The Washington herald., 1906-11-24
TRUST RAISES WAGES
Chairman Gary Issues Notice
That Affects $4,000 Men.
ADVANCE CAME UNSOLICITED
Agreements with Unions Expire
January 1, and on that Date New
scale VIII 60 Into ERect-Increase
VIII Be Ten Cents Per Day to
All the Laborers Employed.

New York. Nov. BE. II. Gary. chair
man of the board Of directors Of the
United States Steel Corporation. issued
to-day this announcement.
Common labor with the manufacturing
plants Of the subsidiary companies Of the
United States Steel Corporation viii be
increased 10 cents per day, commencing
January l. 1907. and day and turn labor
viii he adjusted accordingly. Notices 20
this effect will be posted by the respective
companies about December /. 1896
Judge Gary said last night that his
formal statement spoke for itself While
Re would not say whether the advance
had been made voluntary or as the result
OF insistent demands from the employees.
he inferred that It was voluntary.
The raises affects all our employees.
whether they are union men or not" he
said. Our agreements with the union
expire on the date that the new wage
scale becomes effective. and they will
then be readjusted according 10 The gen
eral increase"
This advance applies 10 eS.go3 employees
who are classed as general l4borers. The
total number Of employees is about 190.o0
divided as follows: Manufacturing prop
critics. 1880: coal and coke plants. 9osC0
iron ore properties. 1Ao0o; steamship and
railroad lines. 1850. and between 1900 and
1000 in miscellaneous employment
Huge Total Payroll.
The total annual payroll Of the cor
poration is almcst Sl31W0010. and the
number OF persons dependent for support
upon the wage earners of the plants and
steamship and lines Of railways operated
by the corporation is S0,50o.
The advance in wages was unsolicited
by the men. and fl is understood in the
iron and steel trades that the increase
is a substantial recognition by the board
of directors of the loyalty Of the men
through a year in which every depart
ment OF the industry has run with the
maximum and under conditions that have
taxed the powers Of ali hands from tor
10 bottom.
In the depression Of iron and steel bush
ness which marked a considerable part OF
1896 the United States Steel Corporation
did not make any considerable reduction
IN wages. and although the sales depart
ment booked large tOnnages at the abnur-
mally low prices that marked the time
and these contracts were in main for
shipment six to eight months ahead. the
general scale OF wages was advanced 10
the levels in existence prior 10 the TeduC-
ton before the rising market gave the
average profits to the plants
Product Il Now Cheaper.
The plants are now producing material
much below the cost Of production in the
first year of the corporations existence.
This is largely due 10 economies in all de-
partmenJs, the enormous expenditures oi
the past two years in the installation of
new apparatus. and TO the development OF
the corporations ore and coal lands and
coke ovens
The gains have been made during a
period OF advancing prices for almost
1all the materials used in the manufacture
of iron and steel. As the corporation
making an annual output of almost 10000.
0o0 tons Of semi-hniShed and finished ma
terials. the net gain from these economies
and improvements is said 10 be at least
$2).0o0,0)0 d year.
Since the organization of the company
in 1891. S290,0000p0 has been expended FOR
new construction. extraordinary replace
ments. and the ordinary costs for upkeep
Extraordinary replacement funds are
used for uplxeep Of plants. entire rebuild
ing. and the installation of new for worn
out machinery.