The Iron Age 1919-08-14: Vol 104 Iss 7

BLISHED 1855 New York, August 14, 1919 \ Ol 104 No / What a Search for a Job Proves To-day Seeking Work in Thirty Places Shows How It Now Lies with the Employed to Prevent ryv\ HAT the American employer of labor is doing his utmost to arrest the spread of industrial unrest and Bolshevism clearly the Spread of Bolshevism ——BY DALE WOLF . le ‘ ‘ mpilalnt ho Critit against the boss; agement under whom they labored. demon- the some of them boasted wages, tor m of the man- No knock about about the big strated to me after I had visited over thirty places money they had made on the last And if you n search of work. had asked them why they had grown tired of the l'raveling under an assumed name, talking with old job, they would not have had a plausible answer hundreds of men who were out of work, personally _ to give. making an earnest effort to seek employment for Every effort is being made on the part of the myself and receiving splendid treatment from al American employer to-day to a hearing to most all of the employment offices I visited caused every man who applies at his plant for work. This me to feel that the American worker was personally to blame for much of the indus- trial unrest of to-day. The new function in man- agement—the employment de- partment—is to-day operating with a view of giving every reasonable consideration to the applicant for work. I went to the great Submarine Boat Corporation and there lined up with hundreds of others who were seeking em- ployment. One of the first things that greeted the eye on entering the employment de- partment was a sign which read “Courtesy Always.” Here thousands of men were being handled every day, and the motto before the eyes of the members of that large staff of the employment department was that every app all , ail of some The ryt rog ] lear offe, the was tr the g00d of the color, 1 The Labor Situation social standing cant. The of to-day is viewed fron 1 dual lowed to tell his angle in the hearing accompanying articie: question individual is his is granted regardless iationality or of the appli- al- story and the employment 1. As an Employn Manager. decided entirely upon the nerit f the wi rker-t he 2. As a Man Looking for Work. ae oe tne 7aee O-be It is not always easy to The author, who is employmer give every worker a hearing. ae eee ee Mil Lov , At the time I applied for hils > IZ ft Vel 1 ier aT = Philadelphia, t1 vel d under an a werk ot a.laree voller ter sumed name, made the effort to s ‘ : ; : ir mployment and talked witl ng tactor outside of ( e empioymen rie LaiKkead Wi . ’ Newark there was ;: rreat hundreds of the ur employs NeW irk, : nere ; Va a grea . tring ol ipplicants : ‘ He emphasizes the uniform co! m~ : Pr _ ind a wiAal ri} “ct wae wedgaary cern and courtesy snown boy em pecial guard wa necessary ploying officials and regards it to Keep them all in line. On essential that the right perspective this day employing was not must be given to the restless jo being done at all. Yet, rather holders and job see those than have the guard come out workers of c cant should be treated unmistakably like a man. At this same employment department I was not given the third degree, as has been indicated by of the rash critics of the employing classes. lestions asked me were few and very simple. In fact, I was amazed that the interviewer accepted rd without cross questioning or deep inter- n and willingly gave me the opportunity to trade where I could earn from $6 to $8 a day after about two weeks’ training. to pay me 55 cents an hour while teaching me the trade, I could hardly believe that this was h maligned representative of capital, who ng so free with his money. _ When I talked with the other men in the long list « applicants as to why they were out of work, al answer was that they had “kicked up a b” because they had gotten tired of it. ynditions of employment who know the present-day generally fair that there was ing to-day,” one employment office and tell the men in one voice “nothing do- man from the staff was privately speaking to each ap- tion, telling the man of my abilities lingness to start and work way up in almost any sition, just as long as it was a job. insistent, he still treated consideration. of my wil became me most And when he give him work then, ome other plicant and telling him in a most courteous manner that the company could not but inviting him to come around day. When it came my own turn, I pressed the situa- » ?) and at the bottom as- kind of a po- Even when I with the ut- Employers are always looking for good men and are willing to take them in temporary positions rather than let them walk the streets. And on the other hand, a good man can get a job, if he will persist in his efforts. tisement for machine operators. No Western automobile factory 42: wo While in New York City I answered an adver- It proved to be a representative with 424 his headquarters in the salesrooms of the New York branch. I was asked to tell my experience in oper- various kinds of metal working machines. Upon the evidence that I could do the class of work desired, the interviewer stated his willingness to pay my expenses, traveling in a Pullman ear, to the city where I was to go to work at 65 cents an hour; and ating receive more money should I prove worthy. In this particular case I knew the firm and the city well and was able to appreciate the fact that the offer was an extremely liberal one, the city and working conditions being the best. At a big shoe plant at Roxbury, Mass., the em- ployment manager invited me in to talk with one of the superintendents. I gathered from the conversa- tion that this superintendent was after a desirable but had already hired one. After an inter- esting interview, the superintendent remarked that he could use the other fellow as well as myself if we should prove to be good men. At one of the largest banks in New York City, where I sought a position as junior accountant, I ae cierk was offered a chance to make good. All that was necessary was for me to demonstrate that I was a man. It was upon my own word that this good bank was willing to assume that I was a capable man, and the personnel officer of the bank assured