Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-06-06

Controversy Over dead" Work Max
ing Trouble Among Miners.
A BUILDER SPEAKES OF THE AID
VANCE IN ALL MATERIALS
LOCAL FOUNDRY MEN NOT
LIKELY TO GO INTO COMBINE.

LIKELY TO GO INTO COMBINE.
The effort which has been in pro-
gress since the national convention at
Cincinnati a month ago, to combine
all the stove makers of the country into
a trust, seems to have been productive
of meager results. At least local foun-
drymen now believe that the consOlida
ton will never be contaminated. The
prospecting committee to inspect plants
and confer with owners on the proba
Bile figure to be set on properties, man
ner of appraiSement, etc., has consult
ed the foundry companies over the
river and the latter set no store on the
outcome of the scheme. In fact there
is now scarcely possibility that the
Bellaire Stove Co., or Spence, Baggs &
Co., at Martins Ferry, will go into
the combine, although both companies
are known to have looked favoraDly
upon the project when the movement
was first announced. Local parties en-
gagged in this branch of industry seem
to think that relief from the alleged
disastrous cutting is to be had by the
association advancing prices. another
Is per cent, this action having already
been taken by representatives of the
association recently in conference at
Columbus. Two months ago the price
of heating and cooking stoves was adj
vanced 10 per cent, but this the manu-
facturers say was all absorbed by the
10 per cent. of wage increase granted
the employees.
The omission of the Pittsburg con-
vention to make a uniform price for
dead" work is liable to result in
trouble among the miners throughout
the country At present several Bel
mont county mines over the river are
threatened with suspension owing to
differences arising upon this point. At
Flushing the men are about to strike
because, as they claim, they are not
getting paid for taking down soap
stone, and at Yorkville a similar state
of affairs exists. The employees of the
Pittsburg Block Coal company, south
of Bellaire, have been out since June l
on this account, but yesterday morning
the proprietors and miners got together
and compromised their differences.
The management agreed to pay the
men for taking down soapstone provid-
ed they would waive all objection to
the screen, which question had also
been raised. To this all assented and
the works will proceed as usual.
What is known as the XII mine at
Bergholz partly caved in Saturday
morning, entombing dozen miners
and mule. 1t was several hours be-
fore they were released from their
prison.
The Belmont factory, at Moundsville,
has gone to work again and it is said
orders now booked indicate a steady
run of the plant for some time yet
Yesterday morning the employees were
notified to report for duty in the after
noon.
A sharp advance has taken place
within the last few weeks in the prices
of all kinds of building materials. A
prominent builder said yesterday that
there is hardly a single article that en-
tiers into the construction of building
that has not been advanced from 10
per cent to 25 per cent Lumber,
structural iron, nails, cement. bricks
and paint have all gone up and the in
further advances.
Lumber of all kinds has had an up
ward tendency for the last six months.
1t is not due. the gentleman said, to
any combination or trust, but to the
large demand. For several years the
building trades have not been prosper
Gus, but now a building boom seems to
have settled down on all parts of the
country and the result is that the lum-
Der dealers who are being pushed to
supply the demand have advanced
prices. Prior to six months ago lum-
Der was selling far below its normal
price and the advance serves to put it
on its proper level. The advance has
been felt more on the lower grades of
lumber than on the higher ones The
advance has been from 81 to S. a thous-
and feet.
Structural iron took sudden adj
vance June l Of S. ton. Iron enters
largely into the construction of mod
ern buildings and immense plants have
been established in several cities for
the manufacture of trusses, beams and
posts. A meeting of manufacturers
was held June l at Pittsburg, when it
was decided to advance all structural
iron S. a ton. The manufacturers say
they were reluctant to make the adj
vance, but were compelled to do so on
account of the high price of pig iron
Bricks have advanced in Baltimore IS
cents a thousand within the past few
months. The same builder said there
had been no advance in other cities in
the price of bricks, and he attributes
the advance there to the fact that a
combination has been formed by the
brick manufacturers.
Cement has gone up from 40 cents to
so cents barrel, and wire and cut nails
have been advancing steadily for the
last six months and are now selling at
double the price they could be bought