The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-11-08
A Tube Organization.


A national association of tube work.
ers is being formed, says last even
ing's Pittsburgh acknowledgement.
The work is being done quietly, and it
is said that satisfactory progress has
been made, The first local organlza-
ton has just been completed at the
youngstown plant Of the National
Tube Company, the combination Of
pipe and tube manufacturers Of the
country.
The plan to bring the tube workers
into one organization is being carried
out BY the American Federation OF
Labor, to which It will be affiliated.
National Organizer Thomas Finn, Of
the Federation, has been at work in
McKeesport for about a week He or
ganIzed a branch Of the walters un-
ion, which is also attached to the Fed
Grafton. It has since been learned that
his primary object In going to NC
Keesport was to organize the tube
workers, and the organization OF the
walters was done merely to cover the
main object OF his visit But little de-
finite information can be obtained as
to the success that has attended Mr..
Fllnh's efforts, but 1t is believed that n
strong organization will be formed
A man Interested in the tube business
said the movement was commenced ut
the wrong time, as the men employed
at the mills OF the combination have
no grievances. "slnce the National
Tube Company wns formed" he said,
''the wages have been advanced at all
OF the plants In the consolidated COM
pany There has been general even
ing up Of wages which has not been
made public. These advances were all
voluntary, and now the wages paid ut
the various plants OF the National Tube
Company are uniform, or us uniform
us they can be made. The latest nd
vance was made last week, when the
wages Of all the workers at the Amer
lean department Of the company at
MIddletown, Pa, were raised. The
men had not expected Il and were sur
prIsed when they received their pay en-
velopes.'"
There are probably 10000 tube work.
ers in the country and, with the eX-
ceptlon OF Youngstown, they have no
Organization. Several years ago some
OF them belonged to the AmalRamnted
Association, but Secretary John viii.
IamH said to-day that the association
has no members IN the pipe and tube
works The Knights Of Labor had n
fOothold in number Of pipe mills
about ten years ago, but the orgnnlza-
tiOn went 10 pieces after n disastrous
strike, The men. after becoming or
ganized at that time. mndc n demand
for an advance in wages, md nS the
market conditions would not permit an
increase in the cost Of production the
demand was refused, and the men, Rf-
ter long idlcneEs. returned to work at
the old rates. This ended the K, of l..
In the tube mills.
General Manager a. s. Mathcson, Of
the National Tube Company. seemed
inclined to discredlt the report, He
said that II there had been any work
looking to an organization OF the men
at McI[eCsport he certainly would have
heard something about II. As to tho
youngstown organization he said It
was merely u local affair formed by
some Of the wOrltmen. Tho movement
TO form mn organization, he said, began
last September and there WINS no Ee-
cret about Il.
The men In the tube mills, Mr.. MHth-
eBon explained, are paid by the day.
and II would be impossible TO arrange Il
general wage scale for tube workers
Some Of the welders are better work.
men than others and receive better
pay. They are paid according to their
ability. Mr., MRtheson says there has
been no demand for higher wages Mt
any OF the plants, and the workers APP
pear TO be satisfied with the rates paid.