me that their institution was always looking for worthy men. (However, I do not think that I could have made good in this position, had I been willing even to try it.) Unrest Not Due to Employer At one of the New York City employment of- fices I had a talk with a Russian, 50 years old. He told me that he was a machinist and was out of work because of the fact that his shop was on a strike. “What did you strike for?” I asked. “For 90 cents an hour,” was his reply. “How much were you getting?” “Seventy-five cents an hour.” “How long have you been out of work due to this strike?” nine weeks. And let me tell you we are going hungry at our house.” “Don’t you think you made a mistake to on the strike?” The union called it, and I went out.” “Eight or go out “No “But if you had your way about it, you wouldn’t go out on a strike, would you?” “Sure I would.” “Do you mean to tell me that if you knew that vour family would go hungry by your going out on strike that vou would strike anyway, and let your family starve?” wo ild.”’ ‘““And vou making 75 cents an hour!” “Well, 75 pretty good strike just the same. It’s by “Sure | money, but | striking that we get cents is more money. “Do vou expect to get your old job back?” “No. Maybe not.” “Then you will lose the strike and in the mean time your family will be starving.” “Yes, but I get benefits. Eight dollars a week strike benefits. Of course that don’t keep me. But my boys work a little.” I tried to convince this fellow that he was mak- ing a mistake in striking when he was getting good wages, but he could not see my way of thinking. Then I turned the conversation to the type of work that he had been accustomed to doing, only to find that instead of rating as a first-class machinist (as he had indicated to me) he was simply a machine hand, and only an ordinary one at that. THE IRON AGE August 14, {919 At one of the New York City food fa talked to a man who had been out of the a a short time. His story developed the { he had been placed in a good position on lea army, but his present-day idleness was du own neglect. He admitted that his emplo given him an excellent chance to make good While waiting in the line of an employ: fice of a large Boston department store, th. next to me said that he had just come from mer resort, where he had had a good job. him why he had “kicked it up,” and he infor that he came back to Boston because he cx get enough assistance on his summer res “There’s lots of jobs to be had in the count; fellow wants one. So, why should I worr his closing remark. Need to Direct Thought of Unemployed As I talked with these men who were work and then recalled some of the conversat the hundreds of men I have had come to me fo) positions during the last year, I came to the cor clusion that there should be some kind of propa ganda started among the unemployed that would convince them of their foolishness in being eager stay among the ranks of the unemployed. This may sound like loose talk, but if you don’t think that a lot of men are running away from jobs t day, just go out and listen to them tell about th jobs that have been offered them in the last week. At one place I recall that a wise manager had placed under a glass-covered desk a_ promotion chart. This chart showed me that if I took a posi- tion down the ladder, I could work up to a better job, and then a better one, and on and on clear wy to the manager’s desk. I tell you I felt right awa that here was a firm worth working for. But this was only a grain in a whole wheat field of poss bilities. Then there was a store in Newark that co ducted a little propaganda of its own among the people who desired positions. Interesting things and pertinent facts about the organization of that store could be read and seen by those who were | of work and waiting to be interviewed. Hers another move in the right direction to prevent rest among the unemployed. If some anti-Lenine or anti-Trotsky could come to the front and launch a system of publicity) would stabilize labor, the world and our America would be much safer for commerce economic advancement. Discharging Men the men I talked with had been dis charged from the last job and others could tell tales of how their foremen wanted to discharge then but the employment manager prevented. Thes men were all-wise about the work of the employm department. They told me how it was “imposs for a foreman to fire you simply because he had grudge against you.” ht Some of yy 4 There was always a righ appeal to the employment manager. One fellow praised an employment manage! had saved him from discharge. He told his stor which was that he had made a mistake and th foreman wished to discharge him. The emplo; n - manager had him transferred to another cepar ment, where he liked his work earned a promotion. wl ] better and late! Employer on the Square The employer of to-day is willing to lay all | his cards on the table and give every applicant 10! st 14, 1919 chance to put him under a thorough cross- nation. e of the New York City employers told me all his factory. He covered the subject in detail, ned the kind of buildings, the type of em- what I would be expected to do, the hours d work, the convenience of transportation, the tant subject of pay, and then said (after he een doing all of the talking), “Is there any juestion you would like to ask me?” After imply told him that I would take the job if fe were willing to have me make the change. s employer dwelt at some length upon the inities for advancement and promotion. He said that after a worker had reached a cer- tage, the opportunities for promotion came slower, and only those men were promoted pplied their brains to some outside study. fairer proposition could a man ask for! Hartford the man who hired me to machine asked me to read over a notice yn a nearby post. On reading this, I learned was a resumé of the working conditions of ictory, and what I could expect in the way of treatment from my employers. +. run a No guesswork it was all down there in black and white. \t another Boston shoe factory I was asked to | about the shop committee system in that plant was made to understand distinctly that if I had fault to find with the management, this shop “ nmittee would be