The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1901-08-16
MANY MEN WALK OUT
Shaffer's General Strike Order
Obeyed BY 1000.
Labor Leaders Disappointed With
the Refusal of the West
ern Members.

! gle Tor mastery between manufacturers
and men in the steel strike is now fairly
launched, and on the first show OF
! strength advantage is with the former.
The general strike order issued by Presi-
dent Shatter OF the Amalgamated assO-
cation has so far been ODeyed by only
about IA 1000 men, according to the best
! figures Obtainable here.
ne hrst two calls were answered bY
about 10000 men, so that the total
number now out is in the neighborhoOd
OF $4,000. The strikers made gains
here today over the showing of last
nlght, and their prospects for further
accesslons at both McKeesport and
Wheeling during the week are very favor
able
The action of the Amalgamated asso-
citation at Chicago, Joliet and Bayview
IN refusing to come out and their failure
to secure any recruits in the Carnegie
group throughout the Kiskiminetas
Valley and the big plants at YOungs-
town and Columbus, o have been mark
ed by disappointment to them. They
are keeping up the fight, however, in g.
spirited manner which will surprise their
opponents. They assert they have
gained fOOthOld in the Carnegie mills
IN this city and at the time desired the
men will come out. They are pressing
their advantages at McKeespOrt and
Wheeling, and their organizers are still
at work IN those towns
President Shaffer has decided to visit
Wheeling, and will go there Wednesday
to address a mass meeting OF his follow
ers.
Appeal for Aid.
An appeal for financial aid has besn
made to organized labor and to the gen
eral public, and it is expected that the
responses to it will be liberal.
The Amalgamated leaders were not
disposed to do much talking today.
They would not discuss the desertion of
their western followers, although Mr..
Shaher made what was evidently intend
ed Tor brief reference to them in a short
statement he gave out at noon. AnOth-
er declaration in the same interview was
regarded as highly significant here. 1t
was to the effect that no effort would be
made to call out the members of the
American Federation of Labor, and that
any action on their part must be vol
untary.
President Shaffer made a brief state
mcuG dC noon. he SalQ:
"We have no official information about
the situation in the west. | do not be-
lieve Vice President Davis of Chicago
has accepted a superintendency from the
trust as reported. My only regret is
that the men working in the slave pens
OF the trust had not spirit enough to
come out and join the strikers. | will
not take any part in calling out the
American Federation of Labor. Its
action must be voluntary. The Anal
gamated association has not lost any
thing, but has made gains"
will Spring Surprise.
Secretary Williams said: Il think the
greatest surprise of the strike will come
to the steel officials when they find we
have Invaded the Carnegie plants. We
have reliable reports to the effect that
the lower city mill is tied up and that
but one mill in the upper plant is on.
We have not made known our plans and
still have some surprises for the manu-
facturers"
The appeal for financial assistance was
prepared on Friday last, but was not
sent out until today. The men who are
directing the fight IN the field for the
steel corporation and it's constituent
companies would give no indication as
to their plans for the future and would
only discuss the strike generally. A
statement alleged to have been given
out officially by them at noon was re.
pudiated later in the day, their reports
showing that the Carnegie group, South
Chicago, B~Vview, Joliet, Youngstown,
Columbus, the Kiskiminetas valley
group, Wellsvile and Monessen we're
moving along full-handed BelIaire,
their advices showed, was badly crippled,
but had held on until 5 O'Clock in the
afternoon and would be started up again
tomorrow. They admitted the loss to-
day of the National Rolling mill au Nc
keesport, which they expected to hold,
and that the Boston mill and Mononga-
hela Steel works at McKeesport and the
Republic and EIba here we're tied ND.
The tube works at McKeesport and here
were still at work, but were menaced by
a possible shortage of material.
Tube Men Are Out.
The tube men at Wheeling we're out.
but the furnace and coke men there are
at work and their steel men there show
ed an inclination to stay on unless in
timidated They also claim that many
OF their men at McKeespOrt desired to
work, but we're being terrorized by the
disOrderly element. They also charged
that many of their men we're being
frightened from their places at Wheeling,
and insisted that adequate protection
for the men there would insure continued
operations. 1t is also stated by the
steel officials that Clark's mill here was
moving along with it's non-union crews
engaged last week, and another mill
manned by old Amalgamated men had
been started up at Wellsville, represent
ing gain of one since Saturday.
officials of the National Tube company
and Mayor Black clasbed today over the
question of protection for non-union
strikers and property. A large crowd of
strikers assembled around the works
this morning and their pickets intercept
ed the workers on their way to the mills.
There was some excitement and mill
officers, claiming that their men we're
being threatened, called on Mayor Black
to protect them. The mayer said that
he would only interfere to stop actual
rioting and assault.
| Two other appeals were made to him
later IN the morning, but he insisted that
| there was no danger OF an outbreak.
| Another crowd gathered at noon when
the tube men were leaving the plant and,
although the workers were ieered. no