Evening star., 1901-08-30
MEN ARE WEAKENING
Committees at Pittsburg Ask Shaffer
to Declare Strike Off,
THEY COME FROM WESTERN PLANTS
Strikers at Mex e3pcrt Propose
a March to Duquesne.
EY COME FROM WESTERN PLANTS
IT MAY CAUSE TROUBLE

Shaffer is confronted by the possibility of
his general strike falling by sheer force of
it's own weight. The great lockout of
wOrkmen, standing upon the slender foun-
datiOn of the Amalgamated Association, is
tOppling and wavering upon it's base. The
leader of the strike, by appeals, threats
and entreaties, is doing all he can to brace
the crumbliug structure
McKeesport, Milwaukee and Joliet are
the points of weakness for the strikers. A
committee from the Milwaukee mills is in
conference with President Shaffer now,
asking permission for the Milwaukee men
to return to work. 1t will be remembered
that these men refused, together with
Joliet and Chicago, to respond to Shaffers
general strike order, explaining that they
had contracts with the steel trust then in
force. Later in the week Milwaukee and
Joliet, in response to appeals and threats
from the Amalgamated officials, went on
strike.
But they have been restless ever since,
and now are ready to go to work if they
can do so without being driven from the
association and deprived of their charters
1t is possible that they maye take the
situation by the horns and do so anyhow.
Their action would probably control the
movements of the men in Joliet.
Situation in McKeesport.
In Mc&eespOTt there are 10000 idle men,
only small proportion of whom are in
terested in the fate of the Amalgamated
Association except through sympathy
They have been idle some for eleven
weeks, some for seven weeks. most of
them for three weeks. They see the mills
preparing to start up non-union, and they
can get no assurances of material as
sistance from Shaffer. When they went
on strike they were told and fully eX-
pected that the men in the Homestead and
Duquesne plants would strike in sympathy
and that all that section of the valley
would be tied up.
But every day when these idle men get
up they see the smoke from Homestead
and Duquesne blackening the sky and hear
the distant rumble of the machinery, be-
tokening busy men at work. They are
aware of the intention of the steel trust
to move restlessly pitilessly forward upon
its plans for controlling and operating its
properties in its own way, while between
themselves and destruction stands only the
little board of Amalgamated officials, even
now at the end of their resources and pow
erless to help them in the present or the
future.
Something Likely to Give Way.
Something will have to give way and that
pretty soon. Shaffer fears stampede He
knows the men, if they once start, will go
back to work with a rush as they quit
work. The strike fever is often epidemic,
but the cure is also frequently spontaneous.
If McKeesport Milwaukee and Joliet
should desert the strikers, the Amalga-
mated Association will be in bad shape. 1t
will n,-I,- of
1t had when the strike started. These the
trust can well afford to permit to stand
idle until they are opened one by one with
non-union workmen. The AmaIgamated
officials would then have nothing to trade
with and would have to accept whatever
terms are offered them.
In this desperate condition the conserva-
tive friends of the Amalgamated are ad-
visilg Shaffer to make quick terms with
the trust that VIII preserve some semblance
OF power in the association.
From the poiEt u view of the steel trust,
the only terms now possible are to call off
the ct:!Se and put the men TO work; then
If the Amalgamated desires to incorporate
itself and put up band for faithful per-
formance Of contracts, the trust Will con-
slider further negotiations. This appears
to be the ultimate outcome, but when 1t
will come cannot at this time be foretold.
Another Proposed March.
Rendered desperate by their unfavorable
situation, some OF the more radical of the
McKeesport strikers are contemplating a
demonstration at $50 o'clock this afternoon
against Duquesne. Their plan is to march
10 Duquesne and hold mass meeting,
after which direct appeals will be made to
the workmen in those mills to strike.
This news causes great uneasiness in
both labor and trust circles here. A march
of this kind was prevented last week by
Shafers direct order, and he is being ap-
pealed to again TO interfere. Such a dem
onstration might pass off peaceably but
would be fraught with possibilities of
danger of conflict especially as the Car
negie people are determined that their men
shall not be brought into this strike
1 have authority for the statement this
afternoon that the members of the commit
tee of the Milwaukee strikers who have
been in conference with Shaffer are UP to
this time very unfavOrably impressed with
the strike, and are disposed to recommend
that the Milwaukee mills start up next
Tuesday. No absolute announcement is
made OF their intention to so recommend,
however
have marked the conference with Shaffer.
The Milwaukee men were given to under
stand that the Amalgamated had some
thing UP its sleeve" a trump card to play
at the last moment. The eMIlwaukeecommit-
teemen demanded a showdown, and moth
ing was forthcoming. They were very
much disappointed, and expressed the opin-
ion that in the circumstances the Mnwau-
kee men ought to go back to work and
carry out their contracts.
If the committees mind is not changed
before 1t gets back TO Milwaukee, and if
these mills start up next Tuesday, the be-
ginning of the end of the strike will be in
sight.
Real Import of the Strike.
This afternoon ! made inquiry of
sources OF authority friendly 20 the Anal
gamated Association upon certain points
which have direct bearing upon the origin
and present status of the strike and which
may be considered important The ques-
tions 1 asked and the answers are given
below:
'.Were the wages tho sama In the mills