Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-07-27
Facts for American Workmen.

The wages paid for labor in the iron
and steel mills of the Carnegie Steel
company and Carnegie, Phipps & Co.
at Homestead, over which the work
men and employers are disputing, are
more than double the wages paid for
similar service in the iron and steel
mills of England and Belgium.
We do not cite this fact as an argu-
ment in favor of the $24-a-ton scale
of wages demanded by the workmen
nor the $23-a-tOn scale offered by the
employers, but rather as warning
not only to the workmen in Home
stead, but also to the wage-wOrkers
in every district of the land, of the re-
duction in wages, sweeping and over
whelming,-which would mark the
triumph of the Democratic policy Of
tariff reform destruction and the
throwing down of the present barriers
to unlimited competition between the
industrial establishments of the In
tied States and Europe.
Before the great pressing danger of
tariff destruction the differences over
wages between employer and employ
ed, like that at Homestead, dwindle
into insigniicance.
The "Iron Age" of June 80, 1892,
gives the following figures of the wage
scale of a well-equipped mill in western
Pennsylvania, working under the
Amalgamated scale,-the scale which
hitherto has determined the scale of
wages at the Carnegie works
The pay of rollers under the Anal
gamated scale on June 80, was as fol
lows:
Per turn.
Rollers in finch mill, 400
turns of hours each per
year IS, $50 IS SIS 81
Rollers in l0-ineh mill, 46s
turns 9,24S A 19 IS
Rollers in guide mill, 5l4
turns T,16O 81 IA 90
Rollers in bar mills, 276 turns 2,l46 &C IS
Thus it seems that the lowest wages
paid for days work OF eight hours
to any roller was SITS, and the high
est S19.76.
The English wages of rollers averages
about $3.50 per day of eight hours.
Thewages of rollers under the Anal
gamated scale was: 4.
Per turn
Heater in finch mill, 442
turns of s hours each :. S2,G14 40 Sc 90
Heater in 10-inch mill, 46S
turns of hours each....... 1924 % IS
Heater in guide MILL 5l4
turns of hours each ........ $3.50 Is AZ
Heater in bar mill, 552 turns
of hours each .......-....... 1920 90 SIS
Thus it appears that the lowest
wages paid for days work of eight
hours to any heater was 1888 and
the highest $9.9S.
The Englisl, wages of heaters averages
$1.6O per day of eight hours.
The pay of a blast furnace keeper
has been 1926 per day under the
scale hitherto In force in the Pennsyl-
vania mills, and So in England. La
die men have received from S2.75 to
SE.75 in the United States, and from
81 to $1.15 in England.
Converter men are paid from 81. so
to $3.50 in the American iron works,
and 81 Is in England.
Rail straighteners earn $10per day
under the Amalgamated scale in
America, and 81 35 in England.
The lowest priced labor employed
in mills running on the Amalgamated
SCdlo receives S1.0O per Gay. 1CS
counterpart in England is paid 90
cents.
What effect would the destruction
OF the present tariff, including iron
and steel duties, with the unlimited
competition between the American
and English workers. which would be
involved, have upon wages at Home
stead?
What effect would tariff destruction
have upon wages at every industrial
center of the Union?
The Democratic party denounces
protection as a fraud, declares that
protective duties are unconstitution-
al, and demands that all tariff reve-
nue. needed for the government shall
be secured from tea, coffee, sugar,
mOlasses and other articles now adj
mitted free Of duty.
What are American workmen going
to do about it?
Theirs are the chief interests at
stake.
In their heads, hearts and hands
rests the decision at the ballot box.
Albany Journal.