The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1909-02-25
TO CUT WAGES
Of 240,0O0 STEEL
WORKERS APRIL |
Corporation Magnates Decide
Not to Wait for Tariff
Action by Congress.

That the wages OF 10000 employees OF
the United States Steel Corporation will
be cut on or about April was the un-
equivocal statement made to-day by
man who has intimate sources Of In
formation.
The decision to reduce wages at this
early date was reached within the past
few days at one Of the daily conferences
Of the Steel magnateI Meantime every
effort will be made to conclliats the men
who will suffer by the wage cut and
thus forestall what would be one Of the
greatest strikes that has ever affected
American industries.
, 1t was explained TO the Eeven!ng
Worlds informant that the Steel people
have decided not to wait for Congress
to decide on a reduction OF the tariff
on Steel, rs advised by Andrew Car
negie, but to take the bull by the horns
before the national law makers have
reached a decision. That is. the heads
of the Steel Trust will act on the fore
gone conclusion that the tariff will be
shaved and shape their course accord
ingly.
Every hour, every days delay In the
adjusting OF the affairs OF such vast
corporation Is vitality important, where
fore the directors Of the United States
Steel Corporation have concluded that
they cannot afford to wal; for Congress
to act.
1t is hoped thta 1t will not be neces-
sary to cut wages all along the line.
For instance, the price OF steel rails Cs2S
toni will'not be changed; consequently
1t is possible that the men employed In
the mills where steel rails are made will
not suffer cut in wages, This I'M
doubtedly would raise a howl among
the workers In other mills whose output
was affected BY the cut In prices and
whose wages we're therefore reduced
These matters will all be gone into at
great length and there Will be many
conferences with labor leaders and COM
m!ttees appointed by the workers In the
various mills. Just how many Of the
steel workers are organized is unknown,
even to the Steel magnates themselves.
Statements have been made TO the eff
feet that only 20 per cent. OF the en-
pioyees OF the United States Steel Cor
poration are really organized into a
union.
Labor men, however. say that such
an estimate Is ridiculous and predict
hot y..b ka stv,,a a.
lied steel workers to show their hand II
will be found that a majority Of the
100000 of them have pretty thorough
organization.
Furthermore. In view OF the present
crisis, the labor leaders are getting busy
to solidify the entire body OF men into
an organization that can lift power.
ful voice OF protest against a reduction
of wages. The men engaged in this
work are going about It openly too, so
as to enable the Steel magnates to call
upon them for advice as to the exact
status OF the labor situation.
When 1t was first thought advisable to
delay the cut In wages until May /, the
suggestion was offered that this further
delay would only give the men more
time In which 10 prepare for a strike,
that Is, 1t would give the agitators more
time to stir the men up. The less time
they were given for this, the less dis
content they would be able 10 arouse,
Steel workers have been pretty gener-
ally regarded since the last big strike,
eight years ago, as a conten,ed lot OF
men. Generally, their wages were
pretty high, and as great body Of
toiers they were prosperous. Then
their work was steady and dependable,
II II can be shown to them now that
their wage reduction will be only tenn
porary, and that 1t will be compare.
lively insignificant reduction after ali,
II is likely that a strike will be averted.
The very possibility OF one. however,
has shaken the financial world, knocked
the props out from under the stock
market and caused a great furry on
the exchanges abroad. This fact alone
reveals how really strenuous Is the sit.
uatlon