Q. Who were they?
A. I think that John Evans was one. I am not sure; but McNally was another. I think Duffy said something.
Q. State what passed between you and the chairman of that committee?
A. They came out after the strike—after they had got the furnacemen off—came to the office to see me. I am not sure whether it was Wednesday or Thursday. I had sent around word, and a good many that I felt were not treating the company right to strike and stop their works, without letting us know what ground of complaint they had, and I sent word around there, so that a committee came, and they stated they wanted more pay. They said thirty-five per cent.
Q. Thirty-five?
A. Thirty-five; yes, sir. Of course, no one in the iron business now could do that. Such an advance as that was out of the question. I told them that was out of the question, we couldn't pay them any more. It was out of the question. We couldn't clear ourselves. I asked them whether it was not better to take what they could get, and work steady until times grew better, than to stop and get nothing. Well, they said, the long and short of the matter was they wouldn't work unless they got thirty-five per cent., and they went away.
Q. Did you say to those men—this committee—when the times got better you were willing to advance their wages?
A. I believe I did say something of that kind in reply. If we could afford it we would be glad to do so.
Q. Did they make any reply to that?
A. I don't remember that they did.