The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-15
STEEL TRUST AND STRIKERS CAN
EACH CLAIM GAINS MADE
YESTERDAY
NATIONAL TUBE SHUTS DOWN
While the Trust Starts the Painter
Mill at Pittsburg and Tin
Plate Plant at CIeve-
land
WESTERN MEN STAY At WORK


strike today, but they furnish no direct
line on the ultimate result of the con-
fict. The strikers succeeded in finally
forcing the National Tube works at Nc
Keesport. probably the largest individual
plant in the United States Steel cor
poration to finally close down. On the
other hand the steel corporation re-
opened the big Painter mill in this city
and also resumed operations with nom
union men at the Crescent plant of the
American Tin Plate company at Cleve-
land. Two mills were on at the Painter
ant, although one of them broke down
Gring the day, and, according to the
statement of the officials. half the mills
In the Crescent plant were moving. The
forces at both the plants named are to
be increased and the managers claim
they Will soon have them working in
full. They make the fifth and sixth
plants which the steel corporation has
succeeded in starting with non-union
men, the others being Wensville, Hyde
Park, Clarks, and Lindsay & McCutch-
con. There was great labor demonstra-
tiOn at Wheeling today and President
Shaffer made a. stirring appeal to his fol-
lowers to fight on. In an interview be-
fore he spoke he said that if the west
ern lodges did not heed the final appeal
of Assistant Secretary NJ. F. Tighe and
come out they would be expelled from
offers Of financial assistance sDurned.
There were few other developments of
Importance during the day. Locally the
strike seems to drag and interest to
flag. Large numbers of the strikers
have gone away either for recreation or
to work and there mas been scarcely any
excitement, much less disorder. Nc
Keesport and Wheeling are stirred up
periodically, but there has been no vio-
lence at either place. Rumor again 20
day settled the strike and lent a hand to
restart the stilled mills of commerce 1t
was related that President Shaffer had
acknowledged that he could not win,
tcat the corporation feared that it's
rivals would profit by an extended strike
and that they were going to settle No
confirmation of the stories was possible.
Tho situation is briefly summed up as
follows:
PRESENT STATUS.
The strike at McKeesport and Wheel
ing has brought the number of men VINO
ans wered the final strike order to some
thing over 10000 and Increased tte total
number of men rendered idle by the three
orders to about 65, GEO. Many of the m N
drawn into the movement, willingly or
UnTillnglg. continue to accept other en-
Ilcyment and the exact number now iole
Is a guess. The strikers are fully in con-
trol at McKeespOrt, Wheeling, New
castle, Bellair, Mingo Junction and show
some strength here. The manufacturers
fOid South Chicago, Bay View, Joliet,
Youngstown, Columbus, the Kiskimine-
tas valley, the tin plant at Monessen ana
tire Carnegie group. OF the last-named
property. some doubt is expressed as to
tie Lower Union mill in Pittsburg. Some
men have left their places there and the
strikers boast that they will close 1t
down. It is running, however, and the
managers say it cannot be stopped. De-
sertions from the ranks of the strikers
are reported from the Painters mill here
ana the Crescent plant in Cleveland and
TIE managers say that it is only ques-
t.ln of time before there is a general
break. The manufacturers have made no
effort to break the strike at McKeesport,
or Wheeling with nOn-uniOn men and
have given no indication of their plans
in those districts Both sides express
their satisfaction with the progress Of
the strike.
Encouraged by success in keeping Mon
essen going and in opening their plant
at Cleveland, the officers of the Ameri-
c&n Tin Plate company are planning re-
sumption with nOn-union men at other
points. They will not say where their
next move will be made, but say 1t will
he made quickly.
President Shaffer. of the Amalgamated
association, started on his trip to Wheel-
ing at 9:20 this morning and reached that
city shortly before pOOn.- He was re-
ceived by a large crowd which cheered
Justify when he appeared on the car
steps. The local unions paraded and es-
corted him through the town. Before go
ing to the state fair grounds, where the
demonstration was held, he made the fol-
lowing statement regarding the West
ern men who refused TO strike:
WHAT sHAFFER SAYS.
IF they do not come out they are non
union. 1t is a mystery why they did not
obey the strike order from the start and
the only explanation l can think of IS
that given yesterday at Pittsburg by Mr..
Adams an Illinois deputy, who told me
the men wanted an extension of time in
which to strike. Adams said they had
been led to believe an extension would be
granted. We have instructed Mr. Tighe
TO call out these men at once, and in the
event of their refusal their charters will
be declared forfeited. l know these men,
and l am confident they viii now agree
to come out with US in this fight. The
skilled men are organized, and enough
will strike to greatly cripple the prOduc-
tion of the Western mills. We may not
bring about total suspension, such as
is seen here in the Wheeling district,
which, by the way is the banner district
of the entire steel country, but we will
do what we anticipated at the start or
am gre ally mistaken in Mr.. T.ghzs ab.l-
lty TO present the matter in its proper
light to the Western men.
Taking the strike as a whole, we are
making gains everywhere every dav. Our
membership is increasing at a rapid rate
and many nOn-union mills where we have
never before been able to secure foot
hold are now organized or partly organ
lied. Besides these already organized. /
know of others that will soon take the
same action, though, of course, I cannot
GO into details on that score
The strike headquarters were In charge
of Secretary John Williams today, and
several members of the executive board
were on hand to advise with him and
assist. They denied positively that there
was dissatisfaction with the policy of
President Shaffer; that there was any
disagreement in the board or that there
was any wavering along their battle
front All stories to the contrary they
pronounced canards, started by the
enemy to injure their cause. They said
that so many Independent plants were
being started, and that those already in
operation were taking so many of the
skilled men on strike that the steel cor
pOration alone would suffer as result
of the strike.
DISMANTLING MILLS
Workmen began today to dismantle The
CHARTERS mill at Carnegie. The ma
cainery viii be taken to Leechbure
where the new mill will be located Work
on the Devices Wood property at Nc
Keesport has been suspended. 1t IS said
Continued on Third Page.