The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-12-28
THE oARNEGIE SCALE.

Homestead Reductions From Ten to sixty
five Per Cont-Rollers Hit Hard and
Common Labor Lot on Easy.
PlTrsBURGH, Pa, Dec. 27.-The Car
negie Steel Company has been at con-
siderable trouble to keep their new
scale from becoming public property.
and this fact seemed to be well under
stood among the men last night, so
that there was considerable difficulty
attending the effort to get any OF them
to talk about their new wages.
Tho heaviest reductions were made at
the ll9.inch plate mill and the new and
old are as follows, the prices given being
for 100 tons: Roller new rate So old
rate SD rs; screwdown, new, So 20; old,
50 70; tablemen. new, 50 20; old 81 %;
hookers, 81 70; old, So 0S; sweeper, new,
g 81; old, s. 45; heaters, new, 50 20;
old, 50 rs.
On the following jobs only the new
rate could be obtained, as: follows:
First shearman, 81 90; second shear,
man, So 40; first leader, y 81 second
leader, 3 56; lever pul!ers, s. So; help
ers, 81 q.
By way OF partia! equalization for
these cuts q readjustment OF positions
has been made which will make II pos
sible for the men to make better wages
than they would otherwise, but by
good deal harder work. Instead oil
three 0ight-hour turns Us previously
there will be two turns OF twelve hours
each, and some men will be dispensed
with and others allowed TO make their
tonnage. The heaters fare particularly
well in this respect Instead oil Two
heaters on turn having three furnaces
each with one helper there will be only
one heater, who will have all the Six
furnaces and two helpers.
This releases four out OF six heaters
from their positions, and the two who
are left can perhaps make as much rs
formerly, even ut reduction OF nearly
80 per cent. -,
been popularity quoted at 100 tons to
turn OF eight hours, but it is said at
Homestead that it only averages 50.
With l2-hour term it will always con-
siderably exceed 100 tons,
In the 34-inch mill, which is the ar
NOR plate mill, the reduction is stated
BY a gentleman who works on it to nv:
erage 40 per cent on all the high-priced
men and to be very slight ON all who get
low wages. The following particulars
were obtainable: Roller, 20 hundred
tons, which is about S4aday, old wages,
$3.50 month; heater per hundred tons,
new rate, 50 50; old SO Al; first helper,
new, 81 go, old, 81 Sc; second helper,
new, 81 TO-; bottom maker, new, 81 90,
old, 81 81; chairman, 81 10, no change;
broomotF, new, 81, old, 81 0S; tongsman,
new, 05c, old, 81 0s; roll tablemen, new,
81 so, old, 81 SO; regulators, new, 75c,
old, TIC; shear tabtemen, new, 81 ~,
old, 81 %.
On all the structural mills the cuts
are said to range from 10 to 40 per
cent. An employe OF one OF them said
his wages had been reduced by 40 per
cent, and so far MS he had heard most
OF the other highest priced men had
Jared as badly. None OF the rollers got
off with less than a % per cent reduc-
ton.
The blowers in the converting mill
have been changed from a salary OF Sl25
a month and put on tonnage at 81
hundred tons. They can make about
s. q day at this rate. The change in
the wages OF meters in the open hearth
departments is about the same. Lower
paid men OF both classes are not cut so
heavily.
The wages OF all foremen, blacksmiLhs.
machinists, pipe filters and all other
classes Of skilled day labor are cnt, as
near as could be learned, on an average
OF 10 to II per cent.
Common labor in the mills is reduced
from IA to II cents an hour. No re-
duction has been announced in the
wages OF pick and shovel laborers, who
now get 81 20 q day.
1t is said that trusted official OF the
company has recently made n tour OF
eastern mills, and that the new wages
therefore, are largely based upon his
discoveries there. The reasons given to
the men for the reductions are that
they are needed to meet competition.
MEANS HIGH WAGES.
Mr.. Frick, the chairman, said this
afternoon that the wages paid at Home
stead to-day were those offered the
Amalgamated Association in June, 1892,
before the strike, the daily earnings
Hereunder being higher per capita
than those which prevailed before the
strike. While the REIMBURSEMENT meant
reduction in tonnage rates, il business
could be secured tho radical improve.
ment in machinery and methods would
enable the employees to earn much
higher wages than would be made at
any other works in this country. At
tho other mills the wages paid to-day
were those prevailing in union" mills
in this vicinity prior to the reduction
made by the Amalgamated Association
in 1892 aud the not earnings would be
higher than arc now made in Amalga-
mated mills. AT none OF the works of
the Carnegie Steel Company, Limited,
nre they asking common labor to work