The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-24
WAGES OF IRON WORKERS
o SD HIG AS REPORTED, SAYS
ONE OF THEM.
He Thinks Ii Appalling that Presi-
dent Schwab's Pay should
BE So Great.

"A very wrong impression prevails as TO
the amount Of money earned by skilled
iron workers. said an ex-member of the
A~ralgamated Association of Iron. Steel
and Tin Workers who is prominent in pub
lie life yesterday. while there are now
and then two or three such men that make
large wages. the average is not above that
paid in other skilled trades, taking into
consideration the amount of muscular eff
fort used. There is only one man in the
Steel Hoop Association that makes SIS a
day, and he is a boss roller. The average
wages of boss rollers is ST.. 10 a day.
Men who secure the head positions in
these trust mills continued the ex-iron
worker, with more than a suspicion of
sarcasm iG lis voice, ARE not what are
termed practical iron men-that is, they do
not know anything about the working of
iron in a practical way. They have the
theory. and that is all. President Schwab
himself is no. Il practical iron worker, so
far as being able to perform any one part
of the skilled labor that is required in his
mills. He is practical so far as handling
men Is concerned and getting the most
work out of them. 1t is well known among
the members OF the Amalgamated Assoc
citation that Mr.. SChwab was hired for the
express purpose OF breaking up the organi-
7ation that was formed by the practical
men in the iron business.
lake the fourteen steel mills that con-
stitute the plants of the American Steel
Hoop Company and you will find a great
many skilled wcrkmen in the different
lines of work done IN these mills, and here
IS a fertile field for interesting comparisons.
Schwab is unable to take the place of any
one OF those men. outside of a clerkship or
n laborer's position, yet he makes, or is
reputed TO make as much money in one
day as 4 400 of the average employees.
There are 451 puddlers in these mills, and
their average wage is 1892 1-3 a day. Presi-
dent Sc1WaD could not Doll a neat, drop 1t
or ball il up. yet he earns as much as $500
of these men.
There are 129 rollers. One of them makes
SIS a day, and three others make SIS a day
each, but the average Is only $5.931z a day.
1t takes a mechanic to roll a square bar
of iron. Mr.. Schwab might possibly roll a
round bar, but ii would take him a long
while to turn out a bar a half-inch square.
day as 1866 Of these '~high-priced' men.
The same is true of the heaters. There
are los of these in the fourteen mills of the
hoop company. Three OF the heaters re-
ceive as nigh as SD a day. three of them
so a day. but the average wage of the los
heaters is s6.3S a day. In this line of work
when he came to charging a heat or draw
ing il or telling when ii was sufficiently
hot. yet he receives as much in one day as
1857 of these men who have served their
apprenticeship in learning the tricks of the
trade.
"Roughers receive an average wage of
$3.50 a day, and catchers an average of 81. 40
a day, and IL would require 2.632 roughers
and 2.S23 catchers to make as much money
in n day as does Mr.. Schwab. or, rather. as
he is reputed TO make, since l understand
that mis- Acknowledgment salary has
been disputed.
1T is said that figures cannot lie. and. If
this be true. | consider il simply appalling
that one man should receive a thousand
times as much pay as the most skilled
workman for his efforts TO disrupt the or
ganization that protects those