more than pleased to take up z complaint with the management for me. In this Fs stance the management seemed exceptionally A proud of itself and its accomplishments in the way - f taking care of the workers’ troubles. Extra Efforts Put Forth to Employ At one of the big steel plants near New York, ian who did the hiring was impressed with me story. He wanted to give me a job, but did “ts t have any requisitions to hire men of my adver- lity. In spite of the fact that he was turn- en away constantly he told me to wait awhile he would telephone to a foreman and see if he not get a requisition to hire a man like me. re was I, a total stranger to him, yet because of fact that he wanted to be of service to his com- oni and me, he was willing to consult with others ‘hat re finally turning me down to walk the streets. a Vhen a man shows a keen desire really to get a : he usually can find some employer who will go his way to place him. In one of the large epartment stores I persuaded the interviewer | was a crackerjack man on running a stock rrectly. He telephoned all over that store he couldn’t get me a job working in one r numerous stock rooms. When he had failed ‘ d, “You come back and see me to-morrow nme ° ° , about nine o’clock, and I will surely be ht o! nbination of Foundry Machinery Makers Rich Foundry Equipment Co., and the Sand Mix both of Chicago have combined unde1 name of the latter, the American Foundry Co. The Rich company manufactures sand pment, charging trucks for malleable epa immer core machines and the duplex shake1 lat Mixing Machine Co., is a manufacturer ne Co., iron foun ¢ natic sand cutting machine and sand blast The new board of directors is as follows: ch, president; E. A. Rich, jr., vice president; 1 af elly, secretary; O. A. Pfaff, treasurer; and on he of directors, Harry T. Hall, first vice presi- int for York; E. L. Bank, New rchants’ National THE IRON 125 AGE able to find a good job for you by that time. I'll make a temporary job for you, if I can’t get some one to take care of you, and then later I'll be able to put you in a permanent position.” The employers are not always insisting that they shall have trained men for their work. They go out of their way to tell the fact that they are willing to take “greenies” and train them, with pay while undergoing the training. This thing was unheard of ten years ago. At a New York street railroad employment office, where I secured a position as a motorman, training where every fa offered to teach new men the art of trolley car work. ] + alm ALITIOS there was sly il a iarge room ity Was After this inside training I was to be placed out on a run where | would be further taught under the jurisdiction of an expert trainer At one of the large Boston stores I was asked if [ would care to take a position selling gasoline and oil stoves at $20 week to start | nformed the man “I cannot take this position, although I would like to have it, because I know nothing about oil or gasoline stoves.” “Oh, that’s all rignt ne sak J ist SO iong a vou have some ability s a sales? ! uu will get along all right. You see we will take you and pa you full salary while we are training you. After we get through with the training know enough to be able to sell the stoves Here was another instance of the employer’ himself out of the putting wal help develop a man. Other cases could be mentioned, all of which would show the tendency of the modern employer to give a lift to the unemployed One of the striking things about m) a job was the willingness with whi would tell me where else I could get a job. If he knew of some activity at another place nearby, he earcn tor nh an employe r was always ready to pass the good word along. If his own plant was going to take on help in a short time, he would encourage an applicant mention ing the fact and asking him t all again + attitude of The em The workers The non-workers must change have industrial peace come more than halfway mind if we are to ployer has pronts and a nt-snaring plans shop committees However, had the belief that he is a with all of the wments and opportunities that men have in America are being given a share in the voice in the management by our modern pr‘ and organizations of the non-worker has real God-given man not Such a propaganda must come from among th themselves. The effort to It’s up to some em] ers ¢ labor are workers bending every meet tne une man-to-man basis. person. person organization or that there is fair treatment and fair agency to convince the unemploved work at a fair wage for them, or the red flag of Bolshevism will be waving from their hands in a few nths S 1, head of co ig department Am« in Four iry Equipment Co The company w negotiating ras on which to erect a pla f from 30,000 to 10,000 t. floor space, ne companie nm ned now ccupying leased plants in each ise New England Foundrymen Have Outing The New England Foundrymen’s Association held its annual summer outing Aug. 13 at the Pomham Club, Providence, R. I., as the guests of the Providence foundrymen. Officers of the local entertainment mittee were Clarence Colvin, Colvin Foundry Co., chair- Andrews, of Whitehead Brothers Co., com- man, and C. E. secretary. 426 FRANCO-GERMAN RELATIONS What the Realignment of Coal and Iron Ore Reserves Show As indicating what mutual compromises and _re- ciprocal concessions may be imposed on both Germany and France by the new conditions which they face, Joseph F’. Shadgen, consulting engineer, New York, who a few years ago was identified in an engineering capacity with one of the Thyssen steel-making plants, has compiled the figures of the accompanying table. They show, as is generally known that France needs German coal and THE IRON AGE August 14 from 18-pounder cartridge cases to be cut into strip and containers from shrapnel shells can be use a slight alteration as lamps. By making an alt in the carbureter it is possible to run the airpla gines on coal gas. sion constructed spare parts enables Italian Imports under Special Licens: WASHINGTON, Aug. 12.