Evening star., 1901-07-29
Pittsburg People Very Hopeful Re-
garding Conference There Today.
THE CONFEREES GIVE OUT NO NEWS
President Shaffer as Well as Steel
Officials Reticent.
FIRST MEETING HELD TODAY

| anticipation of the settlement Of the steel
strike, and no one seems to have the slight
est doubt that the negotiations for peace
will have any other result but a cessation
| of hostilities, laying down Of arms to
take UP the tools Of trade.
So far neither of the contending forces
has suffered greatly. The weather has oecn
exceedingly hot and the men look upon the
| last month as a vacation during the heated
| term. Working under the severe strain OF
the oppressive heat lately would have been
an unusual hardship at best. and the men
| think that on this account perhaps many
lives have been saved by the strike.
So far as the companies are concerned
they are also in better position for work
| now than they were before the strike
Many Of their mills have been repaired,
| and the conditions for increased out
put are greatly improved.
1t Is true that a computation of cold fig
| ures foots UP total loss of $6.516.000 on
account of the strike, of which immense
sum s3,96O,000 is charged to the combine
and S2556,O 900 to the strikers, but this loss
| will soon be made up, owing to the better
prices which now prevail and the improved
| operating conditions as well as the better
| feeling between the employer and en-
| ploye.
Amalgamated officials Present.
| President Shaffer and Secretary Williams
were both early at the Amalgamated head
quarters this morning. and in rare good
humor They still maintained their posi-
tion of secrecy, however, and beyond ad-
mitting that a call had been sent out last
night to all the members of the executive
board for meeting to be held in this city
| tomorrow morning, refused TO give any in
formation as to the probable settlement of
| the strike. To all questions President Shaffer
replied that he had nothing to say, but in
friendly talk of some length he conveyed
/ npu nHr Ia
longer be following him and watching his
/ movements.
From this it is believed that Mr. Shaffer
is satisfied that the executive board VIII
! agree to the proposition he will present.
| With the approval Of mis- recommendations
a Joint meeting could be held and a settle
| ground for negotiating such a question as
! this one is found it is believed, there Will
| be little difficulty in getting down TO gen
era! agreement which will bring peace
| with 1t.
Secretary Joseph Bishop of the Ohio
| board Of arbitration reached the Amalga-
mated headquarters about 10 o'clock and
| the newspaper men were requested to leave
| the room. Behind closed doors a confer
ence between President Shaffer and Secre-
| tary Bishop Is now being held.
| There remains little doubt that officials
! of the United States Steel Corporation are
| now as anxious to have the big strike set
/ tied as are the strikers. During last week
| a number of contracts intended for and
practically let to mills of the combine were
] shifted to independent mills, with rush
clauses attached. Independent mills have
/ done much business booking orders In the
4 last few weeks, and they are reported to
| have been able to make their own terms.
! In many cases from 81 to IS per ton above
the prevailing market rates was offered
| by those anxious to have iron and steel
| without further delay.
/ Under these conditions owners of the In
dependent mills have bestirred themselves
| and are now running twenty-four hours
@ m q N " fYa0n a IlA 3nd
| about the furnaces and rolls. 1t was said
yesterday that the Jones and IaughIins'
| interests had secured enough orders above
| the combine rates to keep them running
| far into the fall.
| Both Sides Reticent.
Terms of the prospective settlement are
| being carefully guarded by all parties con-
| cerned, but from a source believed to be
| reliable 1t is stated that Mr.. Morgan pro-
| poses to permit the Amalgamated Asso-
| citation to continue it's union lodges in the
] mills that were non-union prior to the
| strike, but which went out on President
| Shaffer's strike order.
In addition, 1t is said the Leechburg,
| Duncansville and Monessen plants are per-
mitted to be unionized.
The United States Steel Corporation is to
| be permitted to operate all of the mills Of
| the Carnegie Steel Company they are
now operated, as well as the big sheet mills
at Apollo, Vandergrift and Salisbury, pro-
| vided the wages paid shall be on the same
| basis in the mills where the union scale
| is signed
This would mean a gain for the workers
| union of tie following plants: Lindsay s.
McCutcheon, in Allegheny; Clark's solar
| iron works, 35th street: Painters. West
| Carson street; Wellsville. Ohio: w. De-
| wees Wood, at McKeesport; Leechburg,
! Duncansville, Mingo Junction.
There is considerable speculation as to
who will take part In the joint peace con-
ference. provided the terms as agreed upon
| at New York are satisfactory to the Anal
| gamated executive board
The Strike at McKeesport.
The strikers in the vicinity of McKees-
port spent a night of great vigilance, de-
spite the rumors from New York that a
truce until Thursday had been declared be-
tween representatives of J. p. Morgan and
President Shaffer OF the Amalgamated As
sociation. The works of the National tin
plate works at Demmler was a storm
center during the night. Rumors that the
mills were to be opened by men brought
from the independent mills at Monessen,
Pa, brought the strikers to the banks Of
the Monongahela, where they remained on
watch until long after midnight, and then.
after three rousing cheers, they went home.
The outburst was caused by a movement
on the part Of the pipe filters and mill
| wrights who have been at work fitting up
the mills since the strike started. They An
ished their work about midnight and sent
| a message to the mill management asking
what they should now do. The reply came
thanking them for faithful work and tell
ing them TO go home and enjoy q vacation
until the company needed them 10 start
the mills. Then they would be sent for.
This word was carried to the strikers. who,
much pleased at this positive evidence that
no effort would be made to start the mill
last night, went home.
The strikers assert that an effort was to
have been made to open the mills but yes
terday afternoon word was sent from the
Pittsburg office that no move should be
made until after Tuesday. when a decision
OF Mr.. Morgan and the Amalgamated offi-
cials will be made known. The welders OF
the National Tube Company's mill here,
who have been ordered to sign individual
contracts, held secret meeting in o Nc
Keesport hall Sunday night, where Il In
said arrangements were made to form q
Federation OF Labor lodge.
The welders come under the federation
mill and cannot become Amaigamated As
soctation members. All other newly FORM
ed lodges In the vicinity of McKeesport
held meetings on Sunday and took in many
new members. No effort has been made to