New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-13
THE RAIL WARFARE AND WAGES.

rho ,ror If GIANTS as men call the struggle
hetween rival interests IN the iron Industry
mov soon become n question of labor. Two
great companies have started their works WIN
ruII force. and with orders to keep thousands
Of men busy for nearly or quite year. but "A
deep cut in wages" is reported. 1t is not unlike
IL thar the laborers in either or both Of these
establishments may consider that they should
not be used i'm this way. in struggle DeiWeeh
opposing combinations of capital There mas
been more or less prejudice against both. Inc
Carnegie Company had bloody contest at
Homestead four years ago. The ILLINOIS, steer
Componv has had controversies. happily blood
less of more recent date Inc pnDllc II hot
called upon to Judge between the opposing COM
blnatiOnS, but II has some reason TO see mat III
every such struggle for the mastery OF great
industry the real rights Of the worklngheh anu
the permanent interests of the people shall not
be disrcgardcd.
Under ordinary circumstances, 1t would oc-
cur 10 everybody as obviously reasonable ana
lust that the struggle of capital for larger
profits and larger power should not be fonght
out at the expense Of wage-earncrs. If the OPP
posing capitalists are prepared 10 risk their
profits or their millions Of capital in the en-
dcavor 10 secure larger returns in the future
that is their affair. But if they require wage
earners TO bear part of the losses, without par
ticpatlng in the gains desired. that would
seem under ordinary circumstances unWar'
rantcd and unjust But the case Is not quite
so simple and the circumstances are not or
binary.
The Carnegie Company appears to have all
the other railmaking companies arrayed
against il. Current report conveys the idea
that it's recent combination with Mr. Rocke-
Teller has placed il in position TO obtain cheaper
supplies of Mesaba ore. cheaper transportation
by lake and rail- and. through alliance with
the Frlck coke combination. cheaper supplies
of fuel. than other companies are in position TO
command. so that II may be enabled 10 drive
several Of them TO ruin or out of the business
by sacrificing profits for time. It's right TO
risk its capital in this way Is precisely that of
any merchant or other manufacturer endeavor-
ing to push n rival from the field. But II II
seeks 10 drive thousands Of workers out Of en-
ployment M other establishments, and TO
cure for itself command of the business which
other establishments enjoy, and to be able 10
fix prices AT pleasure for n large proportion of
the purchasers. it is at least an open question
how far the workers should be called upon 10
contribute 10y loss Of wages TO that end
Whether it has the power 10 drive competitors
from the field does not appear. But if it has,
the wageearners may have a definite interest
in The matter.
To them, as TO the public it is clearly desir-
?blc that important establishments in various
States should not be broken down. that the
men employed in them should not be forced to
give mp their homes and be placed NJ the mercy
of distant establishments In their search for
employment and that great industry shout
not fall under the control of single cOmbina-
ton. Hence il is entirely conceivable that the
workers in any establishment that may actual
~ be threatened by The new and destructive
competition may voluntarily consent TO lower
wages for a time. as the only effective defence
Of their own interests. Viewed in this light
the decision of the workers seems to depend
upon the conditions really existing at each
point of production That the competition Is
destructive in character and intended to be,
seems TO be proved by the fact that none of the
companies can be supposed to produce steel
rails M SlI per ton from Bcssemer pig costing
over SO per ton. The sales of rails made at
Pittsburg for SIT delivered AT Chicago obvious
~ imply a direct loss, for the sake Of ultimate
advantages desired.