Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-07-15
THE BIG STRIKE
In Steel Plants Will Arrive,
Today, as Scheduled.
Shaffer Says Strike Is Forced on Men,
Who Will Surely Win.
AmaIsamated Associations Strength Much
Greater Than Mills Suppose.


ent Indications it looks probable that
President Shaffer's strike order issued.
last night. to the Amalgamated Asso-
citation members in the employ Of the
American Steel Hoop Co., the Ameri-
can Sheet Steel Co.. and the American
lin Plate Co., will be obeyed and the
great struggle between the Amalgama-
ted Association and the steel COM
panies VIII be on in earnest, tomorrow.
In the Union mills OF the three COM
panieS against which Il strike has been
declared il is predicted that not q
wheel will turn. tomorrow. An effort
Will be made also to close down some
OF the non-union mills Of the compan-
les and 10 cripple the rest. The Anal
Eanated people are very sanguine Of
success.
The strike was not Of oar own Set k
ing, said Presiden, Shancr today. 1T
" as forced upon Us. We were not CON
tending for wages, but for principle for
self preservation. The tin and sheet
! people will not be able to turn Il single.
wheel tomorrow. We have our forces
thoroughly organized and there, viii be-
some surprises i'll store. have not
answer to my strike order. bet an an
| sWrr is not necessary. The order Will
De- promptly obcycd by all our men.
But there will be- no trouble. Labor
! organizations have changed. The
| Amalgamatcd Association is not the
association il was 20 years ago. not
even five years ago. The men are more
readily controlled; in fact We have our
men under control
| Developments. today. indicate that
! Pittsburg is going To be "A pretty lively
| strike center. The most interest at
taches to the Painters mill on the
| south side and to that of Lindsay <
| McCutcheon in Allegheny. Both mills
are controlled by the American Sheet
| Hoop Co.. and have hitherto been ag-
| excessively non union. and much de-
pended upon the action taken by the
! men in these plants. The employees Of
| both mills held open meetings, today
| and both decided to strike, tomorrow
| The Painter mill employs about 400
men and the Lindsay & McCutcheon
| mill about 200.
l. w. jerks. manager Of the Ameri-
can Steel Hoop Co, said. tonight. that
made to tie up the two mills but he
had heard such strike talk for several
months past. Mr.. jerks said both
mills would resume, tomorrow morn
| ing. as usual.
| The fight at the Painter mill is to
| be made the fight of the strike. Both
sides will make stubborn resistance.
II the Amalgamated people can close
| this mill they believe they will have
won the greater part of the strike. The
| mill is not only an important one but
the Steel Hoop Co. has for years sue
ceeded in thwarting the efforts to
| urioniZe it.
President Shaffer was asked. today.
| If he had set a time when il no settle
| ment had been effected, he would eX-
tend the strike to all the subsidiary
| steel compG MES of the United States
Steel Corporation. He said he must
decline to make his plans known at
present.
| 1t may be said. however. on the
strength OF reliable Information. that
the strike within its present limits is
| intended merely as show of strength.
At the conference. last week. the rep
| We're repeatedly warned that the asso-
cation was much stronger than they
| knew. They We're even told Of the
organization Of mills of which they
had no knowledge. But the steel men
ould not believe that the association
was as strong as it was claimed TO be-
Thus it is believed the first purpose Of
the association is to show its strength
| by combining the strike to three COM
pJnieS.
When that show Of strength has been
made, whatever it may prove to be.
the association expects the companies
to ask for another conference. If the
compa MES show no inclination to make
a settlement the strike will be ex-
tended to additional companies. If the
trust will not yield then the strike
will be extended to such Independent
companies as sell their finished prod
ucts or raw materials to companies
against which a strike has been de-
clared. Should the strike attain such
proportions it would be likely to go
still further.
The Amalagamated Association and
the Federation of Labor, two years
ago, formed Il secret .tilIdHtt. IL II
claimed. when it was agreed that the
association when on strike could also
call out the steel men Of the Fedora
ton. The latter has organizations in
many mills whose workmen are not
eligible to membership i'm the assOcia-
ton.
In describing the final conclusion of
the conference in the Hotel Lincoln.
Saturday afternoon. President Shaffer
said that after the final proposition of
the manufacturers had been taken up
and from courtesy on the part of the
workers had been discussed, there
was painful silence for about five
minutes. The workers waited for
some further remark on the part of the
manufacturers and the latter appeared
to he waiting for a remark from the
workers. Finally one OF the manufact-