The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-07-12

one-half mills; the trust pays $4,000
taxes
In Homestead the rate IL 10 mills
and the trust pays OILY $1,000 taxes
there.
Trust Votes Its Employees.
But the trust doesn't stop its ex'
ploitation OF the men In mills ana
mill towns alone. II mixes In stale
politics, and It's browning act was the
power II gave Senator Boies Penrose'
it's bess- friend, IN Pennsylvania
For decades Allegheny county ana
Pittsburg were without a real politi-
cal boss, though In boss1ridden state
Quay, In his day OF rule, couldn't ab-
soluteiy control Pittsburg Neithe:
could Chris Magee nor VIM. Flynn NOR
other big politicians.
/ Yet with the direct aid OF the steel
trust Penrose today is political pro-
prietor Of Pittsburg.
Here Is how the steel trust helps
! Penrosc:
During the 1905 campaign there
were candidates tor the Legislature
who were going To vote Penrose In
or Penrose out OF the United States
senate The Penrose candidates IN
The mill territory were opposed TO To-
cal OptiOh which was the Issue IN
Homestead The majority OF the mill
men wanted 70 control and minimize
the saloCn evil
It's long way from the senate In
Washlugton 10 the steel trust work
ers little homes you see in Home
trust 10 grab,
When Penrose saw trouble ahead
the trust cid, too.
Help" said Penrose In Washing
ton.
sure. we heard you. said the
trust down on Wall-st.
Vote for Penrose."
The Homestead general superintend-
emit got a hurry call, and two days
later the order was passed TO the steel
workers 20 sacrifice their opinions
about the saloop OWL. They were told
TO vote for the Penrose saloon candI-
dates or give UP their jobs.
IL was hard 10 break their pledges
10 wives and fellow temperance believ.
ers, but you will remember that 1905
was a panic year. So the saloon fol
lowers were elected against the peo-
Ple's will. and Penrose Is still in che
senate.
The eight.hour day in the steel mills
is practically dead Only the few men
on the Bessemer converter crews work
eight hours a day.
The Bessemre converter looks like
two giant thimbies Joined at the open
ends. The men pour white-hot iron
and coke into the converter and seal
II. Then air, as hot as FIRE can make
II, is blown through this converter to
get rid of the impurities in the heat,
as each converter full OF molten steel
is called. Only the strongest man can
live around this converter, and that
II why they have an eight-hour day.
II -tffe5-worhevi-i onfer-t he-Aeat -weaid-
Kill them.
The trust knows this, OF course, and
is putting the Bessemer machines OUT
of business as fast as possible. and in
stalling the open-hearth system OF
steel making Then everybody can
work II hours day
Only one man In 100 has an eight.
hour day In the trust mills. Most OF
the rest have a 12-hour day. holders
10-hour day, but they work longer Re
pairs keep them busy. as each ma
chine crew must do its own repairing.
A 24-Hour Workday.
The operating day from the mill
standpoint is "a hours long. The men
work In two 12-hour shifts. Every
two weeks the day and night shifts
change. this being accomplished by
the day shift working Saturday
through the night. "a hours. sleeping
all day Sunday and resuming work
Sunday night for two weeks OF night
work. At the end OF the next TWO
morning until Sunday morning. while
the other men shift as they did.
The foreman in these Homestead
steel mills is called the 'pusher." Dri.
YER would be a better word.
March and October are called record
months, and are sacred TO breaking
recoTdS f0T output, the men being drf'
ven 20 the limit OF human endurance
TO make new showings
A split-up or trust cash is made
after each competition TO the BOSSES
who succeed in getting the most work
out of their men. Fhe MEN receive
nothing in cash, but get instead a
new and harder standard OF toll for
the following six months.
This split.up the trust calls bonus
system. II solely is an inducement to
the pushers TO drive the men under
them.
Hardly less evil In its influence on
the workers is the trusts spy system.
Let any worker voice a complaint and
ne has TO hunt a job somewhere else
Having done so much to Pittsburg
as a city. and to the men as workers
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