The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-18
White Employees in Iron and Steel Works to
Be Supplanted by Negroes, Who Are Said
to Do More Work ana Give Less Trouble.
Arthur and Sargent Restrained from
Extending the Ann Arbor Strike.
Neither Will They Be Permitted to Boycott the
Road-Damsge Suit Against the Chief En-
gineer-Why Negotiations We're Ended.
CARNEGIE's LATEST MOVE.

Coiored Men to Take the Place of whites
In the Iron Masnate's Great Mills.
Special TO the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON. March 1.-THE Carnegie
company is replacing foreign labor in its
works about Pittsburg with neRroes from
the South"
This simple statement in current tele-
graphic brevities has caused more quies
comment in commercial and political circles
An Washington than any thing which has
occurred since the memorable Homestead
strike. There are i'll Washington to-day Q
hslf dozen Of the largest iron manufactur.
ers from the South and the Middle States
There are also here now SIX or eIghs
large manufacturers who occupy seats
In Congress. In private they are discuss
ing the meaning of this announcement
from the Carnegie works, and the future
of manufacturing interests. Not one of
them will suffer his name to be quoted in
the use of his sentiments. but the Journal
correspondents is at liberty to quote one Of
them in a general way. This men is Con-
gressman Of national reputation and one OF
the most extensive manufacturers in the
country. He is an intimate friend Of
Andrew Carnegie and at one time was one
of the managers of the Carnegie works
Il recently had long private talk with
Mr.. Carnegie" said this statesman manu-
facturcr. .'and l learned more of the future
OF manufacturing interests than i ever
knew. In the first place let me again say
that the recent strike at Homestead in no
way involved the general principles of the
union of mechanics It involved the use
of machinery which enabled man to turn
out neary three hundred tons of steel in Q
day to about eighty tons under old ma
chInery. The men demanded the Same pay
per ton under the improved machinery that
they received when they worked with tho
old. i can't see why q mechanic objects to
the Introduction of machinery which will
Quadruple productions without additional
labor IL they are given the same or q little
moro wages. 1t seems that the union VIII
never reconcile itself to the introduction
of improved machinery.
81 want to make the prediction that in
all the principal factories of the South, es.
pecially. and in many of those In the North,
and emphatically so in iron and steel works,
negroes will. from this time forward. take
the places of white man. If there should
would hurt no one but tho strikers. I
might say that strike In that establish
ment year hence will be next to an I'M
possibility. Negroes will not strike. They
have more concern over the interests
OF their employers than have white
to their union. but somehow they
manage to AVOID strikes. 1t is true that
white men. especially In the South. will
not work with negroes upon an equal basis,
but that prejudice will be overcome with
time. A white molder, for instance, re-
fuses 10 work with a negro even though
the latter IS the better workman. except
he is an assistant to the white man. The
best mOlders and come of the vbess
achinIsts have ever seen were negroes.
/ recall an instance which came to my
notice the other day In a Southern city
which illustrated the fact that black labor
one. l went into an iron mold
ing establishment and found that the union
had gone so far as to dictate to white mold
ers that they should make only so many
pots of certain weight in so many. days.
1t was found that the molders could not
only make twice as many as they we,e
making under the rules. but they were
anxious to DO IL. / saw kettle weighing
about nine hundred pounds which required
the labor OF two men three days 70 produce.
Those white men were paid S2.75 day
each. / went across the street and entered
q similar establishment where black mold
ers were employed. L was shown kettles
of the same weight as were shown meIn
the other establishment. A negro pro-
duced one every other day. 1t cost $3.50
to produce the kettle In one shop and SO
In the other. Strange to say, none OF
the white Ilen owned their homes, while
vine and fis tree"
Turning to the means which would be
employed to. supplant white mechanics
with negroes from the South. this eminent
statesman and manufacturer said: II do
not say that all white men will be sup.
planted with negroes. / only mean to say
that the medium and lower grades of me.
chanical positions will 90 to black men.
factories that strikes Will be next to an
tmpossibility. The Carnegies can fill their
factories in q week with black men from
the South If they will set about to &C.
mplish tho changes. and this they will
do gradually. There Is an immense amount
of common mechanical ability In the South.
The field for selection is almost unlimited.
Tens of thousands of black men will 60 to
any factory North If their expenses are
paid and they are given work. Puddlers
can be made of black men in few nths.
Brick makers are made OF them In q month.
They are adopts at>any thing about
furnaces. They Learn woodwork IN
the shortest possible time: Mold
steel workers in all the medium grades
and classes are soon found In the greenest
black men. Only intelligence. industry
and perseverance, are necessary. l am q
and hope that the labor unions will at
once modify their rules which 60 90 deep
into the detail management of factories
and give the men In their individual cae
paclty cnhnoe. IL tnoy 10 hot leal tne
south will be depopulated of its black
men. and black faces will be seen
where white men work in factories north,
very soon. 1t is q Transformation which
marks the most important era In labor,
especially union and white labor, and be-
hind this Carnegie movement are lot of
the leading establishments of the North.
The Carnegies In their fight last summer
only stood out as the Representatives of
certain strong element of manufacturers.
There is forming q league In this black