The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-10
IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS IN
THE STRIKE SITUATION.
DEVICES MILLS DISMANTLED.
THIS THE DECISIVE MOVE ON PART
OF CORPORATION.

Federation to the Cause of the
AmaIgamated Association.
Pittsburg. Aug. 9.-There were grave
ly important developments in the strike
situation to-day. The United States
Steel Corporation moved decisively in
it's strike campaign with a peremptory
order directing that the great Devices
Wood plant. at McKeesport, be dis
mantled and removed to Kisldmenetas
valley. President Gompers of the
American Federation of Labor, after a
two-days' conference with President
Shaffer- and his associates, issued a
formal statement tonight specifically
pledging the Federation to the moral
and financial support of the Amalga-
mated Association. His written review
of the train of events leading up to the
industrial quarrel sustains the course
of the Amalgamated Association and
declares that nothing remains for labor
but to battle for the cause of union
ism.
The official announcement of the or
der to dismantle the Devices Wood
plant came this afternoon toward thu
close of an otherwise uneventful day,
and it's Importance was such that 1t
claimed the serious consideration of the
men on either side of the great indus
trial conflict now being waged here.
President F. Smith, district manager
for the American Sheet Steel Com
81 ,nr1r
in the following brief statement:
Il have orders from President Nc
Murtry, of the American Sheet Steel
Company to at once tear down the De-
Wees Wood plant at McKeesport and
remove to Kiskimenetas valley. This
l shall proceed to do Immediately.
The order "A Surprise.
The publication Of the, order was a
great surprise and McKeesport receiv-
ed il at first with doubt. Actual pre-
parations were made later in the day
for the dismantling of the mill and
there is little room for doubt but that
-it>will be torn down and taken apart
piece by piece. The strikers heard the
order in a spirit of defiance. They sim
ply said that it showed that the steel
WAS convinced llldl IL
not reopen the plant in the face of the
opposition of the Amalgamated Asso-
citation. The steel officials declined to
give any reason for the order, but it
is openly stated here that the pro-
nounced sympathy of citizens and city
officials at McKeesport with the strik-
ers is responsible for it. 1t is also said
that the plant of the National Tube
Company at McKeesport will be aban-
doned and the old Carnegie plan for a
tube plant at Conneaut, o., revived.
The Devices Wood plant was found
ed about forty. years ago and is one of
the best known works in Pennsylvania.
Its yards and buildings cover between
twelve and fourteen acres; ii has en-
ployed 1.200 men at it's busiest times
and its cost is placed at $5, 900 by
officials of the steel corporation.
President Gompers of the American
Federation of Labor was at the strike
headquarters again this afternoon with
Secretary Morrison and was closted
with the Advisory Board of the Anal
gamated Association for more than
two hours. Before he left the meeting
he gave his promises to support the
strike, but 1T was not until o'clock
that he gave out the following state
ment:
Goinpers' Statement.
"Since the arrival of Secretary Nor
rison of the American Federation of
Labor, and myself, we have been in
almost continual conference with the
advisory board of the Amalgamated
Association of Iron, Steel and Tin
Workers. We made a thorough inves-
tigation of the present strike. of its
members. formerly in the employ of the
United States Steel Company, and its
constituents hra anChaC. the caf1SaS which
led 10 the strike: the present situation
of the controversy, and we unhesitat-
ing declare our judgment that the
position of the Amalgamated Associa-
tion is absolutely justified and essen
tial to it's continuance and effective
ness as a union of the workers in the
trade, as well as the protector of the
rights and interests of its members.
TT is true that the Amalgamated
Association in the first conferences
asked that the United States Steel
Corporation sign the union scale of
wages for all the mills operated, owned
and controlled by that company, but
it is also true that the request was
withdrawn and one substituted so that
the union scale should apply to those
mills only in which the members of
the Amalgamated Association are em-
plcyed; in other words, which are well
known to be union mills. This. the
United States Steel Corporation refus-
ed to concede, insisting that the scale
should apply only to those mills which
were union last year, even refusing to
allow two mills to be included which,
by a species of hectoring, and system
attic opposition of the company had be-
come non-union during the year.
Even the first demand for the scale
to be applied generally throughout the
jurisdiction of the company was COM
mendable for the obvious reason that
an employer should be willing to pay
uniform wage to men who perform
like work; but realizing that a demand
for those whom IL did not fully repre-
sent, the Amalgamated Association
modified its demands to the extent al
ready stated.
"It appears that the company took
the position II did with an avowal that
IL would not allow the extension of the
union to nom n-unionists. Such a position
and avowal are tantamount to declar-
ing that notwithstanding the growth
Of the craft, the organization had rath-
er a status beyond which 1t could not
extend.
Now, any one at all familiar with
Industrial development and economic
organization are equally aware that
status is never possible. Organized la
Dor advances or recedes, never stands
still 1t, therefore, follows that II the
trust, by it's great wealth, can prevent
the extension and growth Of the Anal