The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-11
GREAT STRIKE is ON
sHAFFER ISSUED GENERAL ORDER
YESTERDAY.
WAR NOW ON IN EARNEST.
POLICY OF LABOR FEDERATION
NOT DISCLOSED.

One of Strongest announcement
md support to the AmalgamHted
Association - Plants Being Dis
mantIcd and Moved by Combine to
Less Affected Districts - Action
Against Steel Corporation.
Pittsburg, Pa, Aug. 1O-The great
steel strike is on. The general order
of President Shaffer of the Amalga-
mated Association became effective to-
day and thousands of workers left
their places to return at some indefi-
mite time in the future, either victo-
rious over the iron masters or in hum
BILE defeat. The order to strike was
generally obeyed wherever the workers
were organized and enrolled in the
lodges of the Amalgamated Associa-
tion, but it will be Monday before an
accurate account can be made of the
men who have gone out. A great ma
tority of the mills close down on Sat
urday and reopen Sunday night and
the true test of the strength of the
contending sides will be furnished by
the number of men who return to work
tomorrow and Monday. The policy of
the American Federation of Labor has
not yet been fully disclosed and that
fact contributes another element
of an uncertainty to the situation.
The action of the executive of the mine
workers at Indianapolis to-day in re-
solving to support the strike cheered
the Amalgamated men, and they are
confident that the federation will aid
them to the fullest extent. The clos
ing hours of labor and the opening
hours of the strike lacked spectacular
action. This city. which is the strike
center, was calm and undisturbed.
There was no excitement or violence,
and the pulse of the community was
normal.
The police officials issued an order
suspending for the time being the va
cation system. They do not anticipate
trouble, but want to have every man
here and ready for duty in case it
should come. They say. that President
Shaffer has counseled peaceful meth
! DDS, and that they hope the strikers
and their sympathizers will heed mis-
| advice. The strikers held a series of
demonstrations in the outlying towns.
ana PTeSlueHI OndlIeE spoke d uIldA
word of encouragement to his indus
trial troops. Great throngs of workers
turned out to greet and cheer the
leader and exchange pledges to main
tain the contest upon with they have
entered.
Another DismantIing.
A striking development of the day
was an official announcement from the
American Tin Plate Company TO the
effect that certain plants of the COM
pany crippled by the strike would be
dismantled and removed to Monessen.
Almost at the same time it was un-
officially announced that there was
chance that the plant of the American
Steel Hoop Company at Warren, o.,
would be torn down and removed to
some community more favorable
to the corporation. The order of yester-
day directing, the Devices wood plant
at McKeesport to be removed is al
ready being carried out. and the an
nouncement from the American Tin
Plate Company created a marked i'm
preston. Representatives of the strik-
erS insisted that the company was not
in good faith in the announcement
and that even If it was it could not win
with such methods. Opponents of the
strikers counted the plan another vic
tory and declared that the strike must
ShaRcr's Final Tour.
President Shaffer began his final
tour among the strikers early to-day.
He left Pittsburg this morning and
shortly before noon reached Newcas-
tie. Two thousand organized workmen
psraded there before his arrival, and
were lined up around the union station
when he arrived. His welcome was an
enthusiastic one. In the afternoon he
spoke to six thousand union men in
the amphitheater at Cascade Park,
and submitted an offer for the submis-
sion of the issues in the strike to arbi
tration. This was his formal tender for
arbitration.
NOW in our willingness to settle the
matter we are ready to arbitrate. Let
the Amalgamated Association select
one man and let the trust select one:
the two to select the third. We will
abide by the decision of the three. /
wish this to be generally known"
The reference made by President
Shaffer to the willingness OF the Anal
gamated Association to arbitrate was
followed by the announcement here to-
night in behalf of the strikers that on
Friday an offer to arbitrate was form
ally submitted to the United States
Steel Corporation. According to this
statement the offer was made to J.
Pierpont Morgan, whose reply rejecting
IL was:
This is no time for arbitration"
The subject was discussed on Fri
day by President Shaffer, President
Gompers, Joseph Bishop, Frank Nor
rison, NJ NJ Garland and an unnamed
official of the American Tin Plate
Company and a basis for the submis-
sion of the question was agreed upon.
It is said that President Shaffer op-
posed the plan at first. but was finally
won over and agreed to certain conces-
sions in behalf of the Amalgamated
Association. The strikers are using
the incident in their fight. They say
that they went much further than
could be expected and that they have
been put on the defensive in a fight
which threatens the existence of their
organization.
Secretary Williams made the follow
ing statement to the Associated Press
tonight:
"A disinterested party called at the
Amalgamated Association headquar-
ters and offered TO use his services
looking to an arbitration of the old
matter in dispute between the Anal
gamated Association and the United
| States Steel Corporation.
"The proposition to arbitrate has
been turned down by the United States
Steel Corporation"
Riverside Men out.