Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-07-13
FRiCk TESTltiES
As TO the Cause OF the Cut-Down and
the Engagem"n' ,; J., nkertous.

As TO the Cause OF the Cut-Down and
the Engsgem"n' >; T., nkertons.
PIrTsBURG, JUS 3 - me congressional
committee last evsaiug began the investi'
cation into tue Homestead trouble
Among those present were ii. Z. Friek
aud Superintendent Patton Of the Carnagie
company. aud President Wiehe. Vice
President i.oberts, David Lynch and
Oliver Searight Of the Amalgamated as
soci,tion Mr.. Frick was accompanied by
his attorneys. Msssrs. Knox and Reed.
Mr. Frick was ON the stand the entire
evening. His examination brought out
many new features In the trouble, notably
the plan by which the Pinkerton men
were employed and the arrangements made
for their transportation to the scene. Mr..
Frick was put under severe cross-ex-
animation by Representative Boatner. Just
before the adjournment. Mr.. Frick pro
duced the payroll Of the ll9- inch mill for
the month Of May last, which contained
the name OF every man and boy employed
In that department. the number Of days
he worked. and the amount he received
The wages ranged all the way from $40 to
s275 per month The wages ot the rollers
were the highest These averaged from
t250 to t275 for the month, the heaters
from els5 to $3.50, heaters helpers about
tl3), trainmen from t91 20 tl20, head
shearers &lGO. shearers' helpers t95. guaR'
ers t75, and n variety OF other men averag'
ing about SIS The total amount paid in
wages to this department FOR the month
Of May was so0, 202.95
Mr.. Frick stated the scale which expired
July WIS Lascd on steel bilets at t26. 50
per ton. On that basis the rate per 100
-
i3o7, and his daily earnings were t453. In
the proposed scale for 1929 this rate
VS. not changed. but with the increased
tonnage. made possible by the introduc.
tion OF new machinery, his daily earnings
wonld be over s.
Mr. Frick detailed tho negotiations with
the men on the new scale and the failure
to agree. BY this scale, he said. only 325
out Of the entire $500 men employed were
affected. The men presented scale
which In almost every instance called for
an advance. Mr.. Frick stated that the
proposed reductions were based on the de-
cline In prices during the three past years.
Tank steel plates were reduced 81 per
cent; beams and channels 80 per cent,
and steel billets B per cent. The reduc-
tion In wages was about Is per cent
Mr. Erick attributed the continual de-
cline 10 over production and the reduc-
tion in the tariff. lie declined to state
the cost OF production O ton or to tell the
lahor cost alone Mr.. Frick's recently
published statement was admitted as evi-
dence.
Mr. Oates-You state that after the
sheriff failed you employed the Pinker-
tons Did you appeal TO the governort
Mr. Frick No, sir The experience OF
past years was that the sheriff was power
less. We concluded to employ our own
watchmen, put them on our own property
and have them stay there to protect IL.
We hired them and agreed to pay them s.
q day, and we secured 300 OF them on June
"a. We concluded it would be necessary
to protect our own property and employ
new men.
Mr. Boatner--Non-u union meni
Mr.. Frick We did not care whether
they were union or non-union. So on June
Is we wrote letter TO the Pinkerton
agency In New York.
This letter says the company will need
BOZ guards for service at the Homestead
mills as measure of precaution against
Interference with its plant 10 start the
operation OF the works July 8, lS92. The
only trouble it anticipates Is that an at
tempt will be made to prevent such men
as may have made satisfactory arrange
ments from going TO work, and possibly
some violence upon the part Of those
whose places have been filled.
The latter, says the company, does not
desire that the men shall be armed unless
the occasion calls for such n measure later
on for the protection Of employees or prop
erty.
The letter states that these guards
should assemble at Ashtabula, o., not
later than Iuly 5,when they may be taken
by train to some point upon the Ohio be-
low Pittsburg where thev can be trans
ferred to boats and landed at the com.
pany's premises at Homestead.
The latter enjoins secrecy and says that
when the guards are on the premises the
company will ask the sheriff to deputize
them