I 54 ASSOCIATION OF IRON, STEEL AND TIN WORKERS [286 



In 1901 the Republic Iron and Steel Company proposed 

 a plan which would insure their plants continuous opera- 

 tion.^" Previous to this time, at the expiration of the an- 

 nual scale on June 30, there was a general stoppage of mills 

 pending scale negotiations. The plan agreed upon was as 

 follows: A yearly scale was presented to the Republic Iron 

 and Steel Company by the first of May to take effect July 

 I. In case of failure to reach an agreement by July i, one 

 conciliator was selected by each side, and the two so selected 

 chose a third. These three conciliators met the representa- 

 tives of both sides in conference, and tried to effect an 

 agreement. It was understood that mills were to run pend- 

 ing negotiations, and the wages finally agreed upon were to 

 be paid during the period in which a settlement was being 

 made. 



Because of the delay in obtaining a conciliation board to 

 adjust certain differences in 1904. a new method for choosing 

 the third conciliator was adopted. ^^ Each side selected one 

 man, and the third conciliator was chosen in the following 

 manner: Each side presented a list of ten names, from 

 which the other side selected five. From these ten names, 

 which were submitted to the two conciliators, they were to 

 choose a third before the adjournment of the annual con- 

 vention. 



Upon the formation of the Western Bar Iron Associa- 

 tion, a similar but more specific arrangement was entered 

 into. A yearly scale was presented by June i, and a con- 

 ference held as soon as possible. If no agreement was 

 reached by July 10. the points in dispute were referred to 

 a board of conciliation selected in the same manner as had 

 been provided for in the Republic agreement. If the con- 

 ciliation board could not agree within thirty days, the scale 



^* James H. Nutt, who has for many years acted as adjuster in 

 bar-iron mills and has been active in the conferences of employers 

 and employees, a sort of buffer between opposing interests, is re- 

 ported to have persuaded the Repubhc to arbitrate in case of the 

 failure of the conference to agree; b\it the union rejected the pro- 

 posal (Report of the Industrial Commission, 1901, vol. 17, p. 341). 



^^ Proceedings, 1905, p. 7232. 



