The evening times., 1901-08-10
Circulation sta. cneut-
The Grent strike.

The hope entertained in Pittsburg
yesterday that some basis Of settlement
might be reached which would bring
the steel troubles 20 an end before the
general strike order should become Cf-
fective, has been completely disappOint-
ed, and il seems now evident that there
Will be war 10 the knife until one or
other Of the beIligerents shall suffer
defeat
Tie pledge Of moral and financial
assistance" TO the Amalsamated Asso-
citation. made 10y the Federation of La
Dor. through its president, Samuel
Gompers yesterday, may mean merely
sympathy and contributions of money
for the support Of strikers. But il may
also cover an intention TO call out
Federation members from the iron fur
naces and mines which supply the Steel
Trust with raw material. In that event
the situation would be rendered more
serious than otherwise it would be.
All authorities are still at sen in re-
gard 70 the number Of men who will
respond to Skaters order tomorrow.
Only the event can settle that question.
There appears to be no doubt, however,
that large addition TO the army of idle
Norkmen will at once result 1t is es-
timated that about forty-fve thousand
are now involved in the strike. or out
of employment because Of it The labor
leaders are reported as expecting that
hundred thousand more Will be out on
Monday morning. The Steel Trust Off
cials 90 not think compliance with the
strike order VIII go so far, but nobody
on either side knows even approximate
ly what Will happen
The fact cannot be lodged that there
IS grave danger Of violence and blood
shed in the situation. The men in the
Sheet Mill at Carnegie have notified the
superintendent that they will lay down
their tools tonight, defying him to open
with non-union men. The works and
town are thoroughly picketed, strangers
suspected OF being employed by the Op-
Grating company are being expelled,
and the intending strikers threaten TO
wreck a train which is expected tomor-
row, or tomorrow night bringing a
force Of labJTers with which TO resume
operations on Monday. Similar indica-
tions Of approaching trouble are report
ed from other localities. We are afraid
that the coming fortnight viii witness
some desperate deeds.
The clash cannot long be postponed.
The Steel Trust is giving blow for blow,
and the temper Of men i'm both camps is
growing uClier as the play develops.
The announcement yesterday that the
Devices Wood plant at McKeesport
would be Immediately dismantled and
moved 10 the Kiskiminetas Valley. ere
ated great dismay in the town Tie
mill has been operation for fifty years
and many Of the workers in il have
spent their lives in the service and own
their own homes. But the worst has
not yet happened TO McKeesport. Il is
said that. if the men in the great tube
mills, which employ eight thousand
hands. shall strike tomorrow this great
plant also viii be broken up and estab-
Hshed elsewhere. Should that be done
the ruin Of the town would be newt
able. The trust mills at Youngstown,
Ohio, are TO be moved 10 a point near
Fittsburg. and il seems 10 be the inten-
tion Of the combination magnates to
pursue this policy Of concentration in
all cases where local conditions and
public sentiment threaten their ability
to open up with non-union workers.
One does not need 10 be a prophet
10 predict a bitter and violent struggle
before the war between "a billion dollars
and hundred thousand men shall be
brought to a close. The business inter
ests Of seventy million people not
directly. and most not even remotely,
concerned in the controversy, are being
jeopardized, and perhaps may b. nearly
paralyzed as a result Of the struggle
The situation is one 20 make thoughtful
persons wonder If a compulsory arbi-
tTatiUn system would not be as good a
thing for this country as il has proven
10 be for New Zealand