Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-20
Two Short Days to Decide
Whether Other Men viii
Join the PuddIerS
AT JONES & LAUGHLINS',
And a Strike be Declared in all De-
partments of the Works.
JOINT MEETING HELD LAST NIGHT.
A Knotty Question That Takes Considerable
Thought and Discussion.
sOUTHsIDE MERCHANTS ARE ALARMED

Committees from the puddlers and steel
workers lodge of Jones & Laughlins' mills,
Southside, held ajoint meeting with the nm
ishers. last night. A con nference will be held
with the firm tomorrow, and if a settlement
is not reached, strike of all departments is
threatened.
The trouble at Jones and Laughlins'
Mills has at last reached a eliminating
point or, according to the best authority,
will reach that point tomorrow night Ii
the firm has not stricken clause out OF the
present Amalgamated scale by that time,
unless some other action is taken, it is prom
ised that the whole mill will be declared on
strike and ], 400 men will lay down their
tools and walk out Of the gate, not to re-enter
it until their demands are acceded to or the
trend of events results in some other settle
ment of the difficulty.
Yesterday was a day of intense excite
ment among the workingmen in Browns
town and the Importance of the question un-
der consideration and the suppressed un-
certainty as to the outcome were plainly
visible on the faces of the men. Little
knots OF begrimed laborers gathered here
and there on the street corners and talked
the matter over. One by one the groups dis
solved and their places were taken by
others, the same seriousness being main
tanned.
THE AFTERNOON MEETING.
In the afternoon Excelsior Lodge, of the
steel workers, held long meeting, and the
whole question was discussed from begin
ming to end. 1t was agreed that the puddlers
had not been treated right, and that their
grievance was just, but the question in
volved is more than the Endorsement of the
puddlers' action and joining them in their
strike. Such action meant a direct clash
against the Amalgamated Association it.
self, and must be an independent move.
The sentiment of the steel workers was
for uphOlding the puddlers in their move.
This was generally agreed on, but the men,
bers wished to sound the fnishers on the
question, and whatever was done, they
would work In conjunction with them.
At last it was decided to appoint COM
mittee to meet with the fnishers in the
evening, together with the representatives
OF the puddlers.
The meeting in the evening at Weaver's
Hall, corner Twenty-seventh and Sarah
streets, was large and protracted one. The
men seemed to fully realize that they were
on the eve of an important action, and went
about the discussion and settlement of it in
q conservative and regular manner.
AN EARNEST CONFERENCE.
From the open windows, the sound of the
presiding officers gavel as it called the
meeting to order, the voices of earnest
speakers, and now and then ap-
plause as a point was waited out
on the breeze, but only gave slight in
dication of what was going on inside. This
same scene was kept up until late hour,
with little change.
Now and then men came out to stretch
their legs, but nothing definite could be
learned until the meeting was about over.
1t was then ascertained from members that
the lodge had decided to sustain the
puddlers in their recent move, but nothing
will be done rashly. 1t was decided to hold
q conference with the firm tomorrow,
and il the latter then fails to strike out
clause 8, of the Amalgamated scale, in re-
extra pay Ou
the demand Of majority of the working
men at the furnaces. A strike will be the
result, unless the workingmen should come
TO some other settlement of the difficulty,
which is not now in sight.
A meeting of the different committees
will be held to-day, but no indication will
be given of what will be done.
A QUESTION AS TO TIME.
According to the established rules of the
association, strike cannot take place with
out three days notice, and some of the men
seen last night said they could not go out
until that time. Others said that as it was
an independent move the notice was not to
be considered.
The whole question is one that has taxed
the brains of the brightest men in the lodges
involved. They have the alternative of
right or clashing with the laws of the asso-
citation, and the result of their decision is of
great importance. not only to themselves
and their association, but to the merchants
and public at large.
The merchants on the Southside were YES
terday alarmed at the prospect of a strike.
W hen news came to them that a strike was
imminent their alarm grew into specula-
tions as TO It's effect and what they should do
to avert disaster. Jones & Laughlins' store
has shut off, accounts with the puddlers
on strike, and unless they have money they
must obtain their supplies from outside
firms, or-or what? That's the question
that may arise.