Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-07-15

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 S27j
per month. The wages Of the rollers were
the highest These averaged from $3.50 to
500 for the month The heaters ranged
from S1Sj to $50, heaters helpers about
S13O, train men from $07 to Sl20, head
shearers 500, shearers' helpers so, gaug
ers so, and a variety of other men averag-
ing about SO. The total amount paid in
wages to this department for the month Of
May was $50, POP. Mr.. Frck stated that
the scale which expired July / was based
on steel billets at S26.50 a ton. On that
basis the rate 100 tons for the heaters
first helper was S3.07, and his daily earn
ings were S4.53. In the proposed scale for
lS02-93 this rate was not changed, but with
the increased tonnage made possible by the
introduction of new machinery, his daily
earnings would be over 50.
Mr.. Prick told the story of the unsuc-
Cessful negotiations with the men, and re-
lated also the fact about the company send
ing for the Pinkertons. The letter sent
to the New York agency called for 800 men
and stated that it did not wish them to be
armed unless later developments required
this to be done.
In the evidence since taken by the com
mittee no new facts of importance have
been elected, except an admission by Mr..
Prick that he informed the Pinkerton
agency that their men would probably need
arms.
The Point at Issue and the Scale of
Wages Paid.
Tho n c,,ppop,,'e eiJa Of No
trouble at Homestead is stated by Manager
II. C. Prick in a press interview. Three
points We're at issue. First, all the skilled
worlmen in the Amalgamated association
of steel and iron workers work under what
is known as a sliding scale. This is based
on the tonnage OF output. As the price
of steel advances, the earnings of the men
advance: As the prices fall, their earnings
decrease in proportion. While there is no
limit to an advance of earnings on the
scale, there is a point at which the decline
stops. 1t is known as the minimum, and
the figure heretofore has been S25 per ton
for 4X4 BeSSemer billets. Improved ma
chinery has enabled the Homestead work
men to largely increase their output, with
consequent increase of earnings, and the
company asked, As matter OF justice, that
the minimum be fixed at S23 instead of
So. This the association refused. Sec
ond the company wished to have the
date of expiration of the scale of wages
changed from June 30 to December 81, so
that estimates could be made for a full
year beginning Jan. l Of each year. This
was refused, and SO was the proposition to
reduce the tonnage rates in those depart
ments where Improvements have enabled
the workmen to increase the tonnage and
therefore their wages. Where no improve
mentS were made no reduction was asked.
The company made these propositions their
ultimatum and declined to submit the case
to arbitration. The men were equally
stubborn in refusing any concession, and
so the strike and lockout, for it is practi-
cally both, began.
Mr.. Prick stated that only 325 out of
$500 men would be affected by the pro-
posed reduction. This statement is not
denied by Hugh O'Donnell, the leader of
the strikers, who claims, however, that
this was only to be the beginning of a gen
eral reduction among all the men.
From table which has been printed
showing the wages under the old scale and
the proposed new scale, it appears that the
skilled workmen have been earning as high
as S6.37 to 1896 a day,--in some cases
much more, it being no unusual thing for
leading men in the best positions TO earn
for So TO 800 and more a week. 1t ap-
pears, still further, that under the proposed
! reduction the wages of the skilled men
would range from 81. - to So or 50 a day.
! The wages of the common workmen range
! from Sl.S6 a day upward. 1t is the men
receiving the highest pay who opposed the
reduction most strenuOusy.
The Story OF an Eyewitness.
J. c. Kendall, superintendent of schools
at Homestead, was in Springfield, Mass,
! for short time Tuesday afternoon. He
was interviewed by a Republican reporter,
to whom he said that none of the accounts
of what took place on the day of the battle
| had been exaggerated. The excited mob
| of wOrkmen were determined on the
slaughter of every Pinkerton man on the
! two barges. The treatment of the men,
as they marched through the street after
| their surrender was Just as shameful as has
been described The hoodlum element
and lot of hysterical women were to
blame for that. The workmen proper, the
men who had borne the brunt of the fight
ing during the day, did everything in theil
power to preserve their prisoners from
harm.
Mr.. Kendall saw the Pinkertons in the
rink and their condition was "frightful. -
THE shirt front of one man was one great
blOtch of blood red; about every head was
| bandaged, dozens of ears were gone, and
so on, just as you have read it While {
| sympathizer with the Homestead workmen