Omaha daily bee., 1892-07-08
FRICRE INTERVIEWED.
tie Explains the Carnegie Company's p,
ton in the Present Tronbl,

tie Explains the Carnegie Company's Posi-
ton in the Present Trouble.
PIrrsBCRG, Pa, July III. G. Frlcke
chairman of the Carnegie Steel company,
this evening was interviewed as follows by
George n. Mccain, the CORRESPONDENT OF the
Philadelphia Press:
WHAT was the basis of tho difference ex-
listing at present between the Carnegie com
pany and their men, Mr.. Fricke:"
"Ihere were three points upon which we
differed. The skilled worknen in the Anal
gamated association work under what is
known as sliding scale. AS the price of
steel advances the earnings of the men aG-
vance; as the prices fall their earnings de-
crease in proportion. While there Is no
limit to an advance of earnings on the scale.
there is point at which the decline stops
IL is known as the minimum, and the
figure heretofore has been So per ton for
Aka Bessemer Dillets. We believe that if
earnings based on the selling price of steel
can advance without lImlt the worltmen
should be willing to follow the selling price
down to a reasonable minimum, and so this
figure was finally fixed by the Carnegie
company at the rate of S23 instead of SEQ
The reason for asking this uDon our part
was that the Carnegie company has spent
large sums of money in the introduction
or new machinery IN It's Homestead
plant, by means of which the workmen
were enabled TO increase the daily OUTPUT,
thereby increasing the amount of their o Sn
earnings. We mad originally asked II redur-
ton to S22. but subsequently agreed to com
promise the rate at S23. The Amalgamated
association was unwilling to consider re.
duction below so on steel billets, notWith-
standing the tact that the improved machin-
cry would enable their members, even at S!3,
to earn more than Is paid in other amalga-
mated mills. This was the first point at
issue.
Asked That the Date BE Changed.
Under the present amalga mated system
the date of the sliding scale is June 30, an
nually. We ask that this date be changed to
December 81 Same as at Edgar Thompson'sJ
for the reason that the change would permit
us to take our estimate upon the wages that
we must pay dlclng tho year beginnmg
on January l. so thaJ we would b. enabled
to make contracts for tho year accordingly.
This point the AmalgamaCed association re-
fused to concede and demanded the old date.
"Hhe third proposition was the reduction
in tonnage rates in those departments III the |
mills where the improvements | nave spoken |
of have been made, and which enable the |
WOrkingmen 10 increase tho output and CON |
scquently their earnings Where no sucn |
Improvements had Deen made, there was no |
request upon our part for q reduc- |
tion in tonnage rates. In other words !
we asked no reduction in any depart |
ment ut which the output had not been |
greatly increased by reason Of our expensive |
improvements since the scale of 1889 went |
into effect We are prepared TO show that in |
nearly every department under our proposed |
reduction in the tonnage rates the skilled |
worKmen would make more money than they |
did when the scale of 1889 went into effect.
''As a ru o the men who arc making he |
largest wages in the Homestead mill were |
the ones who most bitterly denounced the |
proposed revision Of tho scale, Tor out Of the |
3. 500 men employed in every department, |
only 325 were directly affected by the reduc- |
Ii IN. Finding that it was Impossible 10 |
arrive at any agreement with tho Amalga. |
mated officers we decided to close cur WORKS |
AT Homestead"
why They Called on the Pnkertons. !
"Why did the Carnegie company call upon |
the Pinkertons for watcnmen TO protect their |
prOpertyF
= 1--WE did not see now else we would have |
protection We only wanted them tor walch- |
men 20 protect our property aud see that |
workmen VINO would take the Homestead |
scale-and wo have he'd applications from |
many men to 90 there to WORK k--were not ln-
terfered with"
did you doubt the ability of the sheriff to
enforce order at Homestead aud protect your
Yes sir; with local deputies"
"Whyh
For the reason that three years ago our
concern had an experience similar TO this
We felt tho necessity OF a change AT the
works and that "a scale should Oe adopted
based on the sliding price of billets and we |
asked tho county authorities for protection.
Their only source OF Protection.
''rhe workmen began tactics similar TO |
those employed in the present troubles
The sheriff assured tne momOers OF |
the firm that there would DO no
that ne would give |
them ample protection and see that men who
were willing TO work were not interiGred |
with, What was the RESULT Tho posse |
taKen up by the sheriff-something over 100 |
men-wero not permitted 10 land on our