—The Bureau of For Domestic Commerce has received a cablegran Alfred P. Dennis, commercial attaché at Ro: nouncing that the articles which hereafter may ported only under special license from the Italia Germany needs ore. It will accordingly be interesting ernment include copper, cement, iron rods o Production Tons of 1000 ko. (22041b.) in 1913 Coa Coke Iron Ore Pig Iron Ste Oo \ TR 620.000 32,170,000 35,940,000 19,300,000 ] I 13,000,000 Lao, = ## <eware ba 1,350,000 d 800.000 500,000* 21,140,000 3,900,000 7,450,000 2,400,000 41,000,000 3,060,000 20,400,000 5,200,000 5.3 t 22,860,000 3,450,000 120,000 2,480,000 9 7 Lorrain¢ c ar 44,800,000 } 560,000 41,540,000 9,100,000 S rrainse nd Saar 57,800.00 060,000 11,540,000 10,450,000 9 rains Saar and Luxs dure, 57,800,000 060, 0¢ $8.990,000 12,850,000 France, Lorraine, Saar, Luxemburg and Belgium : 80,660,000 8,510,000 49,110,000 15,330,000 11 Germany minu Luxemburg 78,630,000 -2 170.000 28,400,000 16,900,000 12. Germany minus Luxemburg and Saar 265,630,000 30,670,000 28,490,000 15,550,000 Lb Germany minus Luxemburg, Saar and 499 Lorraine 261,830,000 30,170,000 7,350,000 11,650,000 13,295,00 *Estimate om CUDOROOEDOR ERNE TO NETEReOOtIOD to watch the de countries. velopments of relations between the The tabulation gives a cue, says Mr. Shadgen, to the condition of the iron and steel trade after the war. The first six lines are the basis of combinations in the re- maining lines. For example line 10 presupposes politi- cal economic understandings between three neighboring countries. Definite conclusions are only correct in con- sidering that both the Belgian and French plants have suffered so much from war and wanton devastation that the production of coal and coke as well as pig iron and steel cannot be attained before 1921 at the expense of an enormous re@onstruction investment. The destroyed or crippled blast furnaces have at least a yearly pro- ductivity of three to four million tons of pig iron which can only be regained piecemeal as the rebuilding pro- gresses. Two facts are clearly shown by comparing lines 10 and 13. Germany has the coal mines and the coke plants. The loss of the Saar district hardly effects her monopoly of coal, especially because that district does not yield coke good for metallurgical purposes. The acquisition of the Saar region hardly solves the acute shortage of fuel in France as the tonnage gained does not even counterbalance the loss of production in the war-ridden district around Lens and Courriére. On the other side, France will in the future control absolutely the minette iron mines and reserves and Germany will have to import practically all of its ore supply. British Making Commercial Applications of War Material WASHINGTON, Aug. 12.—According to a report made by Trade Commissioner H. G. Brock, at London, to the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, the muni- tions inventions department of the British Government has conducted a series of interesting experiments to utilize surplus war material. “The steel of shell is in many cases capable of being rendered glass hard,” says the report of Mr. Brock, “and milling cutters have been produced which are re- ported to have stood the most exacting tests. After a little manipulation in the lathe, an 18-pounder shell, minus nose and copper band, makes an excellent shaft- ing coupling. The copper bands sell at a good price for electrical and other A special lathe exten- purposes. steel rails and railway ties; metal plates and sheets of all kinds; partly manufactured iron and steel goods; copper, brass, bronze, crude or semi-manufactured; firearms; agricultural machinery, tractors; railroad rolling stock; and automobiles. Reduced Ocean Shipping Rates WASHINGTON, Aug. 12.—The United States Ship- ping Board, as mentioned in these columns last week, has announced a new series of freight rates from north Atlantic ports to the United Kingdom to meet British competition. The rates showed a reduction for iron and steel from a former range of $16 to $18 per ton to $13 to $15, as well as a cut to $12 per ton as a minimum for ballast freight. The following table itemizes the chief commodities, those marked “special” being subject to special negotiation on the basis of $12 per ton minimum: Aluminum ingots, per 100 Ib.........- $1.00 Auto chassis and trucks, per cu. ft 5 Automobiles, pleasure, per cu. ft. t Bars, up to 30 ft. in length... ..cecscesveecs specia Botier tubes, per @roes tO. .icccccescecsscns 13.00 3olts and nuts, per gross tom.........2eeee. 14.00 Brass bars and sheets, per 100 Ib..........-. 1.00 Brass and copper, scrap, per 100 lb........- 1.01 Carwheels, loose, per grosSS tOn......+++ee5> 13.01 Copper ingots, per grosSS ton........+eeeeees 19.0 Copper wire rods and coils, per gross ton.. 20.0% PONS ccvwsnnce paiva dee ES ele ek E DONOR opecia Lead billets, per gross ton sa, orale oe 14.00 Nails, per gross ton........ Te ee PO TE, peaks ce cee eee Caves ae ee ee ce areer es Sper Pig lead faencs ik eles Swe were ‘ ope Pipe fittings, iron, per gross ton...... eoeee Ad Plates, up to 30 ft. in length....... oes SP Pipe, 4 in. or under, outside measurement, : per gross ton eee ee ee rece eneeeensons a Rods, wire . pase eas ieee ee Spr la Scrap iron, per gross ton......... o Screws, per gross ton errr rt ae Sheets up to 30 ft. in length Sp EE: dh wad 6 bie. Ky eee ae eRe CU een es =P SD Spelter Spiegeleisen, Steel billets Steel, cold rolled, in boxes.... Steel hoops, in coils, per gross ton.....++++* Steel rails, light, not over 30 ft. in length.. Structural material up to 30 ft. in length and 2 tons in weight, including angles, beams, channels, girders and T’s, not fabricated, i Der OFele SON... cccceevnee nb ena 6ans eRe I Tim, Oe Woes LOM... sac ccad od dhnteneeenaaen 15.00 Wire, plain, in coils, per gross ton.......++: 14. ene, DEE TON TOR. 2. vi cacddsedcnvicdoupee4 29.! Zinc ashes, per gross tOM........ceeeeeeee® L4 Zinc dross, per gross ton......ccsesscssess 14.