Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-12-02
SURRENDER At HOMESTEAD,
The Amalgamated Association
Gives Up the Long Fight.
Review Of the Causes and In
cidents of the Strike.

After weary strike of twenty weeks the
Carnegie mills in Homestead, Penn, were
formally declared open by the Amalgamated
Association. Directly and indirectly about
a score of lives have been sacrificed Dur
ing the last week there had been many
breaks in the ranks of the locked-out men.
These had become so serious that the great
er part of the men had applied for their old
places and were anxious and willing to re-
turn at once. Several closed meetings of the
Amalgamated Association had been held
during the week, ana before adjourning
after the laborers had gone back, another
conference was called for at 10 O'Clock a. m.
The men were instructed to come pre-
pared TO take decisive action, AMI when the
the motion was put whether the strike be
continued or the mills be declared open and
tie men at liberty to apply for their old
places without interference from the asSOca-
ton, the question was soon decided.
The meeting was presided over by Vice
President " A. Carney. Secretary J. C.
kiIgaiiOn, Assistant Secretary Stephen Mad
Den, and Assistant President P. H. McEvoy,
of the National Council. were present, and
made short addresses. Tney did not urge
the men to vote either way. Several Of the
steel workers made speeches, but the opin-
ions expressed varied the spirit of resistance
not being dead.
The motion to call off the strike and de-
clare the mill open was carried, 1O1 to 81.
This was suite ent and the will of the ma
lOrItY ruled. A few speeches defending the
attitude of the association toward the men
were made by the officials and the meeting
adjourned. The men hurried to their homes
and few of them were seen about the town
during the afternoon.
a prominent member of the association
was seen at his house in the afternoon. His
CRATE was piled high with burning PAM
ph!ets. Pointing to them he said:
Il have more use for them. They con-
tain the Jaws and rules of the Amalgamated
Association and have taken this means to
he rid OF them. [ hardly think the Amalga-
mated lo4ges will be continued here, as roth
ing can De derived from membership in it.
A potent fact in losing the strike was that
too many Of our men returned to work, and
this helped the company to get its mills into
working or Ter 1t was not the company,
but our own men that lost the strike.'
Secretary KilgallOn, in speaking of the
action taken during the morning, said.
The men have made brave fight and the
association did all it could to help them
When it was hopeless to fight longer we
thought it useless to unnecessarily sacrifice
the men and exhaust the reserve funds of
the association
The more conservative men Of Home
stead were not surprised at the action.
Citizens, without exception, expressed great
Homestead could once more settle down.
The change is heartily appreciated by the
business men. The general impression is
that, with the exception of those black
listed, the men will ultimately get Places
though many may have to wait for some
time.
1t IS almost impossible to give figures on
the cost of the strike, but conservative eSti-
mates place it at about $10,000OO0. Of this
about s., 800 900 were in wages to the men,
The firms loss is thought TO be two or three
times that The direct cost Of the troops
was nearly half million. The Indirect loss
has been very large indeed.
This contest was brought on by a demand
for reduction of wages Of about 1873 per
cent. on certain classes of work III the open
hearth departments Nos. l and mills, and
in tire 1l9-inca and thirty-two-inch plate
mills. This reduction directly affected only
about 323 out OF the $500 in the works.
KIT the OTHERS about 10, CO.. men took up the
matter a common cause through SYM
pathy and agreed to stand by the men Inter
<Sted in case of a strike.
The scale expired under which they were
working on June 30. The company wanted
the AmalGamatel Association, which con-
trol.ed the vOrkmen in the mills, to sign the
scale at the reduction. The scale was to be
renewed on January l instead OF July l.
The association refused, and the men
threatened TO strike should the request for
the existing scale not be granted before
July.
On June % the company locked out all
men before they had the opportunity to
S6l2ke The wages question was soon lost
s!Snt OF and the contest for the recognition
OF organized labor followed. On the dawn
al July the famous battle took place be-
tween the workmen on the mill property
and the PlnkerIon force attempting to land
ana take possession of the mil.
Then followed the trying times at Home
stead, the reign OF the Advisory Board, the
scenes OF lawlessness, the calling out OF the
troops, their long and trying stay, the shoot
ing Of Mr.. Frick by Berkman, the departure
OF the troops the arrest of the Homsteaders.
the beginning Of their trials. and now the
ending of the strike
According TO superintendent Wood, OF
the Homestead works. not more than 500 or
900 OF the total number of old employees will
be able te secure employment. Before the
last break there were left in Homestead
about $500 of the original $500 men who
were locked out. OF these $500 men 22CO were
mechanics and laborers aud 6OO Amalga-
mated Association men.