Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-07-15
THE BIG r
IS NOW FAIRLY ON.


Should the strike attain such proper
tons it would he likely TO go still fur
ther. The Amalgamated Association
and the Federation of Labor two years
ago formed a secret alliance, It is
claimed, when it was agreed that the
Association. when on strike. could also
call out the steel mon OF the Federation.
The latter has organizations in many
mills whose workmen are not eligible
to membership In the Association.
In describing
The Final Conclusion
of the conference in the Hotel Lincoln
on Saturday afternoon. President Shat
fer said that after the final proposition
OF the manufacturers had been taken up
and from courtesy on the part OF the
workers had been discussed, there was
a painful silence for about Ave min
Iutes. The workers waited for some
further remark on the part OF the man
ufacturers and the latter appeared to
DC WdiIth6 lOl a lCnidi n ilOut tHc WI
ers. FINALLY n OF the manufacturers
committee broke the stiffness by say
ing:
well, / guess there Is no further
use in waiting for other developments.
The men have nothing to offer and the
manufacturers have gone as far as they
a in justice to themselves"
President Shaffer replied that he ac-
corded with this view. az the manu-
facturers had no other proposition to
offer, it was useless to remain. Eacn
side arose to leave. Warner Arms,
president of the American Steel Hoop
Company, said then:
II am sorry that our
Friendly Relations I'm the Past
should have 10 be broken in this way.
we have done all in our power to meet
this trouble In an amicable manner
with this breach once opened, 1t must
be understood that the onus is on the
side of the Amalgamated Association
and the public will understand this"
While keenly regretting the break in
the peaceful relations between the or
ganization and the manufacturers,
President Shaffer said that there SEEM
ed no other course to pursue. His Of
fer to the Hoop company to reconstruct
the scale for cotton tie and hoop mills,
was n of the most important sacri-
fees that had ever been offered by the
Association. Vie doubted IL the settle
ment could have been made on that
basis without a great deal OF trouble,
but the committee felt willing to make
this concession to preserve peace.
Again, in the offer to exclude the tin
plate mills, the hoop mills and the
sheet mills from all further difficulties
with plants owned by the United States
Steel Corporation, should the agree
ment be reached on the final PROPOSE
ton of the Amalgamated Association,
was granting the manufacturers their
most earnest wish, OF recognizing the
individual responsibility of each of the
constituent corporations of the parent
organization known as the United
States Steel Corporation. 1T was
thought that the manufacturers
Would Have Quickly Accepted
this final proposition. Their refusal
was a surprise to the Amalgamated
men. OF course this proposition is not
now open to the manufacturers.
One important point referred to by
president Shaffer was that the question
arising from the operation OF the Shar-
on tin plate mills, which are %independ-
ent of the combine. These would have
to be dealt with soon. The Sharon
mills have a working agreement with
the American Tin Plate Company, by
which the latter company takes all Of
the product of the independent mills
for the term Of five years. 1t is said
that the Sharon mill will be ordered
closed if this agreement is carried out
while the strike is in progress. Sec
ton So. of article 10, OF the Amalgamat-
ed Association laws provides for this
very case. Amy other independent mill
that sells its product to the parent cor
poration will be compelled to stop this
business or it will be
Included m the Strike
willis L. King, vice chairman OF the
board of managers Of Jones & Laugh
lin, an Independent corporation, did not
hesitate to say, when approached to-
day that the inability of the conferees
to agree was a most unfortunate con
dition and meant an immense loss not
only to all concerned but t the country
generally.
"A claim for increased wages on the
part of the workingmen," he said, lis
a comparatively easy matter to arbi-
trate, for as a rule, both sides will
make some concessions, but where there
is a principle involved, as there seems
to be in this case, and l take the news
papers as the authority for It. then 1t
reaches a point where arbitration is Inn
possible and either one side nr the other
must acknowledge defeat by surrender