New-York tribune., 1901-07-20
CRISIS In STEEL STRIKE
BELIEF THAI 1T is RAPIDLY
APPROA CHING.
COMPANIES THOUGHT TO BE PREPARING
TO START SHEET MILLS-WoRKERS
WILL TRY To CLOSE OTHERS. =


the other executive and advisory officers OF the
Amalgamated Association admit that the crisis
OF the strike in the steel plants is approaching
rapidly. The apparent idleness of the working
officers of the sheet. tnplate and hoop companies
since the strike has been partly explained by
preparations to-day that seem to Indicate an In
tention to start some of the more important
sheet steel plants
Guards have been thrown around the Nones-
sen tnplate plant. the sheet mill at WellsviIle
and the w. Devices Wood plant at McKeesport
fhe Painter. Lindsay & McCutcheon and VIII
lam Clark's Sons Company plant of the hoop
combination The agitation at the big sheet
plants at Vandergrift. Leechburg and Apollo is
In full force, and forcibIe sentiment reigns
among the men at the Carnegie plants
l. But when it is remembered that the strike OF
the men in the large non-union sheet plants is
scheduled TO take place about the same time
that the sheet and hoop companies propose to
start some of the large idle plants with new
non-union hands. the situation takes on a des-
perate aspect
COMPANIES TO TRY To RESUME.
The strikers realize that they are running
close to the crisis. especially If the sheet and
hoop companies actually make start at oper-
atng the Wellsville and McKeespcrt sheet plants
and the Clark. Painter and Lindsay & Nc
Cutcheon hoop plants, any one of them at
the time several thousand new men are added
to the strikers column. 1t looks like inviting
disorder. If not actual violence which would
| bring other factors to the case that would go a
long way toward adjusting the final round OF
! the fight
President Shafer has made another announces
ment in private that the strike will become gen.
eral If the sheet or hoop or tinplate companies
undertake to start any of the idle plants with
out another conference. He says he does not
| intend TO have recourse to such a movement
unless absolutely necessary. but fears the order
may be extended to include several thousand
steel workers the National and the Federal
companies. He says that part of the case rests
with the sheet, hoop and tinpiate companies
with whom the fight is waged. The assistance
or the other iron and steel workers will not be
/ brought into the case unless absolutely neces-
sary a measure
Regarding the repeated statement that the
men in the Carnegie and other big non-union
| steel plants would join the strike at once with
| out call. President Shaffer stated that the men
| in the Carnegie plants will be called into
the fight at but admits that ii may be
necessary at any time. The at the Car
| nese company's city plants are at fever heat.
| but there is less haste TO strike at Homestead
7 and Duquesne while il is doubtful if any force
could bring the steel workers at the Edgar
Thomson plant at Braddock.
Much of the hope OF President Shaffer in se-
1 l
fiuence of the stock markets He believes that
! with the steel stocks depressed sufficiently in
huences not now apparent the surface will
take hand and force the fighters in the COM
| binatiOn to make some agreement that will put
the plants into operation again
| INFLUENCE OF STOCK MARKETS
In private he expresses the belief that the
stock of the constituent companies is not dis
posed according TO popular belief, and that suf-
| fcent pressure in the way of reduced earnings
will have a good effect. He is watching the
| steel stocks closely. and in the early days OF
| the strike enough TO convince him that the
| idleneSs of the plants will ultimately have
enough effect to bring about settlement
| Inc way Is sun open ana the uIerehees are
| not irrec0ncilable, in view of the formal state
ments from the corporation officials who at
tended the wage conference. President Shaffer
| does explain the details of his faith in the
| influence of the stock markets, but says he
| knows that the stock is not distributed as COM
| monty believed. and that some of the holders
! will not rest long under the idleness that need
! not exist IL effort were made TO end il. With
| guards dirty at several plants and the cor
| poratlon threatening 10 start some or the larg-
est plants of the sheet company at the same
time that the strike spreads into other plants
not hitherto affected, the general business world
in and about Fittsburg is becoming aPprehen-
sive.
1t is realized and by none more acuteiy than
by President Shafer and the Amagamated As
sociation officers, that from such combination
OF activity. from sides so widely separated
trouble might spring up in hour that would
sweep the issues of the strike completely out or
sight
All the officers advising discretion and
of conduct in the vicinity of the idle plants,
and in general have COunseled the idle men to
stay away from the mills altogether Mckees-
port is in ferment over the announcement
that the W. Devices Wood plant Will be started
on Monday with non-uniOn men, and that ample
protection will be provided The same excite
| ment exists at Monessen. where the only nom
union tinplate plant of the tinpIate company
| is in operation under a higher rate or wages
1 thau rIylad Dray
The National Tube Company has followed the
| example of the tinplate company at Monesseh.
| and has ordered a resumption of operations at
| the Boston plant, which has been idle The
| men formerly employed there have been ordered
| to report for duty on Monday at an advance OF
| 3 and 10 per cent in wages over their earnings
| at the time the plant shut down. Tue
| effort has not been successful so far. for the
| men have informed the company that they viii
not go back work until the strike in the Sheet
| hoop and tinplate mills Is settled
TUBE COMPANY INCREASES WAGES
The American Sheet Steel Company, acting
| upon advice from President George G. MeMur-
try has called upon the business men OF VAN
| dergrif. in the matter of the proposed strike
| of non-union men there. Similar action Will be
taken at Leechburg and Apollo to prevent the
| non-union at those plants from joining the
| strike. The sheet company has threatened 10
close the yandergrift plant If the business men
display any sympathy with the men there, VINO
| are on the of strike to help out tne
| union men at other large mills of the sheet
| company. This action from the sheet company
is moral encouragement to the strikers since
il seems 10 show that the men are as WILLING 20
| strike as the union men. and that the company
| realizes the Importance of the idlenesS on ths
| Vandergrift plant to the strikers.
The torch that may produce a contiaSration -
to be applied tomorrow at all OF these points IN
I. the shape of parades and mass meetings TO stir
| up the non-union men and bring them out for