The San Francisco call., 1903-12-22

LAB0R'S WAGE
IS DECREASED
Reductions Will Go Into Effect
at Many Eastern Plants on
the First of the New Year
STEEL MILLS SHUT DOWN
All Employees of the Illinois
Company's Works at Joliet
Are Thrown Into IdleneSs
rEEL MILLS SHUT DOWN


| falo, Rochester and Pittsburg Coal and
Coke. Company announced to-day
wage reduction at it's Helvetia plants
amounting to 10 per cent, to go into ef-
| feet on January l. While the Helvetia
mines are an insignificant part of the
company's works, the reduction is con-
| sidered prophetic of a more sweeping
move by the company shortly, which
will cut the wages of no less than 5000
| men. The reduction is said to be vio-
lation of the Altoona scale agreement,
and it is feared other competing COM
panies in the field may follow suit, with
a far-reaching result to the miners of
the central field.
PITTSBURG, Dec. 21.-Semi- official
information was given out to-day that
after Christmas a general reduction in
wages is to be made at all non-union
iron and steel plants in the country, to
average about 10 per cent. Representa-
tives of the United States Steel Cor
poration are said to have met with in
dependent interests, and an agreement
has been reached for a uniform read
justment of the wages of all employees.
A high official of the Jones & Laugh
lin Company said tonight that no
signed agreement had been made be-
tween the United States Steel Corpora
tion and the Independent manufactur-
ers as to a wage reduction, but 4 con-
ference between the local concerns had
been held in order to have the read
justment uniform throughout the dis
trict. He said the reduction would
amount to about 10 per cent and be-
come effective after January l.
Including the workmen who have al
ready had their wages cut and those
who will be reduced after the first of
the year it is estimated that the num-
ber of iron and steel men affected in
the Pittsburg district which includes
Sharon, Youngstown and the valleys,
will reach fully $4,000.
The Glassport hop mills resumed op
erations to-day after shutdown of
several weeks. The tonnage men re-
turned to work at a reduction in wages
varying from 20 to 35 per cent.
The idle window glass workers of the
country will receive cash Christmas
presents from the organizations of
which they are members. Fully $4,000
will be distributed. This money will
the two associations.
TEN PER CENT DECREASE = 1
SHARON, Pa, Dec. 21.-The wages
of the furnace workers of the Mahoning
| and Shenango valleys will be reduced
about 10 per cent The Shenango Fur
mace Company was the first to make
the cut, and the independents it is said
will make a similar reduction.
JOLIET, ILL.,, Dec. 21.-The suspension
of work at the Illinois Steel Company's
| plant here will be practically complete
by the end of the week. The converter
and billet mills, employing 1000 men,
closed down to-day. Officials here as
sign no cause for the shutdown, neith-
er can they estimate the duration of
| the suspension.
| CHICAGO, Dec. 21. - President Buff
| fington of the Illinois Steel Company
! termed the shutting down Of the mills
'the usual winter closing" and gave
| the date of probable resumption as
January 25. Four thousand steel mill
laborers at South Chicago, employed by
the Illinois Steel Company have been
notified that they will be laid off next
| Thursday. Thirteen hundred employees
of the slab open hearth and slate mills
have already been discharged. Needed
repairs is given as the reason.
NO JANUARY DIVIDENDS.
NEW YORK, Dec. 21.-The directors
of the United States Reduction and Re-
fining Company have passed the Janu-
| ary dividend on the preferred stock.
| In a circular. letter 20 holders of the
preferred shares the statement is made
| that the business of the company had
been seriously affected by labor troubles
since February last, at which time a
strike was declared in a Colorado City
works of the company by the Western
| Federation of Miners.
PUEBLO, Dec. q. - Notices were
posted at the Colorado Fuel and Iron
| Companys works this afternoon that
when the works resume, which prob
| ably will be within a few days, 1t will
be at a reduction of 10 per cent in wages
of the main body of skilled workmen
This is understood to be a result Of the
similar action taken by Eastern COM
| panies.
HOUGHTON, Mich, Dec. II. = The
wages of iron mine employees of the
Oliver Mining Company, which is the
iron end of the steel trust, will be re-
duced from 10 to II per cent on Janu-