New-York tribune., 1901-08-06
SHAFFER DELAYS ORDER.
THE STRIKERS WANT THE FIGHTING
FORCED, But THEIR LEADER
HOLDS BACK.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO The rRIHrxr.

tBY TELEGRAPH TO TRIBUNEI
Pittsburg, Aug. 5.-It will be a week or ten
days before President Shafer issues his call to
all the union mills Of the United States Steel
Corporation 10 close. Il have good reasons for
the DELAY" he said to-day. The strikers had
hoped TO hear the orders for general strike
before this time. They desire prompt action. and
chafe at President Shaffer's delay. They be-
lieve that bold stroke will win. Mr. Shaffer
knows better. He argues that his opponents
are not of the class that are easily subdued ana
the fight Will last into the coming winter II he
depends on the United States Steel Corporation
to surrender Cold weather will soon end the
strike and defeat the association. The warm
weather continues TO aid the
CARNEGIE PLANTS HARD TO CRIPPLE.
Scores of organizers and sympathizers of the
Amalgamated are at work among the employees
of the Carnegie Steel Company and the Ma
tionaI Tube Company 1t has been asserted
that here and there among the leading men az
Homestead Duquesne and Braddcck union SYM
pathizers have been found and that Mr. Shaf-
fer hopes TO secure enough Of these men to
cripple the Carnegie plants. This will be almost
impossible. as the machinery at these plants is
so automatic that new men can soon be broken
in, and the men who step out will be out for
good. Every heat of metal and every lot that
is finished are tested by chemists and experts
TO such an extent that nothing is left to chance
in these mammoth plants. The experts are not
sympathizers with the strikers and with their
aid the plants COLD almost he run with men
who had never seen steel plant
These conditions do not obtain in the other
mills of the United States Steel Corporation
Some Of these are old fashioned and require a
complement OF experienced men far in excess OF
the UP 10 date plants. The rule Of thumb
method IS still in vogue. and IT is impossible
10 operate them without the most skilled labor.
1t is in these mills that the strikers are most
independent and defiant as they believe that
none can be taught TO do their work This IS
the condition OF more than three-fourths Of the
steel hoop plants The sheet mills can onIv
count one or two modern mills and the Apollo
mill at Nandergrift. Penn. the largest in the
world, is in operation. with every mill running
night and day. Tinplate making REQUIRES a
high degree of proficiency and the American
Tin Plate Company is at the mercy of III.
strikers
One peculiar feature of the hoop mills is the
Importance of the boys Both sides are court
ing their favor If they refuse 10 work with
new men it viii be impossible to operate the
hoop plants II requires six men and eight boys
to operate hoop mill one turn. The boys carry
ends of the bands and hoops from roll to roll
under the old system. and unskiIed boy is
liable to he cut TO pieces and roasted to death
in the loops ruin the output of the mill bv
improperly twisting the ends as they are entered
in the rolls When the boys strike or quit work
the hoop mills have TO shut down This is not
the case in modern hoop mills. of which there
are only two. The boys dispensed with. and
all the handling of the metal is automatic. The
boys at the Clark Mills have sgnified their in
tention of aiding the strikers by refusing TO
work with new men,
A rougher at of the local mills who is a.
member of the Amagamated Association, said
to-day that. while the strikers at the plant he
worked at would stand by their organization,
yet he believed the strike was i'll timed and i'll
advised. He said the question at stake was not
broad enough 20 involve so many men in the
strike. and the men could not become enthusi-
astic on the subject. They merely followed
their leaders blindly. criticising them while do
ing so.
STANDING BY THE MEN.
Mr. shaner was asked If he delayed the call
ing out of all the mills so as to give the men at
Lindsay & McCutcheon's, CIark's and Painters
chance to return 10 work. and thus remove one
of the great obstacles Of settlement. He said
no. that the association would stand by these
men as they were behaving nObly toward the
union cause The Lindsay & McCutcheOn
plant is torn up. so that no start can be made
within two weeks. Reports were sent out that
il would be- put in operation this morning
There are signs of activity at any OF the
other idle plants, all or which are guarded night
and day by the regular watchmen and one
police officer The gains made by the corpora
ton at Wellsville and the manner in which the
men in the KiSkeminetaS Valley are standing by
their employers the only encouraging
aspects of the strike TO the steel corporation.
President Shaffer says that he did not believe
One-half as many men would respond TO mis- call
as there did hence he believes he will not have
any trouble in closing down most of the plants
Of the corporation in his second call
With this kind of talk rumOrs are rife OF
an impending settlement The fact that Mr.
Shaner has full authority looks suspicious to
those familiar with the traditions of the ANAL