Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-07-09

utterances of President FrIck, printed IN
yesterday mornings papers, again aroused
the feelings of every workman who has
taken part in the trouble. His statements
were attacked on every SIDE and had he
arrived here at any time during the day
and started to walk through the principal
streets his would not have been an enjoy
able position.
Yesterday a reporter visited the resi-
dence of Hugh O'Donnell. He dictated
an interview. After closely scanning the
entire statement made by Frick he placed
the paper in "a desk near by and said: aI
don't know what l can say about the wage
question, but the change in the eXpira-
ton of the agreement from June 80 to
Dec. 81 the IIen will never yield.
4 Statement Only Partly True.
"The could company dictate its own terms
in midwinter. when starvation and freezing
united in forcing the men to submit to
anything the company chose to demand.
Mr.. Frick says the scale affects only 325
out of the $500 at these mills. This is
only partly true. If the scale proposed by
the Carnegie Steel company should be en-
down it is only matter of very short
time until there would be a general re.
duction all along the line. You must re-
member that while in the 32-inch, 49,
inch or structural mill - converting
and blooming mills-there are no reduc-
tlons offered the company contemplates
reorganization of those mills in all the
departments in the near furture. In con-
sequence thereof the officials informed the
men that their wages should remain the
same until such time as certain improve
ments should be completed.
A Principle at Stake, Anyhow.
at is very evident what this means. Be-
sides, the proposed reduction against
which the men have demonstrated is from
II per cent. to 60 per cent. outside of the
/ proposal TO make the minimum basis So
, ton on steel billets. 1t affects more than
o25 men, but even if it affected only one
| man, the principle of our organization is
One for all and all for one, and the
Greatest good to the greatest number
Mr.. Frick makes his statement in good
faith, but he has been misinformed. He
has never had any experience in the
manufacture of steel. Even if he had, it
would be no evidence of competency to act
final judge. Homestead mills are diff
ferent from any other in the world. They
are revelation even to old mill men. The
work is if such character that even with
| the perfect machinery it requires handling
by men of skill gained only by years of
training. The machinery used here is
most complicated
O'Donnell Makes Distinction.
"As to Mr.. Frick's statement that when
J Sheriff McCleary visited here the advisory
: L
! bers act as deputy sheriffs, it is not true
| The advisory committee, as its title sug-
| gests, only advised, and did all in its power
| to Illustrate any excitement or violent acts
| When the sheriff came here we asked him
! to make the citizens of the town his depu-
! ties. Further than this, we offered to
furnish bonds of $4,000 for every mans
! faithful discharge of his duty, if the citi-
| zens of Homestead were sworn in as depu-
| ties.
A Very Excellent Reason.
''One reason for our desiring the deputies
was that we have known for months of
the preparations that were being made to
send that Pinkerton force up here. We
hoped to forestall that by a peaceable
move. The attitude of Mr. Frick toward
! organized labor was we'll known, and the
fact that he was to assume control at this
| IHOuleut, Nueu IHe ON scdlS "Oulu expire
and new one was supposed TO take effect,
led the Amalgamated association to expect
! the worst"
| Frick Was Very Arbitrary.
O'Donnell then briefly recited the nego-
tiations with Frick, and stated that Frick
was arbitrary from the first, showing nc
desire or inclination to come to any agree
ment. He finally offered S23 as an ulti-
matum, joined with a condition that the
scale terminate Dec. 81, instead of June
so. This demand, said O'Donnell, "devel-
oped the fact which had been suspected
ever since Mr.. Frick came upon the scene,
that it was not so much question of
disagreement as to wages but design
upon labor organization itself that would
prevent a settlement"