New-York tribune., 1892-08-22

duction was curtailed in June OF Jne present
year in anticipation strike. and decrease
| of wage earninYs was the result. The estimated
earnings for June. 1893, under the proposed
scale, would not give an accurate idea oil "hav
| the men would receive. for the introduction oil
improved machinery will enable them TO handle
many more tons in the course Of month 'nah
| heretofore. As it is. enough new machinery has
been introduced since 1889 to largely increase
| the tonnage score of every man who Is paiu os
| the ton.
| Here is an illustration Of the appnca'ioh VI
| the new machinery When the slluih3 S"i,
was adopted 1t required the physlcai SuenS'' VI
a score of men TO raise an ingot of molten steel
/ from a furnace TO buggy on which ~ WIS
wheeled 70 the rolls. AMI from the buggy 10
tho rolls An Immense crane now does the work.
The ingst is picked up bodily by gisahuo
cl.yv- tho arm of the crane is swung around py
steam power. and the ingot is deposited directly
in front of the rolls or course, the new way 10 -
much quicker, and while more s'eei ninI eam %
| handled than ever before. much f5s paiSonid
labor is required In studying the table ~ snoulu
Ie remembered that in 1880 the men worKeu wv wv
turns in twenty -four honrs-that Is there WIZ
two sets Of men, each of whom Werkeu hon
hours. one relieving the other. IN 1871, VIII VIII
the new machinery was put in. eighthour turns
were ado;'.cd with three sets of men; ~ a ,a'
were to become ill, his place was hiieu DS son. ii
one doing similar work on one OF tne oo"ci 'ui'
and the substitute received double pay, ns as
there are always "A number Of absenfces among so
many workmen, there has always oeeh ahple re
opportunity for those so disposed 10 @ earn nore
Day Be.iles il rush Of work required mort
labor than could be performed by the men COM COM
posing regular turn, those on one OF .He o.nei ,
turns have been called upon Tor iie %rNNo, anu M
have added TO their earnings py as Mucn dr.
would accrue at their tonnage rate from tie hr,n
Der Of tons of stee they may have hahaieuc In
computations in the tables: however nav '.n per
| ..;xl. FOR Y.
been based on twelve and eight hours o1 sertce.
Eight furnaces have been added to me OPrh
Hearth Department. making sixteen IN all LIE
has naturally about doubled the output OF tnat
department. but as each furnae required an extra
set of turns the wages Of the men III tnat sectoh
of the works increased only in proportion 20 .he
increased output from each furnace. As III the
case Of the 19-inch plate mill. estimated enrhhes
for June, '03. the new basis would sh9W
falling Off, but in this as in the other ca'e, al3w &
ance must be made for the increased output due
10 the introduction OF new machinery.
The same proportions Of increase are shown IN tue
32iich sabibne mill table, with the exception tiial
the output Of that mill for June. 92, was greater
than in the other departments previously referred
TO- New machinery for handling the metal Is TO I've
put into that mill also, which will enable the men
to increase rather than to suffer decrease OF tci
earnings in June. '93. This department guns win
exceptional uniformity throughout thestear,, the
output Of all of the months being about equal
The tables for the other departments show un-
form increase of wages. They are those of depart
ments not affected in any way by the proposed new
scale and the increase is due entirely to the largely
augmented facilities for increasing the output. The
men are paid by tonnage rates. in which there h'i'
eben no reduction, and in which none has been
asked for
An idea of the increased output may De obtained
from these figures: During the first five months
of the operation Of the sliding scale in 1859. the
average monthly output for the three departments
affected by the proposed new scale was 52-inch
slabbing mill, 1861 tons l9inch pate mill. 3,ajS
tons: open hearth furnaces, 20 tons turn. he
tonnageS for May, 1872. we're: 32-lncl slabhnS
mill, 9,2G5 tons 1l9-inch plate mill, 1,26o tons
oepn-hearth furnaces. % l-2 tons turn.
Everything in the town is governed by the CON
dItons prevailing at the mills and the wages ~ all
sorts of mechanics and skilled workmen employed
of 16 per cent since lsaa With the tables OF
wages paid In the mills will be found short but
hi1hly instructive table Of In various occupa-
tlOns outside the mills.