The Bemidji pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minn.) 1896-1917, 1901-08-15
TEAR DOWN PLANT
STEEL CORPORATION MAKES -
DECISIVE MOVE IN IT'S sTRIrcn
CAMPAIGN. 4.
STRIKERS GALL III "A BIG BLUFF.
Orders Issued to Dismantie the
Great Devices wood Plant MT Me-
Keesport - sympathy Of nEcKees-S
port officials for Strikers Res
sponsibIe ~ Gompers Pledges the
support Of the Federation.

Pittsburg, Aug. ii. There, were,
gravely important developments in the
strike situation yesterday. The United
States Steel corporation moved de-
cisively In its strike campaign with q
peremptery order directing that the
great Devices Wood plant at McKees-;
port be dismantled and removed to the
Kiskimenetas valley. President Comp
ers, OF the American Federation of La
4 Dor. after a tWo-days conference With
President Shaffer and his associates is
( sued formal statement last night spe-
cincally pledging the federation to- the
moral and financial support off the
Amalganated association. His written
review of the train of events leading
up to the industrial quarrel sustainS
the course OF the AmaIg mated associ-
alton and declares that nothing re-
mains for labor but to battle for the 4
cause Of unionisln.
The official announcement OF the Or.
der to dismantle the DeWees-Wood Y
plant came yesterday afternoon toward
the close of an otherwise uneventfui
day. and IN Importance was such that
1t claimed the serious consideration on
either side Of the
Great Industrial Conflict
q Y -
now being waged here Persifer Fl
Smith. district marager for the Ameris
can Sheet Steel company, made the
formal announcement in the following
statement: Il
1T have orders from President Nc
Murtry Of the American Sheet Steel
company to at once tear down tho
Devices Wood plant at McKeesport and
remove same to Kisminetas valley
This Ishan proceed to do immediately"
The publication OF the order was q h,
great surprise and McKeesport received
1t at first with doubt Actual prepara-
lions were made later In the day for
the disnantling OF the mill ar there 10
little room for doubt that it WI be torn
down and taken apart, piece by piece.
The strikers heard the order in spirit
Of defiance. They simply said that II
showed the steel corporation was con-
WINGED that it could not reopen tha
plant in the face of the opposition OF
the Amalgamated association. Strike
leaders here said that the order was a.
bluff that had been worked unsuccess.
fully before, and declined to take ~
seriously. "A representa- Of the Ks
press showed District Manage Smiths
statement to President Shaffer, but
after reading 1t he declined to LAIN
about it. The steel officials declined
To Give Any Reason
for the order, hut 1t Is opealy stated
here that the pronounced sympathy Of
citizens and city officials at McKees-
port with the strikers Is responsible
for 1t. IT is also said that tho plant oT n
the National Tube company at McKees-
port will be abandoned and the old
Carnegie plan for tube plant at Com
neaut, Ohio, revived. The National
Tube company has In contempla ton
improvements at McKeesrort Of an ex-
tensiye nature. but 1t is now said that
owing to their disappo intment at the
fact that their men have been drawn
into the Amalgamated dispute and the
policy Of the people at McKecsport that
they are seriously considering q plan
TO remove. No official statement on the
subject could be obtained from any on
the local officials. Esf
The Devices Wood plant was founded
about forty years ago and is one OF the
best known plants in Pennsylvania
It's yards and mills cover between
twelve and fourteen acres; it has en-
ployed 200 men at its busiest times
and its cost is placed at s5,0cO,o0O by Of Z
fcials of the steel corporation.