Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-01


not naturalized?" asked Chairman
Kenyon.
"I include all foreign born"
"What proportion Of men of foreign
birth have you?" asked Mr.. Kenyon.
'I'can't give you that now, but will
later" said Mr.. Gary.
''Are about half foreign born?"
asked Mr.. Kenyon.
''That might be true" the witness
replied. "I'll present some exhibits
to show that foreigners among our en-
ployes are engaged in welfare work
which will set aside any theory that
they are unwilling or mistreated
workers.
Gary Recites Threats
"The men did not strike of their
own volition," continued Judge Gary.
'!They were taken out by the constant
effort of union leaders to bring about n
strike. Threats have been made-we
have a great deal of hearsay testimony
that families were told their children
would be killed. their houses burned, if
the lhen didn't go out. Large numbers
of men remained away from work be-
cause they were afraid.
''If you exclude these, who did not
think there was sufficient protection,
thing it is fair to say that not more
than % per cent Of our employees struck.
If you include them, the total away
from work was about 40 per cent"
Judge Gary said the men were re-
turning to work. 'More returned yes
terday than on any day since it
started" he said.
Senator McKellar, Democrat, Tennes-
see, 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 unskilled
labor working ten hours day are forty
: two cents per hour in our basic eight
hour day plan-forty two cents pei
hour for ten hours and for the hours
!, over eight, time and half is paid. That
is at a rate of sixty three cents an
hours, making 4.62 per day.
THAT is the cheapest pay for men
Some boys may get So day.
1.-THE highest earnings, of rollers, il
1886 per day. They roll the bo
, metal into sheets"
is that the average pay to the roll
erD?" asked Senator Kenyon.
"No; that is the highest" said Mr.
o Gary. '"rhe general average wage o
all manufacturing plants, not including
executives, administrators and sales
e men, on July 1, 1919, was $6.27 pc
!, day." He explained that some mel
e work eight, some ten and some twelv
hours day. Men are permitted t.
= work only eight hours il they desire, h
e said,. when the labor is unusually hard.
6 ''This question of hours is import
= ant" he observed, "and I desire to g
n into it fully later" -
d The present average wage of un
skilled laborers of the corporation, tn
e witness said, is So per day and of tn
= skilled $6.70.
e "Under, the open shop practice" h
y said, "the man is treated according t.
: his merits"
= Judge Gary said 0,2S4 of the cor
It poration's employees worked a twelve
hour day, 190, 1896 ten hour day an
= that SS,004 averaged an eight hour day
e The witness said the general taverag
IS of wages in manufacturing plants O
d the corporation was $2.93 in 1914 an
,f $6.27 in 1919. In the coal and COX
IS works the average in 1914 was $2.7
II and in 1919 $500; in the iron or
IS works the averages we're $2.75 an
$5.70, while in the corporations ship
building yards this year the averal
was $3.50.
In transportation work Of the cor
~ poration, he said, the 1914 rate we
. $2.71, against $500 this year. Mis-
celaneous employees received 1926 i
1914 and $4.4S this year.
= $4,000 for Superintendents
81 'How much do you pay superinten
II dents?" asked Senator Kenyon.
:, "As high as $1,000 or $4,000 year.
.i How many rollers have you at SO
). day?"
'e II believe there's only one, but ther
=. are many at 500, $2S and $27 day.
~ ~ ZEN or twelve?'
d "Oh, more than that"
n ''Is it not the fact that up to dat
y y rolling mills are automatic" Senate
- !, Phillips interposed, ''and that til
~ ~ rollers main duty is to know that HI
~ rolls are properly adjusted?''
- You're right" said Judge Gar,
- 'The high pay is for his skill. Non
= of these men perform manual labor. II
:, touches a button or pulls a lever"
:, What we'd like to know is whf
caused this strike" interrupted Senate
Walsh, Democrat, Massachusetts.
- Judge Gary, Mr.. Gompers and Nj
Fitzpatrick told us the cause of tn
! strike was your refusal to meet ii
mems committee" Senator Kenyo
;. said. THAT ought to bring us to IL
IS point"
- They ought to know, they called it.
- Judge Gary -retorted. "There was n
reason for this strike. The men didn
want it. They were satisfied wit
g their jobs. 1t was the union leader
VI who wanted the strike"
~ How do you know they were salts
: fed" asked Senator johnson, Reput
lican, South Dakota. "You were n,