The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-24
Easier to Deal With Large Com
binations.
WAGES ARE STILL LOW
Not as High as They Were in 1899.
President of the Steel Workers Tes-
titles Before the Industrial
Commission.


before the industrial commission to-
day. He said that about 20 per cent
of the iron, steel and tin workers were
organized. After 1892 the iron workers
suffered 30 per cent. reduction of
wages, the steel workers 10 per cent.
and the tin workers 25 per cent; but
since the recent prosperity began the
wages have been almost leveled up
by advances. The trade was now more
prosperous than it had ever been, but
the wages were not quite as high as in
1892. The workers in iron, steel and tin
were not getting the advantage under
the sliding scale of the recent increase
in prices. This was due to the fact
that mills were filing contracts made
some months ago and in some cases
year ago.
Many of the mills were non-union, ow-
ing to personal difficulties which arose
between employers and employed rath-
er than the direct hostilities toward
the organized labor. Mr.. Schaeffer said
his association had never called upon
state boards Of arbitration in cases of
strike. The Incorporation of labor or
CARNATIONS would be advantageous.
The obstacle to Incorporation at pres
ent was that the workers We're not yet
educated up to and prepared for it.
He was opposed to compulsory arbi-
tration. He felt that the workers could
not get justice from state or govern
ment boards. This opinion was based
upon the Interpretation placed by the
courts upon laws passed in the inter-
est of labor.
He protested against the employment
of women in mills, declaring it to be
injurious morally and physically. He
also expressed the opinion that the
sanitary conditions in the mills were
not good. He explained the campaign
against Sunday work and said much
progress had been made in the steel
mills, tin mills and finishing mills. He
favored a restriction of immigration.
The Huns, Polanders, Russians and
Italians were the most Objectionable.
Asked about trusts. Mr.. Schaeffer
said he had much respect for them.
He would not call them trusts" Their
effect thus far had been beneficial to
the iron, steel and tin workers. AS
general rule, he said, he believed the
members of his organization would
prefer to deal with combinations and
large corporations than with smaller,
independent mills. He believed if the
big combinations could be regulated by
congressional enactment strikes could
be avoided. In his experience he had
always had fair treatment in negotiat-
ing with these combinations. He did
not believe they prevented competi-
ton.
rs not labor organization as much
of a trust as one of these combinations
of capital?" asked Mr. Kennedy.
Il would delegate the answer to that
question to the late civic federation at
Chicago" replied Mr.. Schaeffer. After
reading the proceedings there, I don't
know what believe"
DO you not attempt to control the
labor market?"
No" he replied. THAT may ulti-
mately be the result. We ask only for
a fair share of that which we create.
have never known of a case where the
price of commodity was raised as
result of our demands"
In concluding his statement. Mr..
Schaeffer said that the Amalgamated
per devoted to the education of it's
members and teach them that employ
ers have interests in common with them
which entitle them to as much respect
as investors of capital as they are en-
titled to as investors of skill and
muscle.
E. B. Norris of Soudas, N. Y, master
of the State Grange of New York, was
the other witness to-day. He thought
the condition of the farm laborer ply
sically and morally, was much better
than in the old days. He had more
privileges, he was better educated and
informed and had wages high enough
to enable him to lay aside something IL
he was sober and Industrious. There
was plenty of work eight or ten months
in the year. and those so disposed could
obtain work the year around. Improved
machinery had opened up new ave-
nues of industry. The established rule
was 10 hours for a working day on
New York farm. From five to ten years
ago there was general exodus from
the farms to the cities, but during the
past two or three years he had noticed
a tendency to return to the farm. Pro-
gressive farmers nowadays, he said.
kept close track of the expenses of each
crop, and at the end of the year could
tell exactly what crop was profitable
and what was not. He spoke highly
of the foreign elements in his section of
the state. They were mainly Germans
and Hollanders.
ITO tell you the truth, ~entlemen,"
said Mr.. Norris, 1.-The Germans control
a majority of the farms in Wayne coun-
ty. They are born agriculturists. They
go on a Yankee farm and sooner or
later they own the farm. The trouble
with the Yankee is their desire to spec
ulate They usually manage to specu-
late themselves out of possession of
their farms before they get through.
When they quit the Germans bought
the farms"
The industrial commission has de-
cided upon quite an extensive inquiry
into the subject of railroad finance, rate
etc
Prof Edward Dana Durand of the
Leland Stanford, jr., university was Sc
lected to collect and prepare the data
for maintaining the basis of the com
missions final report to congress.
Thomas F. Turner of Canton, Ohio,
was named as special agent to investi-
gate the subject of alien labor. His
work will be especially to ascertain the
effect of Chinese labor upon labor and
in the West.