The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-12
BOTH CLAIM VICTORY
IRON MASTERS PROFESS ALREADY
TO HAVE WON.
MILLS Do NOT OBEY ORDER.
WESTERN OPERATIVES REFUSE TO
JOIN STRIKERS.

On the other Hand officials of the
AmaIGamated Association Claim
Perfect Satisfaction with the Pro-
grcss of Events and Predict I'm
pOrtant and Decisive Develop
ments Within the Week-Blame OF
Strike Placed Upon Steel Corpora
ton for Refusing to Arbitrate.
Pittsburg, Aug. 1.-THE iron masters
are tonight claiming victory in the
great steel strike. They base their
claims upon the refusal of the Amalga-
mated men at South Chicago, Joliet and
Bayview to obey the general strike or
der of President Shaffer and their :uc-
cess in maintaining operations in other
plants where it was anticipated there
would be serious trouble. The strike
leaders meet the claims of victory with
the assertion that their cause is max
ing satisfactory progress and that they
will show themselves masters of the
situation before the contest has pro-
gressed much farther. They do not
conceal their disappointment at the re-
fusal of their Western brethren to join
with them in the strike, but none of
the leaders would discuss the defec-
ton. President Shaffer refused to meet
the newspaper men who sought him,
and kept within the seclusion of his
home. The other leaders who were
seen intimated that there would be de-
velopments tomorrow, and throughout
the week, that would materially change
the situation. They would not say.
however, what they had in mind or
how their cause was to gain in
strength.
Counting on Federation.
1t was said they were counting upon
strong aid from the American Fedora
ton of Labor and other organizations
of union labor, though those bodies
have not yet given any public indica-
ton of what they will do. The Anal
gamated Association has developed
great strength in the Wheeling district
and has made gains in some of the
Pennsylvania districts, but 1t will be
tomorrow before the lines of cleavage
will be marked with sufficient clear
ness for count of the men. The strike
headquarters were closed to-day and
tonight, and it was claimed that no
reports We're being received from the
outlying districts as to the progress OF
the strike except in a general way. The
steel officers were in communication
with their supporters and at IL o'clock
made public the result of their reports
The latter showed that South Chicago,
Joliet and Bay View at Milwaukee had
voted to stay in; that the Ohio works
of the. National Steel Company at
Youngstown and the King, Gilbert,
and Warner plant of the National Steel
Company at Columbus, had resumed
without trouble; that the Homestead,
Edgar Thompson, Duquesne, Upper and
Lower Union, and Howard Axle Works
of the Carnegie group, employing more
than $1,000 men, had resumed without
trouble; that the converting and bloom
ing mills of the National Tube Com
pany at McKeesport had started with
out difficulty, and that Bellaire had
been only partially crippled. They
were advised also that the men of the
Boston Rolling Mills at McKeesport
had notified the National Tube Com
pany that they would go out to-mor-
row, and that while the National Tube
plant at McKeesport would be started
in the morning, it was certain that
many men would go out. They were
notified that their Wheeling plants
were crippled and that it was uncertain
what would be done there. Their ad-
vices also said that the Clark mill here.
which has been running non-union for
several days would be started UP as
usual tomorrow morning and that
there was no doubt about its success
full operation. The steel officials were
elated over their showing at the Carni-
gle plants and in Illinois, Ohio and
wisconsin, and expressed confidence in
speedy victory over the Amalgamated
Association.
Vice President LarI<ins' Statement.
National Vice President Walter Lar
kins, of the Amalgamated Association.
discussing the situation in Wheeling
district tonight, said
"At the Riverside plant of the Ma
tional Tube Company the plate and
tube mills will be off Monday morn
ing, and possibly the steel departments.
Already we have taken into member
ship in the Amalgamated $50 of the
800 skilled men at the Riverside, and
the remaining $50 workers in the steel
departments have asked us to call a
meeting at which they may organize a
lodge This request has been granted
and the meeting will be held Monday
evening at o'clock at Mozart Hall,
in South Wheeling. At this afternoons
meeting of the Riverside men at Mo-
zart Hall we took in 109 new members
from the tube and plate departments.
1--WE have succeeded in tieing up the
Bellaire steel plant of the National
Steel Company. We organized $50 of
the skilled men Saturday, and at a
meeting this afternoon there were more
accessions, though l have not yet re-
ceived my deputies reports this after
noon as to the exact number. But even
without a single accession this after
noon we have enough to keep the plant
idle.
1.-THE LaBelle plant of the American
Tin Plate Company is closed tonight,
as are the Aetna standard mills of the
American Sheet Steel and American
Steel Hoop companies. The Mingo
Junction plants of the National Steel
and American Steel Hoop companies
also are closed.
Great Battle Inevitable.
Secreatry Williams gave out an in
terview tonight, in which he placed
the blame for the strike upon the re-
fusal of the United States Steel Cor
poration to arbitrate and declared that
before the strike was over thousands
of men in other trades would be drawn
into II to save the Amalgamated Asso-
citation and the principles for which 1t
stands. He said:
1--WE agreed to arbitration because the
business men and citizens of Pittsburg
urged us to do so. We were willing
to risk the INTEREST of our organiza-
tio, a, tho hands of others in the dis