Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-08-26
Martins Ferry.

There has been some improvements
in the industries of this city during
the last week, and a continual I'M
provement is expected.
The Benwood blast furnace is stlil
busy making repair. 1t has not yet
been learned when it will resume.
Mann's foundry is working every
dav. with plenty of orders ahead.
Hipkins' novelty mould works is still
busily engaged with its full force en-
ployed, and large number OF orders
ahead.
McDermott's tool works have all the
business they can do.
The Riverside bridge and structural
iron works have plenty of orders and
working every day.
The Laughlin nail works is still idle,
and with little prospect Of resuming IN
! the near future.
The stanton Heater Co. still continue
busy with new orders continually COM
ing in.
The Laughlin shovel works is rush
ed with orders, not being able to fill
them as promptly as they would like
The works has every department on in
full and is turning out produce as fast
as possible.
The Beaumont Glass Co. had steady
run last week, with bright prospects for
the future.
The West Virginia Glass Co. have
their factory on in full, and it is stat
ed on good authority that they have
plenty OF orders.
The Aetna Standard Co. have four
teen Of their eighteen mills on, and all
are working steady. The outlook for
this mill is very bright.
The Laughlin mill is still idle, with
no prospects of starting until the scale
is signed. The work on the addition
to the new mill is being pushed rap
idly, and considerable work on the
foundation is already done. They
have quite large -orce of men at
work on this new plant.
The Acme metal works have new al
most all their designs finished, and are
mailing out samples to the trade
The Crystal glass works at Bridge
pert has the upper part OF its factory
on in full, working every day.
The American Manufacturer" has
the following in regard to reducing
wages:
By reducing the wages of skilled
workmen beyond a point where decent
living can be had for the wages receiv-
ed, manufacturers drive from the
trade the most skilled and ambitious
mechanics, and no new blood is intro
duced TO make up for the shortage. The
Sheffield England, cutlery manufac-
turers find themselves in position
where they canot secure enough skilled
workmen to operate their plants. In
looking about they find their former
operatives in other pursuits, and learn,
upon inquiry, that some who have be
come street scavengers who are invit-
ed to return to their trade refuse to do
so because as scavengers they earn %
shillingS per week whereas, as cutlery
workers they could earn but Is chill
ings per week. Hence, British cutlery
manufacturers have been compelled to
pay workers premium to secure their
services during the busy period, while
others have had to close their plants
and refuse orders because of the lack
OF skilled workers.
The situation is not new in the I'm
tied States 1t is not so many years
ago that the most progressive and
skilled coal miners left their occupa-
titon by thousands to enter other fields,
many preferring common labor to
working in the mines at starvation
wages. When the boom began many
mines were practically closed because
of the lack of skilled dlggers, and that,
too, after machinery had been intro
duced that could displace thousands Of
miners in ordinary times.
During the recent revival of the
Welsh tin plate trade the British max
ers of tin plate found themselves han
dicapped because the best workmen
had either emigrated 20 the United
States or had quit their former calling.
The same may be said of many other
industries. Labor will seek the most
remunerative employment, and ma
chine1ycannofwholly displace the skill
ed mechanic. The remedy lies in pay
ing just as fair wages as possible and
not being the first to reduce the same
because of a slight break in the market
By such short sighted policy of some
weak concerns some of the greatest
plants in the country have made their
biggest gains. They have secured the
services of the most efficient workmen
during periods OF dullness and by treat
ing them fairly have been enabled to
produce more successfully by holding
their skilled men through periods OF
depression as well as during boom
times.
The National Tube Company during
the week notified quite a number of
families in upper Benwood to vacate
their homes within the next thirty
days, and this is taken to indicate
that the plans in detail for additions
TO the Riverside mill have already been
decided upon and that the work will
be carried through with all possible
haste. These notices were served on
the occupants of the property east Of
Marshall street, between Forty-eighth
street and Boggs' run grading. The
company purchased this part OF the in
dustrial town during the spring and
will use il, so it is reported. for the
erection of seven large structures
Work in the vicinity OF Bogg's
run on what there seems to be
no doubt will be an open hearth-steel
plant and blast furnace is progressing
very rapidly. The force of workmen
engaged in these Improvements was
recently increased and hundreds Of
bricklayers and laborerS are now being
employed. A number of men have ar
rived to put up the stoves for the new
blast furnace.