The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-07-05

tributcd will be uneaned for time at
least.
It is possible that tho controversy Of
Homestead would havo boon settled
had it not been that Just at TINS tino
the general rolling mill scales ilro also
under discussion and that it was feared
by the Amalgamated Association that
any concessions ut Homestead might
weaken them in their contest with tho
iron mills. The practice OF having ell
wages settlements at ono time in Juno
has much in its favor from tho working
mems standpoint, but there are ele-
ments OF no little weakness In this rnie
and possibilities OF contests that would
not arise II scales as diverse as those OF
the iron mills and wills similar to
Homestead were settled at different
times as are the scales at the Edgar
Thomson works.
As we understand the situation at
Homestead three questions are in
VOWED:
OF the scale from $25 to $23 tor AKA Besse-
mer billets.
Second-A change in the date OF tho
expiration Of the scale from June 30 to
December 81.
Third-A reduction in tonnage rates
at those furnaces and mills where i'm
portant improvements have been made
and new machinery has been added that
has greatly increased their output and
consequently the earnings OF the work
men. Where no such improvements or
additions have been made no reduction
in tonnage rates are asked.
AS to the first question. It may be
we'll to point out to those who do not
understand the methods OF payment
that skilled labor about the mills and
furnaces are paid on sliding scale
based on the selling price Of steel bill:
lets, which are one Of the products OF
the Homestead mill. AS the price OF
billets advance tonnage wages or the
wages paid per ton advance without
limit, AS the price falls wages fall
down to a certain point called the min
imum. Any decline in selling price
below this minimum brings no reduc-
tion in wages. This minimum has
been S25. It is proposed by the COM
pany to make it S23. The claim is that
II wages are based on selling price down
at least to reasonable minimum and
that in view Of selling prices $23 is now
fair minimum. 1t may be stated that
the contract now in force provides that
the weekly quotations in the market
columns OF the American Manufacturer
shall be accepted as the selling prices
of billets. There certainly is force In
the claim Of the manufacturers that If
tho men demand that they be paid on
sliding scale that the wages shall follow
the selling price down Us we'll as up,
that they must take the bad with the
good: that il the rule applies to high
selling prices when the manufacturer
can afford to pay high wages much
more should it apply in times Of low
selling prices where he is loss able to
pay.
AS to the second point, the change Of
dates OF the expiration OF the scale.
There is argument on both sides. It Is
well that manufacturer should know,
especially one making the forms OF steel
made at tho Homestead, what wages he
must pay during the year so that he can
make his contracts for tho year accord
ingly; but on the other hand II con-
test must come 1t is better for the work
men that 1t should be in summer than
in winter.
But after oil the important question
at issue is tho Sd. The reduction on
tonnage rates.
There is decided misunderstanding
in the public mind as to what is cover
ed by this proposed reduction. how
many are affected and what the effect OF
the proposed reduction will be on earn
The proposed reduction in tonnage
rates apply only to three departments
in the works, Wis:
SO" Slabbing Mill.
1l9" Plate Mill.
Open Hearth Furnaces.
OF the $500 employed at the works
only some $50 men are effected by these
tonnage reductions, and the total num-
Der OF employees who are affected both
by the reduction in tonnage rates and
in the scale minimum including the $50
is less than S25, not 10 per cent OF tho
employees. There is, as Is stated above,
no reduction proposed at any mill or
furnace at which tho output has not
been very greatly increased since the
1SS9-92 scale went into effect, and FUR
ther ut the proposed reduction in ton
mage rates tho earnings will in almost
every case be greater than the earnings
at the time the 1899 scale wont into
effect, and evcn on tho S23 minimum OF
the new scale tho earnings will in
many cases be higher than at the $26 so
rate in force, whom the 1880 scale took
effect
For the first Eve months Of the Home
stcad Steel Works wages scale, which
expire, June 80, 1892, that Is to say from
August TO December, inclusive, 1889,
the average monthly products OF the
Departments for which q new scale,
from Jnly /, 1892, was presented BY tho
The Carnegie Steel Company, Limited,
to the Amalgamated Association, were
as follows:
40 inch siahbiug M!Il......,..I ,C1 tons.
ii5 Inch Plate as tons,
opon.heafth Furnaoes"...,.. 20 tons per turn
While the tonnages for May, 1892, were:
50 Inch slabblng ,Mill........v.e,2e!S tons.
li0 inch Plato Mill..,............526s tons.
Open. hearth Furnaces, 9sI tons per turn
Showing a tonnage increase in
SO inch siabbing Mil per cent
III jnch Plate Mn per cent
open.hearth Furnaces oi......'...."'.l'6 peE cent
A comparison OF tho wages paid in
representative positions at the begin
ming Of the lss9-s2 scale with those