The herald., 1896-12-07
THE AMERICAN FEDERATION
Opens Its Sixteenth Annual Convention
at Cincinnati
Woodworking Machinery Makers Form
Tremendous Trust-Rockefeller
Ambitious to Outdo Carnegie.

| bership of SEQ, 600 The paramount ques-
ton this year will be to perfect more
complete organization of American
worklngmen. More strenuous efforts
will be made to have the eight hour law
go into effect. There are candidates. as
usual, for Gompers' place, but it is the
general opinion he will be reelected.
He was pres dent for the first thirteen
years of the federation and after one
year of service by John Mcbride, sue
ceeded to his old place. The local COM
mittee has secured $1,000 for the expenses
of the convention.
At secret meeting here last night all
the wood working machinery manufac-
turers of the United States were consol-
idated, but no terms can be learned.
About s2o,00o,oo0 is involved. The five
gentlemen who conducted the negotia-
tions are Nelson J. Waterbury and Hen
ry Nelson of New York Thomas T. Egan
of the Fay & Egan company of this city.
and G. p. Allensberg and Henry 3.
Morehead, representing large number
of other wood working machinery con-
Germs in this country. 1t is understood
all of the leading manufacturers in this
line have consented to go into consolida-
tion and that the deal while many de-
tails are Yet to be arranged is ago.
ROCKEFELLER'S AMBITION
CHICAGO, Dec. Ga morning paper
makes the following announcement:
John d. Rockefeller is seeking to outdo
Andrew Carnegie as an iron king and
his plans are already matured and about
to be carried out aiming to that end
The Standard Oil company directed
by Mr.. Rockefeller, will be the foe of the
Scotchnan. This company has purchas-
ed in South Chicago, along the shores of
Lake Michigan and at the mouth of the
Calumet river plot Of ground and with
water frontage of 5000 feet. On this it
is said rolling mills will be erected to
cost S10,000,00O and possibly twice that
amount.
With this plant for manufacture with
the vast mines in the Messaba region
for the raw product and with eighteen
tank vessels to carry the ore to the very
'doors OF the works, all owned by the
Rockefeller company. that corporation
may be able to dictate terms to Mr.. Car
negie and his associates instead of being
dictated to.
Mr.. Rockefeller'S scheme is not new
He has had it in mind for several years.
but not until now has he been ready to
put it into effect. His preliminary
movements have. as usual. been kept
quiet. Not until today did anything
reach the public and then it was through
an accident. Some weeks ago large
plot of ground was purchased in South
Chicago. The sellers We're the Calumet
Canal and Dock company and several
private individuals; the real buyers were
not publicly known. The price was in
the neighborhood of $500, COO, divided into
three payments The first installment
was paid when the deed was signed and
the next Will be made December TO- 1t
was not necessary that Mr.. Rockefeller
should divide the sum-
The iron and steel business, at least
that part Of it dealing in steel rails, is
controlled entirely by Carnegie and his
allies, the Illinois Steel company of Chi
cago and the Colorado Fuel and Iron
company of Pueblo, Col. The price of
rails at Pittsburg is s2S; at Chicago s29;
at Pueblo $33 Whichever of these con-
Germs are nearest the purchaser gets the
rails. Rails cannot be had of any one
else.
This is the situation which Mr.. Rookie
Teller has tackled He expects to make
steel rails from 25 to 80 per cent cheaper
than the trust can. He can then sell
them much cheaper.
The new mills at South Chicago will
not be confined to the manufacture of
steel rails, however but will make struc-
tural iron of all sorts as WELL 1t is stated
further and on good authority that Mr..
Rockefeller may even so into the armor-
plate business
The site of the new works is good for
a mammoth rolling mill. The river at
this point is twenty feet in depth, enough
to float the largest lake vessels and pro-
vides perfect entrance for the Stand
ard oil ships which will carry ore from
the mines a Lake Superior. These same
boats will serve a powerful whip in
the hands of the Standard oil magnate
in case the railroads attempt to fight
him, for they can also be used for the
grain trade and literally demoralize
freight rates in every direction
MINERS TROUBLES.
SCRANTON, Pa, Dec. 6-Several
hundred striking Italian miners are
causing trouble at the Forest Coal COM
panys mine at Archibald. a few miles
north of this city, and excitement there
is intense. Bloodshed was narrowly
averted last night by the employment
of armed detectives to preserve order.
The Italians objected to the reduction
from their pay of the cost of employ
! ment of expert overseers, who were
/ keeping watch over the miners to pre-
| vent the robbinS OF pillars IN the mines.
| They are also opposed to the removal OF
| ccal stored in forty cars in the drift of
| the mine. The detectives dispersed the
| men and made eight arrests.
A PREACHER INTERESTED.
| CINCINNATI, O.. Dec. 6-Rev. Her.
| bert S. Bigelow, pastor of the Vine
| street Congregational church, has an
! nounced his intention of inviting Sam
uel Gompers, president of the American
Federation of Labor, to deliver an ad-
! dress in his church one evening during
| the convention of the federation. 1t is
! the general belief among local labor off,
| cials that President Gompers will accept
| the invitation. The pastor of the church
! has done great deal for the labor move
| ment and he is deeply interested in
| economic questions.
HAMBURG DOCkERS.
| LONDON. Dec. CA dispatch to the
! Times from Hamburg says a second
meeting of employers has re-affirmed
| their refusal to arbitrate the dockers'
| srike. This is due to the fact that q