Evening star., 1901-08-07

fnish and he did not think the negotia..
tions would be reopened. "In the National
Steel Company / do not expect them to
close any mills except the Bessemer plant
and rolling mills at Newcastle and Mingo
Junction. At Newcastle they will make
2GO0 men idle and at MingO Junction about
1,5OO. They can probably throw into idle
ness between $4,000 and 10000 men, chiefly
at Chicago, Joliet and Milwaukee. l do
not think they can get out more than 20
per cent of the 10000 men OF the National
Tube Company
One other manufacturer said that his
only fear was the customary sympathy OF
workingmen for wOrkingmen. He said that
in a strike of such proportions and for such
a cause no one can tell the outcome until
the strike order Is actually effective He
feared the strike would be more extensive
than any are now willing to admit.
w. F. Corey Would Not Talk.
w. F. Corey, president Of the Carnegie
Steel Company. the National Steel Com
pany and the American Steel Hoop Com
pany, refused to make any comment on
the threatened extension Of the strike This
has always been the policy of Andrew Car
negie, and Mr.. Corey was one of Mr.. Car
negie's young partners. The effect of
President Shaffer's order On the employees
of the Carnegie Steel Company is being
watched with interest. 1t is generally un-
derstood that the mills of the Carnegie
Company are depended upon by the United
States Steel corporation TO keep the strike
from closing down its business. The plants
are so extensive, the men so thoroughly
union, the products varied and Of
such nature that they be but little
affected by the refusal of union men in
other trades to handle them, that the stua-
tion seems to be pretty well in the hands
of the United States Steel Corporation SO
long as they are kept running.
In recognition of this the Amalgamated
Association is making desperate attempts
to break down the bulwarks of non union
ism in these mills. Organizers are at work
at Homestead DuqueSne, Braddoc& and
the upper and lower mills in this city, and
the Amalgamated people claim to have
made many converts in these non-union
strongholds.
Unable to Organize Homestead.
Since the great strike of 1892 three unsuc-
cessful attempts have been made to organ
ize the Homestead workers A mass meet
ing of the workmen of the upper and lower
mills will be held tomorrow night, when
President Shaffer will address the men and
endeavor to induce them to join the asso-
ciation The union men who are arranging
the meeting say they will close the mills
when the strike assumes its new proportions
Saturday night.
The action of President Shaffer in giving
the men until Saturday night to work be-
fore entering on strike has given the cor
ing the situation. 1t is stated that every
foreman will be instructed to ascertain the
sentiments of every man under his charge
This will be tabulated by mills and dis
tricts, so that before next Saturday night
the president of the corporation will know
how each man in the employ of the corpora
ton stands
A rumor was current today that an effort
will be made to keep some of the workers
from striking by offering them an advance
in wages. 1t is doubtful whether this will
be done so late in the day.
Interview With MIR. Shaffer.
The Amalgamated national officers were
late in reaching the headquarters this
morning, having been busy till long after
midnight last night. In reply to the ques-
tion as to whether he thought the men en-
ployed by the Federal Steel Company would
come out, President Shaffer said: THAT we
leave to the men. They have no scale that
can hold them from their obligations to the
Amalgamated Association They have TO
scale that can be transferred to another
company. Our people signed scales with
certain companies. These companies have
transferred their stock to the United States
Steel Corporation. This they have no right
to do. All contracts that are made by our
people are made with full knowledge en-
the part of others. Such contracts are de-
pendent upon the fundamental law of the
organization
.'Will Mr.. Gompers be here today?'
THAT you will have to get from him"
he said
''Will there be any surprises today?" was
the next question put to him, but this he
refused to answer.
Mr.. Shaffer gave out today notice that
there will be a monster mass meeting held
at New Castle, Pa, on Saturday afternoon
and said he would be there if nothing
prevents him.
Secretary John Williams was seen short
ly after his arrival at the headquarters,
but said that there was nothing new and
nothing to give out He predicted that
there would be surprises In. store for the
people before week had gone by.
b. l. Davis, editor of the Amalgamated
Journal and one of the associations ma
tional officers, speaking on the same SUBJ
ject observed: IF this strike gets started
right it is likely to expand to proportions
not now suspected. You need not be sur
prised. In such event, to hear of trouble
in the Carnegie mills"
Machinists May Strike, Too.
The extension of the steel strike to the
machinists employed In the mills affected
by the strikes Is possible development
There are between 500 and 1000 machinists
in the steel mills. President O'Connell said
today that a request for a sympathetic
strike from President Shaffer Of the Anal
gamated Association would, Of course, be
given serious consideration, but that such
a request had not been received so far He
added, however, that the employment of
nom union men in place of the strikers un-
doubtedly would precipitate a strike of the
machiniStS, who would not work beside
non-union men. The general strike of the
machinists inaugurated weeks ago is still
on and no final settlement or revocation
OF the strike order is in sight. About
600 machinists are still claimed to be
ont on the machinfStS strike including