The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-12
WHIT IS MEANT By "sCALE,,.

There is much talk about the refusal
Of the United States Steel corporation
to sign the scale" OF the AmaIgamated
association in all it's mills, or in certain
mills demanded by the association. Both
Mr.. Shaffer and Mr.. Gompers have taken
advantage of the ignorance of the pub
lie as to the meaning of this word "scale''
to create in the public mind the belief
that the steel corporation has refused
to pay equal wages to all men either
union or non-union who are engaged in
similar work. II Is a piece Of demagog-
cry that is unworthy of the positions
they hold
The word scale" does not only include
q certain stipulated wage, but it includes
all the rules and regulations of the
Amalgamated association. To sign the
scale would be not only to agree to
pay certain wages demanded by the
union but to agree to all the other de-
mands Of the union, such as to place
in the hands Of the union the complete
workings of the plant, to employ none
but union men; in short to unionize the
mills in question 1t is the original de-
mand Of the Amalgamated, that the
steel corporation lend itself to a scheme
to force all men who want work to
join the union or quit.
This demand the steel corporation
wisely, we think, refused. A large part
of the employees of the corporation are
non-union men. These men receive
as much wages as they would
if they We're working in union mills and
are not subject to the tyranny of the
union bosses. They are not subject to
be called out on strike at the request
of some affiliated union, the leaders of
which have, or think they have, AN ak to
grind. Have these men no rights? Must
they be forced into an organization that
Will net improve their STATUS and which
is likely to bring, upon them trouble at
any time?
The public is entitled to a fair state
ment Of the cause Of the strike and
should not be led astray by the dishonest
use of this word scale" We will re-
capitulate what we have often said in
these columns, that there is no issue as
to wages or hours, neither is the old
question of the official recognition Of the
union up this time These are all con-
coded by the steel corporation. The sole
demand of Mr.. Shaffer is that the cor
DOratiOn 1Ipior,i1a oil +bo ,,,iII- IN ~.
trust, by signing the scale" and turn
ing over the thousands of non-union men
to the tender mercies of the union
bosses. This, the corporation refuses to
do and the world stands by them and
applauds. There never was a more out
rageous demand made by any man or
set of men, than this one made bv the
Amalgamated association on the steel
corporation
Shaffer says now, that he IS willing to
arbitrate. What is there to arbitrate?
1t is simply question of WIN, Their thu
United States Steel corporation is to be
run by the Amalgamated ASSOCIATION Or
by the directors The gauntlet was
thrown down by this man Shaffe~ and
It is pretty evident that the steel cor
poration has concluded that The mat
ter might as Well be settled now as next
year. Mr.. shaffer says that this con-
test means victory for the Amalgamated
or humiliation. If the proceedings of
the last month are an index of what viii
be attempted in the future 1t will be
happy day for both labor and capital
when the annihilation is an accomplished
fact.