Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-08-10

started more than 100 men applied at
the gate. The mill employs about Geo
men when running full. 1t has capa-
city for /, 600 tons of finished product
a month
! Mr.. Corey will carry the war fur
ther into the strikers camp today,
when he will attempt to start the
other two steel hoop plants in Pitts
burg. These are known as the Pain
ter and the Lindsay and MeCutchson
mills. Like the Clark Works, they
captured from the company and trans
ferred into union nlants after the
strike was ordered. The Painter mill
has about the same capacity as the
Clark mill. The other plant employs
nearly 900 men and produces about
/, 800 tons a month. The plants pro-
duce about one-twelfth of the Steel
Hoop Company S entire capacity.
CHARGES co TRAC BREAK
ING.
One of the directing spirits in the
trike- breaking campaign. an official
of the United States Steel Corpora
ton, was asked
What do you think of President
Shaffer strike appeal? We'll, said he
l would rather talk about what
think of its eject. | do not think he
has strengthened his cause. He says
contracts and all, including the men,
were transferred to the United States
Company. Why, then, did he make a
contract with any of the operating
companies? He had a contract with
the American TIN Plate Company
and those men were satisfied. Why
did he call them ont to fight the bait
tie for the sheet steel men who lacked
organization in at least seven of the
sheet mills at that time? 1t looks as
if he was hunting for fight.
Now he intends deliberately to
break contract with the Federal
Steel Company in order to carry the
lost struggle for the sheet men fur
Their. 1t is contract that wopld
stand in law, yet he proposes to break
it without notice to the companyT |
do not know whether he will be3dis-
appointed, but my impression issthat
tho strike is going TO break rapidly.
We do not intend to try to start any
sheet mills this week." he continued
in reply to question. We shall also
start several tin-plate mills next
week. -
SHAFFER DIMES THE CHARGE
President Shatfer made the follow
ing statement In answer to the criti-
cism that the Federal Steel workers
in striking would be violating con-
tract because he signed the scale
That we leave 70 the man. They
have signed no scale which can be
transferred to another company or
which can hold them from their obli-
cation to the Amalgamted Associa-
ton. Our men signed scales with GER
tain companies. These companies have
transferred their stock to the United
States Steel CORPORATION. This they
had no right to do, All contracts
made by our men are made with full
knowledge on the part of others.
They are dependent upon the frater-
nal law OF the organization.
1t is said that this does not explain
the breaking of the tinplated scale
which was signed after the tinplate
company was transferred to the Steel
Corporation.
President ShafFer will address a
meeting in New Castle, Pa, Saturday.
He and other officers will be present
Thursday night at meeting of
Lafayette Lodge composed of workers
at the Clark mills.
WHY STRIKE ORDER WAS DE-
LAYED.
Secretary Williams explains the
cause of delay in issuing the strike
order. He said that If the order had
been sent out when negotie; ions were
broken off last Saturday the sudden
closing of the mills would have re-
suited in serious loss of property to
the Steel Corporation.
We could not have expected public
sympathy, y said he. " If we had done
this. Instead of this we give the COM
pany sufficient notice to prepare for a
shut down, and if there is any loss
incident to the closing of the plants
it will not be our fault OF course,
the more radical will criticise our
action and allege that bv not stopping
the mills week earlier we unneces-
sarily prolong the strike. This NAV
be true, but we prefer to act honor
ably an by so doing can retain the
public sympathy
TO SUPPRESS DISORDER.