134 ASSOCIATION OF IRON, STEEL AND TIN WORKERS [266 



of the more highly skilled workmen against the unskilled, 

 or common laborers. 



A less important motive for organizing helpers was a 

 growing consciousness of the common interest of all classes 

 of workmen. If a journeyman lacked any of his assistants, 

 .his work was hampered. He must either do all the work 

 himself or combine with other crews. In either event, 

 earnings were greatly reduced. On the other hand, if jour- 

 neymen were kept from work, their helpers were left unem- 

 ployed. This intimate relationship and mutual dependence 

 has, doubtless, served to turn sentiment in favor of a more 

 democratic organization. 



(b) The problems involved in the hiring and compensa- 

 tion of helpers have been, in the main, two: (i) who shall 

 hire and pay them, and (2) how much shall they be paid. 



As pointed out in a previous chapter, it was customary 

 in the early history of the iron industry in this country for 

 the puddler and the roller to be responsible for the work 

 in their respective departments. They hired and paid their 

 assistants. With the introduction of the manufacture of 

 steel, sheet-iron, and tin plate, the same plan of employing 

 helpers was adopted. ^^ and the system was established 

 throughout the industry.^*^ 



Within recent years, it has been the policy of the union 

 to have all helpers paid from the offices of the firm. This 

 method has two advantages. Obviously it is more con- 

 venient, and it is immaterial to the firm whether the whole 

 amount be paid to the heads of the various crews or to the 

 individual workmen. In the second place, this system of 

 payment by the employer is conducive to a uniform wage 

 rate for helpers doing the same grade of work. Otherwise 

 the helpers may not abide by the union scale. Since a roller 



1" The hiring of "green hands" was, in 1900, suhject to the ap- 

 proval of the mill committee (Proceedings. 1900, p. 5873). 



20 The nature of the iron and steel industry is such as to require 

 a certain numher of helpers, and at the same time to make it difficult 

 for helpers to encroach upon the work of the journeymen. For this 

 reason, the helper system is not distasteful to tlie workers and help- 

 ers are naturally considered the rightful learners of the trade. 



