Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-30
A FULL COKE SUPPLY
Will Now Enable Many Furnaces to
Resume Active Operations.
EFFECTS OF THE GREAT STRIKE.
A Review Of the Late Trouble Brings Out
Interesting Points.
VALLEY FURNACES TO sTARTON MONDAY

II Aiooe enuIOuSu leVleW VI ouo Aiuusoild Id
situation in and about this city reveals
many important changes as having taken
place in the status of affairs during the past
ten days, chiefest among which is the final
termination of the long-prevailing Connells
vile coke strike. The full resumption o.
work throughout the entire coke regions,
which will be consequent upon the ending
of this great strike, it is expected, will en-
able the many foundries and blast furnaces
now out of blast, owing to the lack o.. coke
fuel, to resume operations, and among these
are included the furnaces in the Mahoning
and Shenango Valleys. 4
The occurrence of this latter, which is Off
cially announced to take place on June 1,
will undoubtedly greatly surprise the
trade and have an important effect on the
making and. probable future of the local
iron and steel markets. Notwithstanding
the firm declarations of the strikers repre-
sentatives at last weeks convention at
Scottdale to carry on the strike for another
six weeks, a very abrupt end of the strike
was witnessed.
Withheld From the Workers.
The fact that the men had lost the strike
for some weeks was well known to all the
leaders, but withheld from the knowledge
of the strikers for divers reasons. 1t was
only when the convention refused to recog-
nize in the proceedings fellow workmen for
being guilty of such a serious breach of
labor etiquette as holding membership in a
different labor organization that the outcome
of the strike was known to the workers.
This non-recognition caused dissension in
the ranks of the working classes and re-
suited in the official declaration by those
who were sighted to Immediately return to
work at the operators terms and thus break
the backbone of the strike. The already
large numbers of non-strikers and imported
men who are working was greatly aug
mented by the return of such large num-
Der of men to work, which proved to be the
last straw put on, and proverbially speak
ing ''broke the camel's back.
Thus it can be seen that though the work.
ingmen themselves might not have wholly
brought about their own defeat, their
actions at least hastened the death of their
cause. Another serious mistake of which
they were guilty and which served to
seriously weaken their cause, for by it they
lost public sympathy, was the marching and
counter marching and assailment of prop
erty and persons. Their actions in this
sense only served as a good excuse for the
operators to call upon Pinkertons, deputy
sheriffs and the militia. In every case
where marked disorder reigns, and the
invariably against the cause of the lawless.
Begging Hard for Work.
At the present time great numbers of
workmen are focking to the offices of the
company and begging piteously for employ
ment, and in all cases work is being refused
those who took an active part on the side of
labor. In an open letter from the miners
secretary, it is stated that there are fully
$50 evicted families living in stables, barns,
coal sheds, tents and some even with no
other covering than the broad blue canopy
of heaven. This number of families en-
braces over 5000 persons, and their condi-
tion is deplorable in the extreme.
The heads of these families are unable to
secure work anywhere, being blacklisted
throughout the entire region for their activ-
ity on behalf of the workers cause. Besides
this condition there are lawsuits pending in
several courts against more than 80 work
men who have been sanctioned in their acts
of disorder or interference, and who have
been promised legal protection by the
miners association. The destitute condi-
tion of their fellow workmen, and the lack
of any funds in the Association treasury,
may leave the indicted men without legal
defense, so their position is by no means
cheering.
This existing condition of affairs, coupled
with the growing hatred by the strikers
against their leaders for alleged betrayal of
trust, aggravagated by the loss of the strike,
it is thought will greatly weaken labor Or
ganizations throughout the regions and prove
a salutary lesson to the workmen to encour-
age them to have more confidence in the
Justice of their employers than they hereto
fore have shown signs Of possessing.
Predictions That Fell Flat.
Probably the most remarkable circum-
stance connected with the prolongation of
the strike is the extremely slight effect it
has had on the iron market. The prognos-
tications of January trade papers have been
away off. They predicted that in the event
of the strike lasting one month the stocks of
pig iron at the furnaces would be greatly
reduced; in the event of two months dura-
tion, great scarcity and consequent rapid
advance would ensue, and if it was possible
for it to last for three months then the iron
market would witness an unprecedented
boom.
But here we are after total suspension
in the manufacture of coke and enormous
in the production of pig iron iron
for four long months without as much as a
ripple of excitement ruling in the market.
In fact its condition to-day, at least as far
as prices are concerned, might be said to be
worse than before the Inauguration of the
strike. The only results to the iron trade
from this great strike were slightly better
demand fol. all grades of pig iron and 50
advance in the local Bessemer market,
but on the first signs of break in the
ranks of the strikers this incipient activity
suddenly came to an end and the summer
outlook in these trades is candidly admitted
to be not the most reassuring.
The intention of the blast furnaces in the
Mahoning and Shenango valleys to resume
was declared at meeting of the association
held yesterday in Youngstown. Mr.. A. M.
Byers, of this city, was unanimously ex-
for resuming work in his Girard furnace
without permission from the association.
A Restriction of rs 900 Tons.
In these two valleys 25 out of 80 stacks
have been idle since January 1, restricting
5he weekly production more than 25,O00
tons. This enormous restriction has effected
she market only to the extent of totally
wiping out the stocks of iron that are usu-
lilly neld at furnace yarus, put DeyOnu tnlS
no other effect has been felt.
AT meeting of the Frick and Mcclure
Companies this week the price of coke, it
was declared, should rule on the basis of
Il so for furnace coke, which is no reduc-
ion, compared with the price ruling before
he strike. There is likelihood of freight
.ates first being reduced The price of ore
md lake. transportation has been largely re-
lueed, so that the basis of the cost of pro-
luction this year is comparatively much
over than last year, and it is due to these