The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-07-19
PRESIDENT SHAFFER'S ORDERS UNIVeR-
SALLY OBEYED.
SEVENTY THOUSAND MEN 60 OUT
First Step In the Move Against b
American Steel Corporatfon-Several
of the Plants Completely Tied Up.
The Employers Greatly Surprised to
Find Certain Mills Under Control OF
Ama1gamated Association Wages
Advanced I'm Some Plants-President
Shaffer's Reserve Forces.

h@PNA =
from all sources connected with the
great strike Of the steel workers today
indicate that the members of the ANAL
gamated Association had matters well
in hand and that the strike order was
generally obeyed. Reports from ariou
points where the American Tin Plate
Company, the American Steel Hoop
n the American Sheet Steel Company.
are located, told of a shutting down Of
these plants. In many cases the plants
had been shut down by the first strike
order, which affected the Sheet Steel
and the Steel Hoop companies only.
The last order brought out all of the
union plants Of the American Tin Plate
Company, with the single exception Of
the new mill in Monnessen, which is
still running.
1t the Amalgamated Association
headquarters, it was said that the fig
ures given out Saturday night regard
ing the number of men who would be
actually idle in the mills of the three
companies had been proven correct.
This number was placed at "a, 900.
The strike, although one of theg great
est that has been declared in recent
years, will affect Pittsburg but slightly.
OF the 1900 men idle, $500 are in Pitts
burg, 800 in Allegheny and / 500 in Nc
Keesport. President Shaffer has it in
his power to close many more Pittsburg
mills, but it Is no thought that he will
do anything of a radical nature until
he is compelled to.
The American Steel Hoop Company's
supposedly n%on-union mill known as the
mill in West Carston street,
was closed this morning in all it's
branches. The tie up at this mill was
said to have been a surprise to the mill
owners and officials in charge of it.
The other plant known as the Lindsay
and McCutcheon mill in Allegheny was
shut down completely i'm the pudding
and bar mills. All the skilled workmen
refused to enter the mill this morning
and the company did not even operate
the five furnaces. The finishing de-
partment of the mill was working dur
Ing the day, as the men are not in the
union, but it is claimed by the workers
that the employees in that department
will not go to work in the morning.
The American Steel Hoop Company's
mill at Monnesen was not closed today.
1t has been since it was built.
two years ago, and the mpa says
the men there will remain loyal. The
Amalgamated people would not discuss
the situation in that mill at present.
While all the mills of the United States
5iccl OIpOIdllOn are 1nCluQ6Q IN the
general conflict, these three ompan
are the first attacked. What the next
Owe would be, workers would not say.
1t is tonight that the cir
cular letter which was expected to be
sent out today, calling on the men in
the mills of the Federal Steel Company,
the National Steel Company and the
National Tube Company, to come out,
would not be issued at present.
; The most interesting report to the
A~malgamated men today was the dis
patch from New York, which said that
a conference Of the manufacturers was
to be held in New York tomorrow at
which Warner Arms, vice president of
the American Tin Plate Company, was
TO present a detailed account of the ex-
per1enceS of the committee that met the
~Amalgamated Association in this city
last week. 1t was stated that the ques-
ton OF again extending the olive branch
to the strikers or of crushing the strike
would be discussed. The strikers, from
PRESIDENT Shaffer down, seem to
De looking for some sort Of settlement.
AT the district offices of the Ameri-
can Sheet Steel Company, a meeting
OF the managers was held today. 1t
was a closely guarded session and infor-
nation was hard to secure. 1t was
said, however. that the reports from
the managers referred to III condition
OF affairs in the ~non-union plants of
S - q III that I'll
men in the Old Meadow mill in Scots
dale would not go out on a strike.
The Scottsdale Iron and Steel mill is
also working n no signs of a strike
are visible there. The alleged attempt
on the part of the association TO bring
over the forces in the big Vandergrift
mills in Vandergrift, Pa, was not re-
garded seriously, though the company
is watching closely all such movements
THE TUBE COMPANY ADVANCES
WAGES.
The $500 employees of the National
Tube Company, at M~ckeepsport, were
notified today Of an advance in wages
of 10 per cent. The men are not organ
lied. but the Amalgamated Association
was making efforts to induce them to
join the union. Several months ago the
men demanded a 10 per cent. advance,
' but were refused.
This morning a committee waited on
Manager Crawford and insisted upon
the increase. He was unable TO give
an immediate answer. but a short time
later the officials gave out a statement
granting the advance.
When President Shaffer was informed
of granting the advance to the Mckees-
port Tube Workers, he said:
81 anticipated such action On the par
of the manufacturers and have warned
our men to guard against being blinded
by such dust throwing methods Inc
Tube men in McKeesport are unorgan'
ICED and this advance, coming with the
beginning Of the strike of the employe
of the three companies with which We
are at issue is an indication that ths
Steel Corporation appreciates tn
strength of the Amalgamated Associa
ton and is trying to thwart its growth
and aims by such means as have beer
adopted in McKeesport. I expect tina
similar advances will be given to tn,
men in other works of the United State!
Steel Corporation that have not bee
affected by the strike order. in the hop,
that the workers may refuse to CONF
out should we decide to extend tn,
strike to all the plants of the corpora
ton"
President Shaffer is confident tina
the association will make such a stron.
showing in this preliminary suspension
of work hat a general strike of all tn
mills of the United States Corporation