The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1892-07-19

PIrrsBURe. Pa, July lathe con.
gressional investigating committee re-
turned from Homestead at o'clocs
last night, and commenced the hearing
ats
Chairman Oates swore Mr.. Frick and
conducted the direct examination.
Mr.. Frick said there was not q cor
poration; it was formed under the linn
tied partnership laws of Pennsylvania.
'What business is the association
engaged imp"
They are owners of the Edgar
Thomson, Bessemer, Homestead and
Duquesne steel works, the Lucy fur
mace, Keystone bridge works, the
upper and lower mills, Beaver Falls
mills, Scotia ore mines and Larimer
and Youghiogheny coke works. We
employ in those several establish.
ments about 10, 600 men"
''How many men do you employ at
Homestead?"
About $500. The concern was en-
gagged in the manufacture Of armor
plate for the government The con-
tract calls for about 5000 tons Of
plates ranging in thickness from to
20 inches"
''Will you now state the differences
of the workmen employed in your
Homestead works and how much paid
for each class of work?'
Mr.. Prick here produced the pay roll
~ cha s~nh vv,sl1 fo. %hn cr0~eI, ~
May last, which contained the name
OF every man and boy employed. the
number of days worked and the wages
received. The wages ran all the way
from $40 to SETS. The wages
of the rollers were the
highest These average from Sa5C
to s275 for the month. The heat.
ers from Sls5 to $50, heaters helpers
about Sl35, trainmen about SOS. head
shearers 500, shearers' helpers SOS.
gaugers SIS and a number of other
men averaging about SIS. The total
amount paid in wages to this de-
partment for the month Of May was
SEQ. coco
Mr.. Oates: snow. Mr.. Frick. you
have spoken Of the earnings of several
skilled workmen. Upon what basis
are these men paid?"
Mr.. Frick: Upon the basis of q
contract made July l, 1859. which was
to run for three years. expiring July l,
1892. It was the sliding scale system.
The rates when agreed to were to con-
tinue for three mouths, determined
upon the average selling of steel
billets and the average price OF one
term to be the basis of the next three
months"
Mr. Frick then recitcd the negotia.
tions with the men on the new scale
and the failure to agree.
BY this scale, he said. only 32s ont OF
the 3, 800 men were affected. The men
presented o scale which in almost
every instance called for An advance.
Mr.. Frick stated that the proposed re.
auctions were based on the decline in
prices during the past three years.
Tank steel plates were reduced 81 per
cent. channels 50 per cent and steel
billets 10 per cent The reduction in
wages was about Is per cent
Mr.. Frick attributed the continual
decline to overproduction and the re-
duction Of the tariff. There had been
q decrease he thought in the importa.
ton of the articles upon which the
men were affected by the proposed
new scale. He could not approximate
the difference between coast of labor
per ton in Europe and here.
Mr.. Frick then stated that another
point in dispute was the change Of
date for the signing Of the scale from
July to January because it was against
their interests to be idle during July
and August when building is most
active. The men were willing to re-.
duce the minimum from SIS to S24, but
desired that the scale extend to July
l, 1895. No agreement could be
reached and the works shut down.
Mr.. Coates: ''In consequence of all
these disagreements what reslltcdp"
In answer to this question Mr.. Fric<
read his interview given to George NJ.
Mccain, the day following the Home.
stead riot, which was admitted as evi.
dence.
Mr.. Gates: "You state that after the
sheriff failed you employed the Pinkcr-
tons. Did you appeal 10 the govcrnorp''
Mr.. Prick: No. sir. The experience
of past years was that the sheriff was
powerless. We concluded TO employ
our own watchmcn. put them on our
own property and have Thorn STAY
there to protect IL we hired them
and agreed to pay them S. per day and
we secured 900 of them on June "a.
We concluded it would be necessary 10
protect our own property and employ
new men"
Mr.. Prick declined TO give the cost
of production of the various articles
manufactured by the concern. as well
as the cost of labor. saying he was not
giving out the secrets of his business.
THE CORONER'S INQUEST,
Several WitpesSes Examined at HON q.