The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-21
REDUCTION HEAVIER
THAN WAS EXPECTED
Trouble al the South Mill When the Pay
Envelopes Were Opened.
NUMBER OF MEN QUIT ON THE SPOT
Example But Were Dissuaded and
Last Evening the Company's Mana-
ger Made the Statement That the
Trouble Had Been Settled -- Mr..
Wehrum Says the Men Misunder-
stand the Condition of Affairs.

Some little furry was occasioned
down at the South works of the Lack
awanna Iron and Steel company, Sat-
urday, when the men received their
envelopes for the first months work
since the shutdown, and discovered
that the tonnage" hands had suffered
heavy reductions In wages,
On the basis of 100 tons, by which
the wages are reckoned, the pliers were
cut from 65 cents to 33 cents; the clip
pers, from Al to 81: gaggers, from "A to
81; drillers, from 40 to 81; straighten-
ers, from 66 to Sc; inspectors, from 65
to 40, and so on down the list Of all
men paid by the ton.
When work was resumed a month
ago the notice announcing resumption
stated that there would be a reduc-
ton of wages averaging twelve per
cent. In nearly all departments. Sat-
urday morning when their pay en-
velopes showed them that the average
reduction of twelve per cent. meant
that the cutting ran from three per
cent. to nearly fifty, they were highly
indignant, and many of those who re-
oeived the heaviest cuts quit work on
the SPOT
The eight clippers" who were
among the heaviest sufferers by the re-
duction, took their cans and went
home without the formality of even
announcing their intention. Others
We're threatening to follow their ex-
ample, but were dissauded by Sup
erintendent John o. Stanton, who ar
gued with them that they were doing
the company an injustice to cripple the
mill, and besides that it would be un-
wise for them to leave work, even
though 1t might be unsatisfactory to
them, unless they had something else
In view. This reasoning had the eff
rect of inducing nearly all of these lat
ter to return to their work.
The day force of clippers" also
struck when they got around in the
morning and found how they had been
treated. This left many tons of rails
unclipped, and as nobody can do this
work with any degree of speed, ex-
cepting men trained specially to IL.
there was much uneasiness on the part
OF the company. Yesterday a gang OF
machinists were put at the work, but
they, with all their skill, made only
slow progress.
Last evening General Manager Web
mum said that the trouble had been adj
Justed and that the men would be
found at their posts this morning. The
Whole trouble, he said, resulted from a
Misunderstanding of the situation. New
labor-saving machinery had been put
in the mill during the shut down. he
said. This machinery will make it
possible to vastly increase the tonnage
without increasing the labor When
the men become proficient in working
the new machinery and the mill works
at lts full capacity the wages will be
found to be quite reasonable.
FORCED TO DO IT.
The company has been forced to
make cut, Mr.. Wehrum said, IL it
would start the mills. Some men, it
was deemed, were being paid too much
and some too little. The men who We're
receiving the big wages were therefore
cut and the poorer paid hands were
not molested. Not single man who is
paid by the day suffered a cut, Mr..
Wehrum said.
There has been q general reduction in
steel rail mill wages all over the coun-
try, he went on to say and in most
places not only the tonnage men, but
the laborers and everybody else en-
ployed in and around the mill were
compelled to submit to reduced wages
AS prices now stand the company
loses exactly what is paid in wages.
Pig iron is $14 ton and rails sell for
SIT ton. The margin of SO will scarce
ly pay the expenses that are to be
Computed before wages are given any
consideration at all. so whatever is
paid in wages is at the present time a
sheer loss to the company.