New-York tribune., 1901-07-15
EXTENT OF STEEL STRIKE.
prrTsBURG THE CENTRE AT PRESENT
AMALGAMATED ASSOCIATION DE-
sIRES TO SHOW IT'S STRENGTH.

p,ttsburg July 14.-From present indications
~ eeerus probable that President Skaters strike
,rder issued last night to the Amalgamated
.seoc,ation members IN the employ Of the
American Steel Eoop Company. the American
sheet Steel Company and the American Tin
plate Company will be obeyed, and the great
e,rugsie between the Amalgamated Association
and the steel companies will be in earnest
tomorrow.
In the union mills OF the three companies
against which strike has been declared 1t is
nredicted that not a wheel Will turn tomorrow
An effort will be made also to close down some
Of the non-union mills Of the companies, and to
cripple the rest. The Amalgamated men are
sanguine Of success.
the strike was not of our own seeking" said
President Shaffer to-day. 1T was forced upon
up. We were not contending for wages. but for
principle-for self preservation. The tin and
sheet people will not be able to turn a single
wheel to-rnorrow. We have our forces thorough
v organized. and there Will be surprises
In store. ] have not heard to-day from a single
lodge In answer to my strike order. but an an
swer is not necessary. The order Will be
promptly obeyed by all our men, But there
will be no trouble Labor organizations have
changed. The Amalgamated Association is not
the association IL twenty years ago. nor
even five years ago. The men more readily
controlled in fact, have our men under con-
troll
STRIKE CENTRE AT PITTSBURG.
Developments to-day indicate that Pittsburg
going to be pretty lively strike centre. The
most interest attaches to the Painter mill.
the south side. and to that of Lindsay & Nc
Cutcheon in Allegheny. Both mills are
trolled by the American Steel Hoop Company.
and much depended upon the action taken by
the men IN these plants The employees Of both
mills held open meetings to-day. and both de-
cided TO strike tomorrow. The Painter mill en-
p.oys about four hundred mon and the Lindsay
e McCutcheon mill about three hundred.
l. ". jerks, manager OF the American Steel
Hoop Company said tonight he had heard or
the attempt TO be made to tie Up the two mills,
but he had heard such strike talk for several
months past. Mr.. jerks said both mills would
resume tomorrow morning as usual.
The fight at the Painter mill is to be made the
fight of the strike. Both sides viii make stub
born resistance. IF the Amalgamated men can
close this mill they believe they will have won
the greater part of the strike. The mill is not
only an important one, but the Steel Hoop COM
pany has for years succeeded in thwarting the
efforts TO un.onize It
President Shaffer was asked to-day X he had
set time when, If settlement had been
effected. he would extend the strike TO all the
subsidiary steel companies of the United States
Steel Corporation. He said he must decline TO
make his plans known at present.
A SHOW OF STRENGTH.
II may be said. however. on the strength OF
trustworthy information, that the strike within
its present limits is intended merely as a show
OF strength At the conference last week the
ntcfax of he SfpeI
repeatedly warned that the association was
much stronger than they knew. They were
even told Of the organization OF mills OF which
they had 10 knowledge. But the steel men
would not believe that the association was as
strong as IL claimed to be. Thus 1t Is be-
ieved the first purpose OF the association is to
show its strength by conhning the strike 10
three companies.
When that show OF strength has been made.
whatever IT may prove TO be, the association
expects the companies 10 ask for another con-
ference. If the companies show no inclination
TO make settlement. the strike Will be extend
ed TO three more companies II the trust will
not Yield then the strike will be extended TO
such independent companies sell their fin
ished products or raw materials to companies
against which a strike has been declared.
Should the strike attain such proportions IL
would probably go still further. The Amalga-
mated Association and the Federation Of Labor
two years ago formed a secret alliance. II is
claimed, when IL agreed that the associa-
ton when on strike could also call out the steel
men Of the Federation. The latter has organi-
xations IN many mills whose workmen not
eligible to membership in the association.
HOW CONFERENCE ENDED.
IN describing the conclusion OF the conference
IN the Hotel Lincoln on Saturday afternoon
President Shafer said that after the final propo-
e.tion Of the manufacturers had been taken up.
and from courtesy the part Of the workers
had been discussed, there was painful silencu
Tor about five minutes The workers waited for
some further remark the part Of the manu-
Hocfsrv sbr last a N no
ing for remark from the workers. Finally, one
OF the manufacturers committee broke the still
ness by saying: Well. guess there is no fur
ther IN waiting for other developments. The
men have nothing TO offer. and the manufact-
urers have gone as far as they can In Justice 10
themselves
President Shaffer replied that he accorded with
this view. If the manufacturers had no other
proposition 10 offer ii was useless to remain.
Each side arose TO leave the room. Warner
Arms president OF the American Steel HOOP
Company said then: Il am sorry that our
friendly relations In the past should have been
broken In this way; we have done everything
IN an ancable manner. With this breach once
opened IL must be understood that the onus ls
On the side OF the Amalgamated Association
and the public will understand this.
While keenly regretting the break in the peace
OF the relations between the organization ano
the manufacturers. President sharer said that
there seemed no other course to pursue. His
oner TO the Hoop company to reconstruct the
scale for cotton tie and hoop mills was one OF
the most important sacrifices that had ever
been offered by the association. He doubted
u the settlement could have been made on that
basis without a great deal Of trouble, but the
committee felt willing to make this concession
10 preserve peace. Again, in the offer TO ex
clude the tin plate mills. the hoop mills and the
sheet mills from further difficulties with plants
owned by the United States Steel Corporation,
should no agreement be reached the final
Proposition OF the Amalgamated Association,
Vas granting the manufacturers their most
earnest wish. of recognizing the individual
,sponsib.lity Of each of the constituent corpora
uons OF the parent organization, known as the
United States Steel Corpora tion II