22 53 THE STANDARD RATE 93 



operative, except in the Cincinnati and St. Louis districts, 

 which were badly disorganized. In 1885 the scale conven- 

 tion decided to ask for the existing prices, and also to make 

 the price of boiling uniform for all mills west of the moun- 

 tains.-® This made the scale practically uniform. The 

 failure of the conference committee that year to reach an 

 agreement with the manufacturers as a body caused a split 

 in the Western Iron Association. The Pittsburgh manu- 

 facturers finally broke ranks and signed the scale for their 

 district, and this scale became the union scale for other 

 districts. Any mill in the Association was privileged to 

 start up under this scale. A uniform scale was thus en- 

 forced in finishing mills in 1885.^^ This scale was as nearly 

 uniform as any single scale ever had been. Uniformity 

 was brought about, however, by the refusal of employers 

 in one district to pay a higher price than those in another, 

 and not by the enforcement in lower-priced districts of 

 prices paid in the districts enjoying a differential advantage. 

 A uniform scale was never maintained for the Eastern 

 district, although many attempts were made to establish one 

 based on the Western scale and a fixed differential. In 

 certain years, such a scale was adopted for many branches 

 included in the Pittsburgh scale.-^ In other years a scale 

 was signed for Philadelphia and its immediate vicinity ;-' 

 but in 1889, when there was a Philadelphia scale, only three 

 mills outside of Philadelphia paid the same prices. An at- 

 tempt was made as late as 1907-1908 to establish an Eastern 



28 The second district was persuaded to give up its twenty-five-cent 

 differential. 



27 After 1885 the Association, in order to economize in the matter 

 of expenses, eliminated the scale convention, and thereafter a wage 

 committee recommended to the general convention for definitive 

 action any desired changes in tlie scale. The convention met in June 

 instead of, as before, in August; and the scale expired June 30. 

 Conferees of the several divisions were appointed by the president 

 to carry on negotiations with the manufacturers (Proceedings, 1885, 

 pp. 1581, 1657, 1690; 1886, p. 1825; 1887, p. 1969). 



28 Vulcan Record, 1874, pp. 13, 19; Eastern Scale of Prices, i8qo- 

 1891. 



2" Proceedings, 1880 and 1881, Appendices. 