( .esthetic Treatment of Plant Structures & Tube Co. lings to MERICAN industry up to date has been se- verely practical. Manufacturing facilities have been designed with an idea of getting the ilts at the least cost, and little attention has been paid to architecture or to the provision of adequate facilities for the comfort and convenience of em- ployees. The unattractive, and often ugly, appear- ance of the agerage plant building is probably at- tributable to a failure to consider architectural pos- sibilities, rather than to a lack of aesthetic taste. Undoubtedly, the fact that a building of pleasing de- sign can be constructed at little excess in cost over omely, barn-like structure, has not won general ognition. Although of late years industries, in increasing ber, have taken steps to provide for the physical social needs of their employees, few have done more in this regard than the Steel & Tube Co. f America at its Iroquois and Mark plants. How- ‘r, the striking feature of the facilities provided Building at the Iroquois This structure compares with similar facilities ut the finest country The attractive structure ) contains a cafeteria and litorium for moving-picture torium for employees. The f cafeteria (left), showing Needs of Employees and Officers by this company is the simple, yet attractive, de- sign of the structures erected. Among several buildings recently completed, the largest and handsomest from an architectural point of view is the men’s lunch room and assembly hall at the Iroquois Iron Co. plant, South Chicago, II. This structure, an exterior view of which is shown in an illustration, is 96 ft. by 40 ft. The cafeteria, the dimensions of which are 28 ft. by 30 ft., is finished with a red tile floor with black joints and walls of white enamel brick. The serving counter and the tables are topped with vitro marble. The adjoining kitchen is equipped with gas and electric stoves, steam tables, vegetable and dish sinks and a built-in refrigerator. The auditorium is connected with the cafeteria by means of swinging doors, but in addition has a separate outside entrance. It has a hardwood floor and walls of dark glazed brick for a height of 5 ft. and of buff-face brick above. With dimensions entrances tokitchen and auditorium The floor is of red tile with black joints, while the serving counter and the walis are of white enamel brick. Interior of the auditorium (right) showing moving-picture screen and piano THE IRON August 14 The Office < Blast-Furnace erintendent Mark Plant Particular] At tive Str lk of 40 ft. by 64 ft., it will seat about 400 people. It ga.cherings, an Hungarian dance, was a decided su is equipped with a first-class moving picture and ¢ . To provide music, the company has install stereoptican machine, which is situated in a fire- a piano in the hall, as shown in the illustration. ‘proof chamber located above a toilet room adjacent The auditorium is not only a scene of social a to the kitchen. Access to the chamber is gained by _ tivities, but is also utilized as a school room. Classes means cf an outside stairway. in English and elementary arithmetic have been in- The hall has already been the scene of a number’ augurated, and though these are intended particu of moving picture shows, provided by the company. larly for the foreign-born worker, a surprising! While these have contained some educational feat- large number of native Americans are taking ad- ures, they have not been lacking in the best of cur- vantage of the instruction. The employees e1 rent scenarios, including light comedies. As the rolled as pupils are paid their regular wages auditorium was intended primarily as a recreation § the time taken up by the classes. center for the employees and their families, the Realizing that high-class sanitary facilities cor company has given the men free rein to use it for stitute a potent agency for the maintenance any social functions they care to arrange. This health among employees, and are therefore of eve! they have done; one of the first of these social greater importance than recreational centers, th 4 ; The Gat House Is a Two-Story Structure with Entrance and Exit Passageways on the First Floor and Offices ‘ Second t 14, 1919 & Tube Co. erected five lavatory buildings, the Iroquois plant at South Chicago, and the our at the Mark Mfg. Co. plant at Indiana The Iroquois building, shown in an illus- ‘ontains separate shower, toilet, locker and oms, and compares favorably in its appoint- to similar facilities designed for country r high-class educational institutions. The of red cement, the walls of glazed brick ght of 5 ft. and of white enamel brick above. ling is of matched lumber, white enameled. iipment is of good substantial quality. The ng can easily be kept clean by flushing it out vater. Steam heat has been provided, cast- radiators having been installed in all rooms. water and light are supplied by the irnace plant of the company. e four lavatories erected at the Mark are equally as well constructed, but do ntain showers or locker rooms. One of buildings shown in an illustration, hers being of similar design. The pres- out of these structures is accounted for he fact that they will be extended to twice present size at some future time. re is Freyn, Brassert & Co., engineers, Chicago, who yned and erected the buildings which have just een described, also constructed a gate house at the juois Iron Co. and offices for the blast furnace perintendents at the Mark and Iroquois plants. hese buildings are also noteworthy because they ine the practical features desired and good chitecture. The gate house is divided into three partments, two of which are equipped with time one for checking in upon coming to work e other for checking out before leaving the The gatekeeper is stationed in a third com- ent separated from the passageways by glass, gh which he can keep an eye on the men as 0 in and out. The second floor of the gate ise is used for office quarters. | _ ine blast furnace superintendent’s office at the lant, shown in an illustration, is a one-story tructure, 21 ft. by 40 ft., and contains a gen- e, a private office, a toilet, shower and dress- m. The building erected for the blast fur- perintendent at the Iroquois plant of design. is Meyer has been placed in charge of the new f the John W. Cowper Co., Buffalo, engineer tractor, in the Oliver Building, Pittsburgh. THE IRON kl nd AGE 429 Philadelphia Foundrymen Organize Committee for the Coming Convention The Philadelphia foundrymen and foundry supply men have organized thoroughly for the convention of the American Foundrymen’s Association to be held i that city Sept. 29 to Oct. Thomas Devlin, president