Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1892-07-29
Tin plaTe WORKERS. WAGES.
They Must BE Reduced - Astonishing
Greed of the manufacturers.

Greed of the ffanufacturcrs.
The great American manufacturers OF
tir plate are showing their hands sooner
than WAS expected. even by the greatest
skeptics Of protection" 1t was an
nounccd from Pittsburg, June II, that
"At the conference between the tin
nj; tc manufac+urers and the scale COM
mittee of the Amalgamated ASSOCIATION
this afternoon. the latter were astounded
at a call for IL reduction of wages of the
most highly skilled classes of workmen
in the tin plate and sheet iron Industries.
This call for a reduction Is III the
face of the assertion of the manufac-
turers that the tariff put on tin plate by
the Fiftieth congress was necessary III
order that good wages might be paid
American wOrkmen.
Think of il! Wages to- be reduced so
soon in this great infant industry.
The foreigners, imported by Niedring-
haus and others to work III an "Amer-
lean" industry at "American' wages,
are asked to accept lower wages. This
ought TO be the straw that will break
"protections" back, but perhaps the
matter can be patched up by the man
ufacturers who are never backward Ill
coming forward with excuses for lower
wages. This same dispatch says that
"David B. Oliver, G. Tug, j. II. Laugh
lin and other leading manufacturers
urged the acceptance Of the manufac-
turers scale on account, they said, OF
the depressed condition Of the iron
trade, just as if iron was not also heav-
ily protected" and therefore entitled
to be in a blooming" condition.
1t was only on June that the "Asso-
citation of Iron and Steel Manufacture
ers," the Timed Plate Manufacturers
association" and the National Associa-
ton of Galvanized Sheet Iron Manutac-
turers" held meetings on the same day,
in the same room, and elected the same
secretary. Those who know anything
about the matter know that the duty on
tin plate has been kept up and raised to
benefit not the tin plate makers, who
have never before existed, but the sheet
iron and steel men, both Of whom have
been making enormous profits out of the
duty on tin plate, which has kept up the
price of steel sheets and of galvanized
iron for roofing purposes. 1t was not
strange, then, that they met together
and formed this three headed trust, or
monster. The iron and steel manufac-
turers agreed to reduce wages IN their
lines an average of - or 20 per cent. II
was generally believed that the tin plate
men would not dare to exercise their
united power to reduce wages, at least
until after election, or certainly until
the tin plate bill had been discussed IL
congress-; but their greed and their
'.gaul" has exceeded the expectations Of
the most sangulne.
These "McKinleyized" and "trusted"
industries consider it their especial priv
lege to worry wage earners and con-
sumers. What do they care for the feel
ings or sentiments of the people! They
announced on June ?, 1892, THAT prices
will not be touched on in any way"
And yet The Iron Age of June 1G says
that the prices of sheet iron have been
advanced and that the prices of galvan-
lied iron are firmer, and in a few in
stances higher