Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-07-15

Wheeling and vicinity will be affected
by the strike of the Amalgamated men
in the mills controlled by the United
States Steel Company. Three plants in
this district will be affected. They are
the Aetna Standard sheet mills in
Bridgeport: the Laughlin tin plate
mills in Martins Ferry; and the La
Belle tin plate mills in this city. About
5000 men will be directly affected by
the strike in the three mills.
The Independent sheet and tin plate
mills are not affected by the order of
President Shaffer. The A~malgamated
scale has been signed by the Wheeling
Steel and Iron Company apd the Whit
aker Iron Company and In the Bellaire
mill. which is non-union. an advance
in wages of 5 per cent has been granted.
The Top mill and the Whitaker mill
have been shut down -wo weeks, and
each will resume operation with a full
complement workmen this morning.
Members of the local lodges OF the
A~malgamated, who are directly affected
by the strike. have ~familiarized them
selves with the situation and look upon
the fight as a struggle for existence of
organized labor, They say with one ac-
cord that 1t is not a question of wages,
but of a vital principle which strikes at
the very life OF their organization. One
prominent ~Amalgamated man, who a
a delegate to the recent National CON-
venton in Milwaukee. stated to a Reg
lister reporter that the trust Is trying
to kill the organization by enforcing
| iaieness In two or three union mills
each year, and then gradually under
mining the Amalgamation control OF
the trust plants. I'VE realize that the
struggle is bound to come he said.
"and we have forced the issue at the
time when conditions are favorable, and
we are in good shape to fight a winning
battle"
In the view OF the case indicated
above. the local union workmen express
themselves as heartily In accord with
pres. Shaffer. and determined to stand
Arm until the end. All the men
have been working steady. and are well
prepared financially for continuing the
strike. They are Indifferent in so far
as the months OF July and August are
concerned, as many OF them have per-
fected plans COR fishing excursions and
other vacation trips.
President Shaffer yesterday wired the
presidents of the local lodges, which are
affected, to strike Monday morning. The
order will be obeyed. The three local
mills will be closed down this morning.
At the LaBelle tin mills there has
been posted for several days a notice
calling for a resumption o. work Tues
day morning. Yesterday notices were
I posted c~onspicuously throughout the
mill for a meeting of the LaBelle lodge
OF the Amalgamation this afternoon for
| the transaction of important business.
Vice President Walter Larkins, OF the
| Second district of the ~Amalgamated AS
| ISOLATION Of Iron, Steel & Tin Workers,
| returned to his home In Martins Ferry
| yesterday from the conference at Pitts
| burg, and was a busy man after his ar
| rival, as a large number of the men
were anxiously awaiting his HON COM
ing. The presidents of the lodges had
received kilograms from President Shat
| fer asking them not to work.
The lodges in Martins Ferry are
Lewis Avon. Mountain City and Ad-
| vance, and the officers OF these lodges
were anxious to see Mr.. Larkins, and
| learn about the conference.
A Register reporter called on Mr..
Larkins and inquired as to the situa-
| ton. He stated that the conference
was harmonious and no bad feeling was
shown, and that when they adjourned
cigars we're passed around and all said
| goodbye, and that in a short time tele-
grams and telephone messages from
mills we're received, commencing the
acLlOn Oh Tie ASSOSldtioh dhN
to stand by the order.
'~The manufacturers made us this
proposition-that they be given the bal
ance of power, the plants to be operated
with half union men and half nom
union men, and that they should be
under full control of the manufacture
ers. also their production and markets.
The proposition was voted down with
out a dissenting vote, as was also the
motion to adjourn"
Mr.. Larkins stated the following as
showing the manufacturer inconsis-
tency: that they claimed the non-union
mills did not wish to be organized, and
preferred no union. ITO show their in
consistency" ne said, "just as soon as
the workmen at Wellsville found that
the Association was willing TO stand by
them, they thoroughly organized.
After the men at Mingo Junction sue
ceeded, on July 5th, in gaining an adj
vance of five per cent. from the National
Steel Company, the National Steel Com
pany advanced all their non-union men