi-
ately sent up Deputy Gray to look over
the ground and begin to collect the men.
He said that while he is friend OF the
workingmen, he would protect the
works.
The Secretary of the Carnegie Com
pany said this morning that II by the
first of next week the 700 men at Home
stead, who went out with the men from
sympathy, had notreturned, their places
will be filled with other workers and
the repairs begun at once.
This move has been expected by the
Homestead steel workers, though they
were in ignorance this morning OF the
time and Of the request for protection
on part of the firm.
The members of the Amalgamated
Association were confident that the firm
intends TO make test of strength with
in very short time, for it could not
well wait a year to break down the
StrictnesS Of the watch. 1t was stated
this morning that Manager Potter and
about twenty OF his superintendentS are
away in different cities, presumably
searching for the goo skilled workers,
without whom il would be impossible to
start the mill. This is accepted as a
further indication of the management's
desire to try and start the mill at once.
The Advisory Committee Of the men
to-day gave out statement In reply to
an interview published by the Secretary
Of the Carnegie Steel Company, Ltd, in
which that gentleman said:
II have occasionally been in the Office
OF Superintendent Potter, Of the Home
stead Works, when the Mill Committee
came with some demand. l was sur
prised how gOOd-humoredly Mr.. Potter
took impudence from them, which l would
certainly never have tolerated. While the
Amalgamated Association dealt at Home
are going to do that ourselves hereafter.
This fight is not a matter of politics with
US. IL is purely a business matter, and no
political considerations will influence us"
The Advisory Committees statement
is as follows:
We would be perfectly willing to make as
a feature IN the lockout the conduct OF the
mill committees and the management, for
"a Ertsinlr uffH eir- 1 NuaiOu
have been misied by Manager Potter in
this connection. There is not an Amalga-
mated mill in the Pittsburg district where
the management has as much sway as at
Homestead. Men have been discharged
without cause, or TO cover the incom-
potency OF clerks and we have quietly sub
mitted The Mill Committees in calling
upon Mr.. Potter have been assailed with
language positively shocking. For in-
stance, on January 3, several men were dis
charged in the Nickle-Plate because they
did not shear up sufficiently to hide
several blunders Of MIR. Potter Two Of
the men had met with severe financial los
ses and had large families The Mill Com
mittee went TO intercede for them and were
treated most diScOurteOusly.. The man
agement has very incompetent recorders.
Heaters are frequently ordered to charge
steel they know will not make good beams
or structural material.
Then, as the manager does not like large
piles of scrap lying around the yard for the
heads of the firm TO see, the men in the de-
although the spilling of the steel
was no fault of theirs, must shear the stuff
for nothing, and do not get paid for the
heating. For example, in the l0-inch mill
the men, not long ago, had to shear up 40
tons Of scrap, blunder Of the manage
ment"
To-day 10 was announced at Home
stead that the steel workers are organ
izing a Republican. Democratic club; or
a political organization Of Republican
steel workers 10 vote the Democratic
ticket. The advisory committee expects
500 voters to join the club.