of the Philads Iph a Howard Evans, it Foundrymen’s Association, and nbers ex-officio of nmittee ¢ S secretary, are mel! The clearing house onsists all committees f of the following: Howard M. Bougher, J. W. Paxson Co., chairman; Charles W. Asbury, Enterprise Mfg. Co.; H. J. Bannister, George Oldham & Son; G. H. Clamer, Ajax Metal Co.; Stanley G. Flagg, III, Stan ley G. Flagg & Co.; D. P. Hopkins, United States Cast Iron Pipe & Foundry Co.; W. J. Johnson, Baldwin Loco- Pa motive Works; Matlack, William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Co.; Staunton B. Peck, Link-Belt Co.: Charles Suess, Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Co.; Walter Wood, R. D. Wood & Co.; Thomas Kaveny, Herman Pneumatic Machine Co.; Frank Hod son, Electric Furnace Construction Co., and Silas M. Tomlinson, of the Frank Samuel organization. There are eight special committees and the chair- man of each is made a member of the clearing house George C. committee. These committees and their chairmen are the following: Information, George F. Pettinos; recep- tion and hotels, H. W. Brown, Tabor Mfg. Co.; visita- tion of plants, George C. Davies, Pilling & Crane; pub licity, C. R. Spare, American Manganese Bronze Co.; finance, C. P. Pond, David Lupton’s Sons Co.; ente tainment, Frank Krug, White & Brother; golf, Otto W Schaum, Fletcher Works; loan of automobiles, Herbert J. Bougher, J. W. Paxson Co. Secretary C. E. Hoyt notes that the exhibit space already taken for the Philadelphia meeting is 60,000 sq. ft.. whereas 38,000 sq. ft. was used at Cleveland in 1916, 44,000 sq. ft. at Boston in 1917 and 42,000 sq. ft. at Milwaukee in 1918. The technical sessions at Phila- delphia begin Tuesday morning, Sept. 30, and continue on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings. The banquet comes on Thursday evening, Oct. 2 The Selson Engineering Co., Ltd., New York, has just opened a branch in Brussels, 15 Rue du Lombard. RENEW FURNACE FOUNDATION Timber Trusses and Old Crane Girder Used as Underpinning for Stack During Operation The renewal of the foundation under a blast furnace without disturbing the shell was recently accomplished for the Dominion Iron & Steel Co., at Sydney, N. S., which operates six furnaces. These are relined and remodeled in accordance with a schedule providing for the continuous operation of at least three, and generally four, furnaces. During the remodeling of No. 3 furnace, recently described in the Engineering News-Record, the foundation was found to be badly split and veined with iron, and in order to provide permanent support it was decided to install an entirely new foundation instead of reinforcing the damaged one, as was first contemplated. A contract for this portion of the work was therefore made with the Foundation hlact DiaSt Wooden Trusses with Steel Diagonal Web Members Were Employed to Hold Blast Furnace Stack During Renewal of the Foundation Co., Ltd., Montreal, and work started early in July, 1918. The procedure adopted is detailed by C. W. Lush, engineer with the Foundation Co., as follows: At this time the lining, bosh, hearth jacket and piping had been removed, and a choice of several methods of executing the work was afforded. The problem comprised the supporting of the furnace shell, bustle pipe and column heads, together with some loading from the bleeder pipes, reaction from the skip bridge and severe wind pressures from any direction of the compass. The contractor was required to maintain all existing structures at practically their original elevations. Comparative studies of methods resulted in a deci- sion to use two wooden trusses (with steel end diagonal web members) bearing on the side walls of the cast house and taking the load of the furnace at the mantle, as the main supports, while an old crane girder already on the site was utilized to take the wind load trans- verse to the trusses and to help support the bustle pipe. A general view of the shoring and of the principal physical features affecting the work is reproduced. The Fluorspar Industry in 1918 All records for fluorspar mined and marketed in the United States were broken in 1918, according to statis- tics compiled under the direction of E. F. Burchard of the Geological Survey. During the year 263,817 net tons, valued at $5,465,481, were sold, compared with 218,828 tons, valued at $2,287,722 in 1917. This repre- sents an increase in quantity of 44,989 tons, or nearly 21 per cent, and in value of $3,177,759, or nearly 139 per cent. The imports of fluorspar into the United States in 1918 amounted to 12,572 net tons, valued at $169,364, compared with 13,616 tons, valued at $114,598, in 1917. This represents a decrease in quantity of 1044 tons, or 7.7 per cent, but an increase in value of $54,766, f or 47.8 per cent. The value at the foreign ports of shipment assigned to the imports in 1918 averaged $13.47 a ton, compared with $8.42 in 1917, an increase THE IRON AGE August 14. of $5.05 a ton, or nearly 60 per cent. Of the in 1918 England furnished 11,659 net tons, v: $147,391, and Canada furnished 913 net ton at $21,973. A comparison of the average pric domestic spar produced ($20.72) and of the lo assigned to the spar imported from England | and Canada ($24.07) is of interest. The average selling value per ton f.o.b. n shipping points for all grades of spar in 19 $20.72, compared with $10.45 in 1917. The shipments of gravel spar in 1918 amouw 213,311 net tons, valued at $4,582,456, compar: 183,144 tons, valued at $1,759,920 in 1917. The total quantity of crude spar mined amounted to 326,039 net tons, compared with tons in 1917, an increase of 16.1 per cent. Sto spar at mines or shipping points, mainly in Ker amounted at the end of 1918 to 22,779 net ton pared with 21,655 tons at the end of 1917. Cam-Operated Routing Machine A cam-operated routing or profiling machin been put upon the market by the Automatic Engra & Mfg. Co., 2033 Fifth Avenue, New York. This of mechanism replaces the ratchet usually em to advance the spindie. The cam is designed to « inate all possible loss in cutting time by utiliz maximum percentage of the cam surface in produ work, A circular disk with a knockout pin is also mounted on the camshaft. It is connected by