Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-09-09
n the s
World of L abor.a
I@ aSSS$4S9

! & Al few weeks ago 1t was reported from
d reliable source that the Wheeling
Iron and Steel Company contemplated
erecting a large new tube mill either in
Wheeling or Benwood, and it is now
learned that if satisfactory arrange
ments can be made the addition will
be located near their present works in
the Marshall county town. 1t is said
that the company desires to secure a
section of Water street. below Eighth,
from the city of Benwood for this pur-
pose, and ID willing to provide way
to the river If required to do so in order
70 close the deal. Those well informed
as to Industrial conditions state iron
and steel pipe will be manufactured, es-
pecially the larger sizes. and as there
is a good market for these products,
all the mills of the company will be
kept In operation. AT the company s
Belmont plant on the South Side two
continuous furnaces are being con-
atructed to roll skelp, and these to-
gether with the mill at lBenwood will
consume more than onehalf OF the pro-
duct of the steel plant. While the CON-
Dany has been considering for some
time past the erection of finishing
mill, but were unable to proceed Until
now. IT lis also said that the mills
controlled by the trusts sell iron and
steel at lower figure than it can be
made here at the present price of raw
material, and for this reason the plants
have been idle most of the time. 1t is
also said that the company can COM
pee weh any other plant at a profit
with thA finished product.
At the Belmont plant work on the i'm
provements is progressing satisfactor-
lily The big plate department, which
has been running single turn during
the summer, will go On double turn
tomorrow. The little plate mill will
resume single turn this week, after be-
ing Idle for two or three months.
The lower BenwoOd iron works, which
was idle the past week, will not likely
resume for few days at least.
Five furnaces are still on at the
Riverside tube works and another fur
mace Is expected to resume tomorrow
morning The Riverside steel plant
and plate mills are still idle, and it is
not known when work will be COM
llenced in these departments. All the
houses on the ground in upper Benwood
recently purchased by the National
Tube Company for the proposed extern
siye additions to the Riverside were sold
during the week.
The situation at the Riverside plate
mills Is unchanged. No effort has been
made to start the plant, though it has
been reported for more than week
that notice of the resumption would
be posted. A meeting was held at Mo-
zart hall last Saturday night and the
men decided to stand together for the
new scale. Those who are not mem
bers of the Amalgamated Association
are In line and are supporting those in
the organization.
1t is not considered that a strike ex-
lists ait the mill since no effort has been
made to run the works. The company
lEly not anxious to start as they
u e q laise amount of skelp at War
rem, O., where they have torn down a
tube works. This skelp will probably
be used before any resumption of other
mill. The skelp now being used Is
mostly OF a larger size than can be
rolled here and is procured elsewhere
II is said that the National Tube Com
pany has signed the scale at other mills
and the local union officials are conf
dent they will sign here when they are
ready to start up. II is said the Nc
Keesport plant is the only one in oper-
alton, there being no organization al
that place. The settlement of the tin
plate scale is expected to have an effect
favorable to the workmen here be-
sides relieving the A. a. OF |. S. 7. &c T
w, and giving more time to devote to
Otner troubles
1t is also reported that heretofore
there has been no scale at the Riverside
and the signing of this one therefore
carries with it recognition of the union
The scale also places most of the jobs
except laboring Jobs, in the tonnage
class, and provides for an increase in
many places. In many ways it entire
ly re-arranges the wages and does not
depend on any percentage OF increase
over the old rate. 1t also calls for a
ton of 1900 pounds instead of 2240
This is also practically an advance as
1t will increase the number of tons for
which the men are paid, besides a GER
tain consideration for all defective
pieces which are not paid for in the old
system. The increase amounts to $1l0C
on an output of 40 TONS AS it will
cost 500 npr car to shin Skaln from else