The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-02
Steel Corporation Chairman
Tells Senate Committee
of Strike.
Sea
MEN ARE HIGHEST PAID
No Wage Demands Made; II
Points First Heard Of in
Newspapers. aar
yns
CLOSED SHOP DENOUNCED
Judge Refuses to Tell What
Wilson Said in His Appeal
for Workers. 81
CLOSED SHOP DENOUNCED
Special Despatch TO THE Sun.

WASHINGTON, Oct. Judge ElbSft
II. Gary, chairman Of the board Of the
United States Steel Corporation, ex-
planned with hdetailhnd complete frank
ness to-day the policy okhis corporation
In dealing with labor. He appeared
before the Senate Committee on Edu-
cation and Labor, which is investigate
ing the steel strike.
The corporation, he explained,
makes 1t fixed policy to receive ,its
employees for the consideration OF
any grievances at all times; but 10
will not deal with organized labor
as such because of the firm belief
that labor organizations are not use-
full to labor, industry or the public.
Concerning matters which passed
between himself and President VII.
son when the President asked him 10
meet the grievance committee Of
labor organizations Judge Gary did
not want to answer questions.
There Is no mystery about what
passed" he said, but I consider ft
proper that any statement should be
made by the President" te
In opening his statement Judge
Gary denied stories about the alleged
unfairness and cruelty TO lite en-
ployees. He particularly denied
stories about the death of Fannie
Snelllngs at Brackinridge, Pa, which
was described by labor leaders as
having been caused by gunmen of the
steel company. AS matter Of fact
ne showed the corporation has no
! works or interests in that 4own.
About 100000 Men Employed,
Judge Gary said the Steel Corpora.
| tlon and it's subsidiaries employ about
100000 men, and not more than 40
cent. were out. This includes the coal
mining and iron mining companies.
The coal mining operations in Penn.
sylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, West
Virginia and Kentucky are extensive,
as the company makes It's own coke
and mines nearly all of its own coal.
He promised TO give the committee
the number of employees in the steel
/ industry alone, skilled and unskilled,
and the number of each class strik-
! ing. During the war the number OF
unskilled laborers was much greater
than in normal times.
Are the hours of labor longer for
steel corporation employees than for
other companies?" asked Senator Nc
| Kellar.
Il would like to refer first to the
matter of wages" replied Judge Gary.
THE lowest rate for unskilled labor,
ten hour day. is AZ cents per hour. This
| is on the eight hour basic day, the
worker getting pay and a half for
overtime-that Is, AZ cents per hour
| the first eight hours and 6S cents per
hour after that. This makes S462 for
| low as SO per day.
The rollers, who roll the hot metal
! into shape, and must be skilled in
| dealing with the temperature of the
get as high as 1886 per day.
Average Pay s6.37 a Day.
THE general average OF our manu-
featuring companies. all employees sx-
cept executives and selling force. get
| S6.37 per day This includes some at
! IS, some at $40 and some at ;12 per
day. The average for unskilled labor
is IS. for skilled labor 1910 per day.
THE practice is that wages in each
plant are based on individual capacity
of the men and promotions likewise.
| Under the open shop system every
man is on his merits.
our statistics show that 265 per
cent, OF the men. or 69,2Sl, work twelve
hours daily; 1882 work eight and
| ten hours day, NJ whom SS,s94 work
eight hours and l03.eO2 ten hours. The
average earning a man a day, not In
Guiding executives and selling force, but
| including superintendents and forsmsn.
was. in 1914, $2sS a day In July. 1919.
1t was &s.27 a day. an increase Of iit
per cent.
''The coal miners and coke operators
| averaged in 1914 32.74. In 1919 Ss.i0
daily. The iron ore workers AVERAGED
in 1914 $2,74 and in 1912 S5.76. Tho
transportation employees averaged In
1914 san and in July, 1919. s5.o1 q
day. As q whole, unskilled labor, work.
ing ten hours, earned 50 day In 1914
and $462 In 1919.
1.-THE salaries OF superintendents ana
foremen would not appreclably chAnEa
these results. Some superintendent
earn up to possibly $1,000 or $1,000 a
year. but 1 doubt II they would mako
a change OF cent a day In the Asss.
are"