two levers, a late! or catch lever on the frame engaging a holding lever connecting with the starting lever. After one revo tion of the machine it is stopped by the knockout pin throwing the levers to disengage the clutch. It is stated by the manufacturer that speed of production and efficiency are derived from the fact that there | very little idle travel on the cam feed and that this type of feed brings the severest cutting during th middle of the stroke, insuring a maximum of life for the milling cutter. The cutter itself is, where permis _— —J age A in the Cente the §S Power Is Applied to the Worm Drive, Shown to Rotate the Cam Above, Thereby Swinging Operating Lever Back and Forth to Carry the Cutte! Carriage In and Out of the Work Spinaie epi sible, made with a hole in the shaft and oil is forced thereby upon the work. The starting lever is connected with a shaft and fork which engages a clutch on the driving wheel. This in turn is connected with a shaft and pinion driving the change gear and wormshaft connected with a pini¢ and gear by which the proper feed is transmitted to the table slide oscillated by means of an eccentric The wormshaft operates the camshaft by means of a worm and a gear. On the worm gear shaft 18 mounted a cam which forces the slide-operating ‘ever forward, carrying the spindle slide ahead to pertorm the work. This lever is connected with an adjustable slide regulating the depth of the cut. For quantity pre duction one cam is cut to control the depth of the cut required. a yn A Andrew Carnegie Succeeded by Knowing Men Long the Foremost Figure in the American Steel Trade, an Advocate of Unrestrained Competi- tion and Maker of New and Greater Records ry iiAT Andrew Carnegie was feeling the weight of ears had long been known and his associates in e steel trade were not unprepared for the ement that he had passed away Monday morn- ig. 11, at his country place, Shadow Brook, near Mass. He was 83 years old and had outlived rement from active participation in the steel by a little more than 18 years. lrew Carnegie was a man of complex character he possessed high ideals and extreme prac- He has been called f the most discerning of men that ever lived. [ as the greatest of iron he might also well been called a master of for in the selection of manage his properties rved a stipulated right thod of shelving them they fail to meet his ex tions. He made them | they made him richer, was exacting in his ations. His scheme of ture,” as it has been led, included the surrender by a partner of his holdings in Carnegie companies when the partner’s connection was sev- ered. The plan was successful til Mr. Carnegie’s rupture with Henry Clay Frick and his ffort to oust Mr. Frick, of ich more will be said later. rhe Primacy of Steel Mr. Carnegie’s junction with tune has few parallels in untry’s industrial history. was on the scene, young, unusually shrewd and ) possibilities, almost at rth of one of the greatest ypments in the history of nd, the utilization in a of nature’s riches in ind their conversion into y the Bessemer process. Circumstances brought to a field in which few then had vision. It is ful whether Mr. Carnegie himself fully realized inscendent factor that steel was to become in branch of human industry. all great men, Mr. Carnegie had to meet criti J from those who would detract from his fame and ments, but no one could deny his ability to portunity—even to create opportunity—to judge + ile 1 get the most out of them. His judgment was faulty, but he was saved from mishap by the ed ess of his chosen lieutenants, and swept on to success by the irresistible flood of demand for la led by the failure of others, by the country’s his e policy, and by railroad rebates which to-day the t be countenanced. He was not always quickly on | of the merit or earning power—the latter he the ad in mind—of a new business venture, but inced he invariably found a way to dominate of e were few of the vicissitudes of fortune which is he careers of others. He went from strength ver er strength. It has been said of him that he rm rofit in pioneering. Yet he would spend great ible , r improvements where the prospect appealed oT 0- Usually he was good at prophecy. He was cut the earliest exemplars of absentee ownership, always informed by post, telegraph or cable > status of his interests. It is not improbable perspective obtained from afar often helped ANDREW CARNEGIE hasan him in reaching wise decisions, gave him vision which those grappling with the details of actual management did not have. Out of Poverty Andrew Carnegie was born Nov. 25, 1835, in Dun- fermline, Scotland, the son of a weaver of damasks. The business of the father was so impaired by the introduction of factory methods that in 1848 he brought to America his wife and two sons, Andrew and Thomas M., the latter the junior of An- ae aa F drew by nine years. They lo + cated in Pittsburgh, the father there obtained employment at his trade. Andrew Carnegie’s first step in business was as a bobbin boy at $1.20 a week. At 14 he was employed in a bobbin-turning shop, his week- ly wage there being $3. At 15 he became a messenger boy for the Ohio Telegraph Co., and improved himself by learning telegraphy. In 1854 he en- tered the service of Thomas A. Scott, then superintendent of the Western Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, a step which meant much to the fu- ture of young Carnegie, for in later years Mr. Scott delighted in assisting his young friend in the climb upward. Through his interest, Andrew Carnegie was given many business op- portunities, and in 1863, at the age of 28, the young man had accumulated some money and had been promoted to the sup- erintendency of the railroad, the position Mr. Scott had held. Investments in oil and the Woodruff Sleeping Car Co. had proved profitable for Andrew. The group of young men with whom both Andrew and Carnegie grew to manhood, almost without ex- ception became prominent in iron and steel; in fact, most of them were associated with Andrew in his rise. Some of these have passed from public memory; a few are still linked in the public mind with steel, coke or ore. Famous as Andrew became, for instance, little is said or thought to-day of