Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-08-05


Secretary Williams was not disposed
to discuss the situation at such great
length as his chief He did have this
to say:
All possibility of settlement of this
difficulty appears to be at an end.
I'VE carefully considered the propo-
sition of the trust. 1t was decided that
| the terms were such that we could not
accept To accept would have meant
practically the disruption of our organ
ization. We could not have agreed and
returned to face the men we repre-
scented.
1T is now case of fight. l think
the contest will be the greatest indus
trial battle the world has ever known.
I am thoroughly convinced that we
will win the victory"
c. VI. schwab. president of the United
States Steel Corporation, was expected
in the city To-Day. and he was anxiousiy
| looked for with the hope that he would
make some sort OF statement concerning
| the strike troubles. Inquiry at his res
idenee tonight ELECTED the fact that
Mr.. Schwab was at Loretto. Pa. where
he will spend short time in quiet and
relaxation.
"As anxious as the members OF the
executive board of the Aualgamated
Association were to settle the present.
steel workers strike, their refusal to
accept the terms of Mr.. Morgan was the
only alternative left them at the LAST
moment. From the Association side to
have agreed to the proposition that
would have declared all of the hoop
! combine mills now idle ~ non-union,
would have meant the desertion OF the
| thousands OF workmen who were en-
ployed in them and who organized and
came out on strike since The trouble
began. To have deserted these men
now. would have been the death blow of
| the organization and il would have died
in dshonor. To fight the trust in an
honorable battle with good chance to
win, means at least chance for life,
but IL beaten, a demise or the Amalga-
mated Association with honor"
| This was the explanation of Vice
President David Reese of the Amalga-
mated Association, who returned from
New York after having been in attend
ance at the conference there with the
officas of the United States Steel Cor
poration. AS to the agreement. which
| President Shaffer is alleged to have
signed with Mr.. MORGAN, and which 1t
was charged he had led to keep Mr..
Reese said that it had been proven
conclusively that Mr. Shaffer had done
| all that he agreed to do. The board
are unit in all things and they have
no internal troubles, as have been al
legged. This proposition of Mr.. Morgan
| had been discussed by the members in
a free and dIspassionate manner. 1t was
| agreed that settlement OF the strike
| was preferable to a long and bitter con-
| test, and the board was willing to con-
! cede all that they could in an honorable
manner.
They were willing to accept
the proposition that the trust
retain as non-union, the. Old
Meadow and Salisbury mills,
mt the time of the conference
in the Lincoln. Hut they could
not desert WeIlsviIle, McKees-
| nd nail
they knew were organized TO n
man. The manufacturers were
willing to give the Amalga-
mated Association the Wells
VILE, Mckeesport, Saltsburg and
Old Meadow mills at the Hotel
Lincoln conference, but would
not consent to any more. Had
they added the hndsay-Mc-
Cutcheon and the Painter mills
of the Hoop Combine, the strike
would never have gone any
further.
Since then the Amalgamated Associa-
ton have organized and gotten out all
the men in the Hoop combine, with
the exception of one mill. These men
have shown their desire to join the
AmalSdmdLeQ ASSOcldJlOn ana the
trust officials said they would not in
terfere with their men If they wanted
to join the organization. 1t was prov
en- by the organization that the men
did want to and the executive board
took the officers Of the trust at their
word and offered to compromise on the
scale being signed for all mills that
were known to both sIdes to be fully
organized.
The proposition was declined with
out any explanation from the officials
and in return they offered worse terms
than had been rejected by the board
during the Hotel Lincoln conference.
Concerning the actual strike status
in this city, there seems to be little or
no change. The mills on strike are
still idle with no indication of an at
tempt by the combine to start any of
the plants. No fires are being started
and the only evidence of work about
any of the plants is that of men max
ing necessary repairs. There seems to