The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-10-02
Lowest Compensation |.
S4.62 for Ten Hours
of Labor
STANDS FIRM
FOR OPEN SHOP
Would Not Be Fair to Men to Force
Them Into Unions-If Unions Get
Working Hours.

WASHINGTON, Oct 2.-In his testi-
cation and labor yesterday, Judge +. II.
| Gary, chairman of directors of the United
States Steel corporation called attention
to testimony of Samuel Gompers, presi
| dent of the American federation of labor,
who had testified that one Jefferson d.
| Pierce of Worcester, an A. F. of L. or
| ganizer, had been bludgc oned to death by
| the steel corporations hirelings. Judge
| Gary presented statement from the son
| OF Mr.. Pierce that he was with his faith
er when the latter was injured by |. w
| W. agents who sought to get control of
the union, and that his father died year
later from cancer resulting from the in
| jury; also that no employee of the United
States Steel corporation had anything to
do with injuries to Mr. Pierce
Senator Mcclellan, Democrat, Tennessee,
said it was contended that the hours of
labor in the steel mills were unusually
long
Il want to refer to wages first said
Judge Gary THE lowest wage rates paid
by the corporation to unskillea labor
| working 10 hours a day are ~ cents pei
hour; in our basic eight-hour day plal
T. cents per hour for eight hours and fGI
tn" hours over eight time ald a half Tina.
is at rate of 90 cents an hour, making
S462 Per day That is the cheapest pay
for Llen. Some boys nay get So a day
The highest earrings, If rollers. a..
SD 56 per day They roll the hot meta
into sheets. The general average wage o
all manufacturing plants, not including
executives, administrators and salesmen
on July /, 1919, was 1927 per day"
Judge Gary explained that some mel
wok eight, some 10 and some II hours /;
dav Men are permitted to work oni,
eight hours if they desire, he "a 4. Yhc,
tho Tabor is unusually hard.
lhe present average wage of uassIlle
laborers of the corporation, the witnes
said, is 50 per day, and under the e2er
shop practice, he said, the man is treat
cd according to his merits
Judge Gary said 6S,2s4 of the corpor,
tons employees worked l2-hour day
1885 l0-hour day, and $500 average
: an eight-hour day.
2 tie said the general average of wage
in manufacturing plants of the corpor
ton was 1898 in 1914 and S627 in 1919. |
the coal and coke works the average
1914 was $40 and in 1919, $500; in II
iron ore works the averages were s.
and $50, while in the corporations shi
building yards, this year, the average WI
1 SOB. In transportation work of the cor
I Grafton, he said, the 1914 rate was 81 :
/ against SOP this year Miscellaneous Ell
1 ployes received 81 26 in 1914, and 81 AS tn
/ year.
Il How much do you pay superinten
1 ents!' asked Senator Kenyon.
/ AS high as $1,000 or 5000 "a year
How many rollers have you at So
l day."
I Il believe there's only one, but the
are many at $40, S2S and s27 day
Ten or tweve?"
oh, more than that
rs it not fact that up to date re
ling mills are autefHatic2" Senator Phip
y.mterposed, ''and that the rollers ma
duty Is to know that his rolls are prope,
- adjusted:' 5.s
You're right said Judge Gary. IT
high pay is for his skill None of tn,