St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-07-15
Chairman Frick Declines to
Answer Questions, But
He Figures Chilly.
Testimony Showing That
First Shots Came From
the Boat.

"
papers that the Investigating committee
was divided upon the question which
they were investigating and that there
would he a minority report made was
untrue. He said the committee was
now inguiring into the facts of the case,
and it could not be determined until all
witnesses had been examined when the
report would be made. nor whether any
differences existed between members
OF the committee. He thought. how
ever, that only one report would be
| made. and that report would be unan-
imously Endorsed by the members of the
committee.
Gen. Supt. John A. Potter, of the Car
negie company. was then placed upon
the witness stand. and testified as fol-
lows: - !,
A Rosy View.
''The work done in our mills is different
from that done in any other mill. The rollers
do no, have the hiring CIR dstharging Of as
sistance. That is all done by the company
Each department has its own superintend.
enL The rollers are responsible for the
work. and II not properly done are not paid
for it''
dero MT. TOLCer described In Qeta1i the
process of making armor plate, stating that
with the machinery used, by the Carnegie
company the cost of production was much
less than thatof other mills, and the profit
| to the iabOrerS more. PC et--.fs
"How do these mills compare with other
mills in the matter Of productio1l-labor re-
CURED to produce the output and wages for
1--WE have the best mills in the world-the
most complete and automatic. Our products
are not made 10 the same extent by any other
mills in the world, and we have many appli-
anceS that are not to be found elsewhere
what then are the advantages III the
Homestead mills by which a man there can
millsf" $50 3ltsssi
i s'The perfect machinery in our mills by
which man can turn out more productthan
is possible in other mills"
I Knows Nothing of Cost.
''Mr. Potter. can you give the committee an
approximately correct idea of the cost of
product in the mills.'
mo, Sir.''
'Can you give us an idea of the labor costr
mo, sir; don't see the cost books
/ ''Do you know. anything about the pro-
posed scale of which the present difference
/ between the Amalgamated association and
the company aroseF'
mo, SIR
|. do you know anything about the changes
/ proposed by that scaley'
YES: sir; the company desired to make
i some changes, chief of which were the mini
mum basis, and the time at which the scale
should expire. The difference in the mini
So al first. but the company afterwards came
up to the S23 basis. In the other matter. the
company desired to have the scale expire
Dec. 81 instead of June b. as it. now expires.
Four departments of the mill were affected
by the proposed changes in the SCALE
'How many men in the four Departments
of The mill were affected by this changer
''About four hundred, as nearly as can
why did the company seek these
changes:' tia
I'VE were paving more money than our
machinery that enabled The men to make the
highest wages of any laboring men in the
country, and thought it only fair that they
should be content with less"
Conveniently Ignorant.
I'm other words, you thought they were
getting a little more than their share of the
profits OF the concern; is that it!''
Il cannot say as to that
us it not true that even with this state OF
affairs the company was making much larger
profits than any concern of the kind i'll the
country"
II do not know anything about the profits
or losses of the firm -
What do you know about the employment
of the Pinkerton force which went to Home
stead on the morning of July 6:''
1.-THE works closed finally July 2, and we
had men engaged as watchmen, about 800 of
them, who were to come from other cities"
The witness then repeated the story of the
barge trip up the Monongahela and the bat
tie when the attempt was made to land He
said the first shot was fred from the shore.
MIR. Bynum asked ii he had not stated that
the improved machinery at Homestead re-
duced the cost of production one-half that of
other mills.
Mr.. Potter again spoke Of the great facili-
ties Is. at the Carnegie plant, but Mr.. Bynum
that the cost was much less than at other
mills.
A Workers Views.
Chairman Oates called for Austin Caib-
felsch who took the stand and stated that he
was roller.
Chairman Oates-Can you explain the diff
ference between the old and the new scale
and the percentage of reductions proposed
by the new scale?
Mr.. Calbfelsch-In heating and pudding
the reduction is only about per cent The
greatest reductions come on the jobs where
the hardest work is concerned. The witness
said the difference would be reduction from
500 to S67.
How much did you usually make in
month";
ION basis of 1,5OO tons per month my
wages were Sal As per month. The proposed
scale would reduce my wages to S92.''
/ The witness stated that the new scale would
enable the shearer's helper to make S1.S5 per
day. The cost for heating rolling and
shearing was $3.50 per ton.
Capt. Kennedy, the Waterman on the
iPinkerton barges, was next called. He
also detailed the fight, and confirmed
the statement of the previous witness
as to the first shot. Capt. Kennedy said
there were twenty-five or thirty good
shots among the PinkertOns. The
others were hiding behind boxes and
/ places.
Prick Under Fire.
Chairman Prick was then recalled,
+ Chairman Oates-Mr Prick, several state
ments have been made as to the effect the
scale would have upon the men in the four
departments. Can you give any specific in
formationf 1t has been said the reduction
will affect those who do the hardest work.
l. Mr.. Frick submitted a comparative list of
wages In the different departments during
Mr.. Oates-Why do you take May as an ex-
ample: We're the wages higher or lower
during that month?
little higher during that month than the av-
erage. statement of open-hearth furnace
No. for May shows that out of 296 men en-
ployed, 100 would be changed and 1876 remain
unchanged. Out of 172 men'employed in No.
mill 70 would be reduced and o. not. We
have lost money this year on every ton Of
billets, slabs and blooms sold at Homestead.
Mr.: Oates-Are the wages fixed arbitrarily
Frick-With the exception OF those fixed
by the sliding scale the rate Of wages is fixed
arbitrarily.
Mr.. Prick proceeded to give a statement
that the Carnegies do not control the billet
market. At Duouesne. he said. 800 tons were
turned out per day, while at Jones &
Laughlins where the firm used yesterday for
the purpose of comparing LOGO tons pro-
duced. He thought that was sufficient to
show that the Carnegies do not have
monopoly. The new beam mill at Home
stead was completed about fifty days ago at
q cost of $S00.000.
Furnishing Figures.
Mr.. Oates-What did the Homestead mills
cost?
Frick-The plant cost about 5000 600 or
$4,000, 600. 1t was said Yesterday that Jones