The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-16
Of the Wire Trust to
Be Liberal.
SALARY INCREASES
Are Explained by President
Lambert.

The recent increase in the wages of
the employees of the American Steel
& Wire Company has occasioned wide
spread interest throughout the country
and so unusual is the move that many
causes have been suggested for it.
President Lambert of the American
Steel & Wire Company was seen re-
Gently in regard to the move and made
this statement: 1t seems that during
the presidential campaign of 1896, Pres
| dent Lambert promised the employees
of the original Consolidated Steel &
| Wire Company that if Mckinley were
elected there would be no cut in their
wages, and that if times became pros
| porous they would receive an advance
without their asking for it.
| President Lambert kept his promise
! with respect to that plant, but when
| the American Steel & Wire Company
was formed, he found that the EN-
| ployees of the mills at Cleveland and
| Anderson were getting more than was
| equitable as compared with the price
paid labor at the other mills. The re-
! adjustment of wages last fall caused
plants of the concern.
| The American Steel & Wire Com
pany since it's formation has enjoyed
remarkable prosperity. President Lam
bert has a theory that if prosperity is
! to continue in the various industries,
| there must be prosperity for the hum
blest workers as well as for the stock
holders. Acting on this theory, the
| company made this advance in wages
He thinks that if other large corpora
! tons would do the same thing, indus
| trial conditions would show great i'm
| proVement all around.
There has been some complaint by
| by the public that the American Steel
& Wire Company has advanced the
price of nail and wire products. Presi-
| dent Lambert says that such ad-
vances as have been made have been
| forced on the company by the rapid
rise in the price of steel billets, which
are now selling at $22 a ton. The com
| pany now has to pay so much for the
| raw product that it is compelled to ask
more for the finished product.
| The wages that have been the most
raised have been the wages of the
cheaper classes of labor, the extra
| money being paid where the company
thinks it will do the most good. The
new company is to adopt policy of
special liberality to employees. Once
a week at least the department chiefs
are to meet together and discuss bust
ness. Any complaints from any of the
| employees will be considered at these
meetings in spirit of kindness.
The following schedule advance in
wages has been adopted: Advance tc
| all employees earning up to 81 80 a day
10 per cent; 1.55 to 50 a day, 71s pei
cent, and 50 .05 to So so a day, 5 pei
cent, Altogether about $4,000 employees
of the company will be benefited by the
raise. The employees of the company
| who work on a tonnage scale will re-
! ceive proportional raises on the an.
! praised value of their labor. The al.
vance in wages, according to president
Lambert, will mean an annual amount
Of between 100000 and 81, 900, 900 which
| the stockholders of the American Stee
q Wire Company will give to theil
employees instead of reserving fol
! their own dividends
The American Steel & Wire Company
has recently added two new mills t.
its list of plants-the Puget SounC
! Wire Nail Company, at Everett. Wash.
| purchased of John Rockefeller fol
about 100000 and the A. r. whitney
Wire Nail Company of Duncan, Pa.
and Brooklyn, n. Y.