Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1892-07-13
IRON WORKERS.
Something Abont the Anal ganated As
sociation--A Powerful and shrcwd set OF
Men at the Head OF IL.


Workers, representing the working
men in the present labor conflict, is a
powerful labor organization. in the past
having a good record for its conscrva-
tive methods of dealing with wage
questions. Its lodges can be found in
every town where an iron furnace rcars
its head or the clank of steel-working
machinery is heard.
Each year the lodges send delegates
TO convention which meets at Pitts
burgh to adjust wage scales. IL has
been the plan for the convention To pre-
pare its scale and then treat with the
manufacturers organization. when con-
cessions ON both sides would result in n
satisfactory adjustment of all differ
ences pending.
The association has regular Offices in
Pittsburgh, with an intelligent presi-
dent at its head. secretary and other
officers in charge of the different dis
tricts. VIM. Weihc, who for years has
been at the head of the association, is "A
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 "A very
conservative business man. Every one
of those ut the head of the association
are cool-hcaded men. who have in the
present trouble done all i'm their power
to keep the hot-heads from doing rash
acts.
The a. a. of ]. and :. w. ranks with
the Glass Workers association rs being
the most conservative labor organiza-
tion in existence.
Many outsiders had flocl<ed to Home
stead and the sight of the hated Pinker-
ertons, acting like a red flag Haunted in
front of the men, placed them beyond
the control of the cooler element.
The association has fund of between
s20o,ooo and S25o,OOO, which will, so it's
officials say, all be used if necessary in
the pending struggle.
Mr.. Carnegie was n poor boy when
he landed in Pittsburgh with his
parents from Scotland, and began
business life as II telegraph messenger.
When he had earned and saved a
little money he bought an interest in
little foundry, and he made his first
million by the manufacture of steel
rails. To-day he is the largest manu-
facturer of pig-iron, steel rails and
coke in the world. He has house on
Fifty-first street, near Fifth avenue in
New York; residence in Pittsburgh. a
summerhouse in the south, IA Highland
castle in Scotland, and an English
manor near the Ascot race track. where
ne Is living ut present. He owns iron
furnaces, mines, railroads and syndi-
cate of English newspapers.
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 Il 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 rs quot
cd 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 n strike which was marked
by exciting scenes and some bloodshed
at Homestead, the market price of steel
billcts was SOS. The minimum price,
for the purposes of the scale, was
never to bc below SIS. 1t did not re-
main at SIS long
AS he manipulated the stcel-rail in
dustry years ago, so Mr.. Carnegie be-
gan TO manipulate the steel billet in
oustry. From SOS ton the price of
steel billcts dropped to s2a. During
the three years just ended the mini
mum price for the sliding scale was
S25, and the employees at Homestead
have been paid accordingly. Even at
81" ton Mr.. Carnegie is so amply pro-
tected against foreign competition that
he has none.