Thomas M. Carne- gie, for the reason that he died in 1886 at the age of 43 years. He was a lovable character, endowed with Scotch humor, and possessing the persuasive way that contributed in no small measure to Andrew’s early success. Much could be said along the same line for some of the others. First Venture in Iron Mr. Carnegie’s connection with the iron industry began in 1861, when he was called to serve as a medi- ator in a partnership dispute in the firm of Kloman & Co., who operated an iron rolling mill and forge in Twenty-ninth Street, Pittsburgh, in which Henry Phipps held an interest. The company was first estab- lished by Andrew and Anton Kloman in 1858, at Girty’s Run, Millvale, Duquesne borough, now a part of Alleghany, its initial valuation being $4,800. Growth had caused the firm to move to Twenty-ninth Street. In the adjudication of the dispute, Thomas M. Carne- gie acquired an interest with capital furnished by An- drew. This step is believed to mark the entrance of the Carnegies into the iron business. That Andrew Carnegie’s Scotch sagacity gave him 431 some realization of the great future for iron was evi- denced in 1864 by his taking a substantial interest in the Cyclops Iron Co., planned as a rival of the Kloman nlll, and which built a plant at Thirty-third Street, Pittsburgh. Only a year later the two merged as the Union Iron Mills, the capital stock being $500,000. In w of later ieveiopments, it ; interesting’ to note tna tne ew pany ike Many young enterprises, ft iad difficulty in finding money wherewith to meet urre expense i many a trying situation was ved by the fertile mind of Mr. Phipps. Soon after ward, railroad lyir recame active and the genius of Mr. Carnegie, as a business expander, made itself felt, n¢ f his important strokes being an arrangement vher e Ur Iron Mills supplied shapes to Piper & Shiffler This fi was the forerunner of the Key stone Bridge Co., of which it became part in 1865, é ympal eing formed with Mr. Carnegie and f i1liroaad me e directorate Meanwhile My ( ! Ss increasing his holdings every tur I S70 e nterests refused to jo 1 Dias ismuch as it did not possess the ele for ‘ 112 he same yeat aN i ( I & Co. was organized, botl Andrew Ch is ell erested, for the purpose of build st fur Fifty-first Street, Pittsburgh | é Lu Furnace I rivalry with the ! raneous Isabella furnace is a matter of his Edgar Thomson Beginnings Ab 187 of Wilson, Walker & Co., wit \ndrew Carnegie as a silent partner, was formed to ! ise the lower Union mill, this mill in 1886 be ( ng a part of Carne ole, Phipps & Co . Ltd. In 1873 so. Carneg MeCandless & Co. was organized with ‘ il stox f $700,000, the company securing an ypt n or land at Braddock’s Field, a short distance Pittsburgh on the Monongahela. Thomas M. Carnegie, ratner to tne disapproval of his brother, had a nterest I tnis project. It Is interesting to ObD- ser hat it was Andrew’s constitutional wariness wh aused him to frown on the establishment by his brother, in conjunction with William Coleman, the } er’s father-in-law, and others, of the Bessemer plant at Bradd which became the Edgar Thomson Steel Co The faith of Mr. Coleman and Thomas was inspired by visits to existing Bessemer steel plants in this country, but Andrew acquired his in the course of a visit abroad His good friend, Colonel Scott, com- missioned him in 1872 to go to Europe and sel railroad bonds, a mission which he executed with success, and a profit to himself of $150,000. What he saw in England nvinced him as to the value of Bessemer rails, and put $250,000 into the company. In 1874 n his return he it was reorganized as the Edgar Thomson Steel Co., Ltd., capitalized at $1,000,000. The first blow in the new plant was made Aug. 22, works, built by A. L. Holley, was Bessemer steel in the United successful and a money- 1875. Though this first to marvellously It astonished the world both as Andrew Carnegie’s genius in management and sales generalship was here in full the operating end eared for by Holding one-third of the stock of the wanted one-half, and this and + +) ,« L- not tne make States, it was from its start. maker to methods and production. swing, while was ( apable aides. company, Mr. Carnegie more he eventually obtained. From this time dates the famous Carnegie policy which provided that no officer of a Carnegie company should retain his inter- est after he had reisgned his connection, a policy which took the form of a signed pledge, to which, however, there was later some laxity in obtaining signatures. Its purpose was the elimination of those considered undesirable. Not much can be said here about what had been termed “ejectures” from the Carnegie organ ization, but from time to time men who had been im- portant in the councils dropped out, the strength of Andrew Carnegie steadily growing. The original pur pose of the plan was to supply a means of removing debtor partners, or those given a stock interest, for which payment was to be made by the earnings of the itself. st ck THE IRON AGE August 14. In 1879, the Pittsburgh Bessemer Steel Ci was organized with a capital stock of $250,000 at Homestead, a short distance from RB; the founders being firms whose supply of n a mill steel, for business reasons, had been cut off f Thomson’ works. Simultaneously, Kloman, who had been practicaily removed f) Carnegie organization following unfortunate o own the erect at Homestead, but he died before it was e Kloman property was bought by the Pitt Steel Co. By September, 1881, the the greatest making 200 tons of Bessemer rai] the pros labor troubles developed at | less attractive, and the more alarmed t} result that in Edgar ulations on his account, began mil The Be Ss ¢ stead mer plant, destined to become world, was and the Carnegies evinced alarm at But became competition. ead, . 1 ot the prices new-enterprise became Carnegies, with the October, 18% Homestead properties were transferred to the ( group, the consideration covering the cost of the and the augmented value of the land, the selle ceiving notes chiefly. It is related that the H stead mill paid for itself within two years. It de: strated the Carnegie wisdom of buying, buildin nproving when times were dull, and also illust Mr. Carnegie’s fa