The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-07
GREAT STRIKE is ON
sHAFFER ISSUES GENERAL ORDER
TO AMALGAMATED MEN.
WILL BE A BATTLE OF GIANTS.
STEEL TRUST MILLS TO BE TIED
UP AFTER SATURDAY.

states COrpOruttOn's Employ Not
Already Out Are Ordered to Quit
Work After the Last Turn on Sat
urday-Many Thousands viii BE
Idle, Millions of Dollars VIII he
Lost. Much Suffering Will Be
Caused and BIoodshed Is More
Than ProbabIe-Both Sides Are De-
termined and the Struggle Is Like
ly to BE Prolonged.
Pittsburg, Aug. 6.-The die is cast.
The battle of the giants is on in earn
est, whether to ignominious defeat of
one side or the other, or compromise,
remains to be seen. Up to this even
ing it had been merely skirmish, each
side trying to find the vulnerable spot
in the others armor. Now it is differ
ent brought about by the actual issu-
ance by President Shaffer of the long
taIked-of general strike order. The or
der was promulgated this evening to
take effect after the last turn of the
mills on Aug. 10. What the result will
be no man can foretell, but judging by
the expressed determination of both
will be waged fast and furiously. Much
money will be lost, thousands upon
thousands of men will be idle, great
suffering is looked for. even bloodshed
and death are possible and feared.
The strike call includes practically
all Amalgamated men in the United
States Corporation employ not now
S-.l~ II fl,a
Amalgamated Association headquar-
ters and mailed TO all Amalgamated
lodge officials who are expected to call
their men into the strike. The text of
the order follows:
Shnfer's Appeal to His Men.
Brethren: The officials of the United
States steel trust have refused to rec
ognize as union men those who are
now striving for the right to organize.
The executive board has authorized me
to issue a call upon all Amalgamated
and other union men in name and heart
to join in the movement to fight for
labors rights.
I'VE must fight or give up forever
| our personal liberties.
You will be told that you have
signed contracts. but you never agreed
| to surrender those contracts to the
United States Steel Corporation. It's
officers think you were sold to them
just as the mills were, contracts and
all.
Remember. before you agreed to
any contract you took an obligation to
the Amalgamated Association. 1t now
calls you to help in this hour of need.
Unless the trouble is settled on or
before Saturday, Aug. 10, 1901, the mills
will close when the last turn is made
on that day.
Brethren. this is the call to preserve
our organization. We trust you and
need you. Come and help us and may
right come to a just cause. Frater-
nally yours, T. ]. Shaffer"
President Shaffer adds this state
ment:
''The call goes to the vice presidents
of the districts in which there are mills
owned and operated by the National
| Steel, National Tube and Federal Steel
companies, as well as to the officials
of the lodges in the mills.
mo notice has been, or is being, sent
| to the managers of the mills. We
| think their notice has come from the
| other side. and that they have had
| warning of this ever since the inaugu-
ration of the strike. That ought-to be
| sufficient"
White Rats Will Give Aid.
Secretary John Williams told the
Painter Mill men that he had received
a telegram from the White Rats of
| New York, in which the organization
offered to donate a percentage of their
earnings for the strike fund and also
to give performances for the benefit of
the strikers in all parts of the country.
By Monday of next week the Anal
gamated Association expected to show
;tr in, rfa m
this connection it is said, that upwards
of 80 per cent of the men employed in
the Carnegie mills are union men at
heart.
Will Swell to 100000 Men.
The order given above is expected to
swell the number of idle men to over
100, 900 at the end of the week. Presi-
dent Shaffer was asked If the call was
not intended to go to the union men
in the Carnegie Steel Company. He
said he could answer no questions on
that score. The Amalgamated Associ-
alton has lodges in the upper and low
er union mills of the Carnegie Steel
Company and a foothold in the Home-
stead Duguesne and Braddock mills,
the great bulwark of non-unionism.
In conformity to statements that have
made by President Shaffer before, these
men will be expected to join the strike.
as will all Amalgamated men and SYM
pathizers in all the plants of the United
States Steel Corporation.
| 1t has been the purpose of President
! Shaffer to give the operating officials
of the remaining constituent companies
of the steel corporation time to antic-
| ipate the calling out of their men. If
it was intended to give these mana
| gers any formal notification. this plan
was waived to-day, although they will
| still have until the closing of<opera-
| tions on Saturday to prevent the strik-
| ing of their men.
A Prompt Response Expected.
The call to the men of the three COM
panies in the mills of which the Anal
| gamated Association is strongest is eX-
| pected to be generally and promptly
| responded to on Saturday. The move
will. Il is expected. practically suspend
| operations of the Federal Steel Com
| pany and cut off half the product of
| the National Steel Tube companies and
throw upward of 10000 men idle.
In the most extensive plant of the
| National Tube plant at McKeesport the
| organization is new and the effect of
| the strike order is uncertain. The works
| employ upward of 5000 men.
The attitude of the men of the Unit
| ed states Steel Corporation, so far not
| affected by the strike, has been care
| fully canvassed since the futile effor.
| to arrive at terms of peace In New
| York last Saturday. Most of the nine
| xrioa nrAeidents of the different dis