The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-14

4 LuII i'm the strike.

The strike situation yesterday was
devoid Of sensational features. The
Steel Trust gained little in spots,
and SO did the Amalgamated AssUCia-
ton. But for one important consiCera-
ton which has suddenly become appar-
ent it would appear that the advan-
tage was on the side Of the corpora
tions: but il has been discovered that
the skilled workers who went on strike
under Skaters first order, to "A great
extent. have found employment in mills
outside Of the trust. Naturally under
present conditions. these independent
concerns are rushed with business and
running at their fullest capacity. The
consequence is that they are absorbing
the best class Of steel workers very
rapidly. This makes the strike doubly
hard upon the majority of the men
thrown by ii out Of work. They must
submit 10 most Of the suffering. for
their kind Of service is in greater sup
ply than demand and the mills which
might perhaps employ them cannot run
without skilled workers
In a way, this state OF affairs is a Sc
riOus handicap 10 the trust 1t cannot
hope TO starve out. the Amalgamated
Association men, and thus bring them
back on its own terms. for it is believed
that forty OF fifty per cent Of them
have found or can find work in indie
pendent plants here and there. They
are fast scattering 10 the South and
West and elsewhere, and when the
strike is over Mr.. Morgan and his asso-
ciates are likely TO find that they will
have TO open the mills now shut down,
short handed.
In other respects the strike is not
making much Roadway. The refusal Of
the Illinois and Wisconsin steel work
ers TO GO out. and like decision by the
Mahoning Valley blast furnace men.
has caused discourage at th5 Shat
fer headquarters. An able emissary is
in Chicago today endeavOring to secure
a reconsideration of the decision TO
work at South Chicago and Joliet. but
II is not thought in Pittsburg that he
will succeed. The ground upon which
the Western Amalgamated members re-
fused TO strike was that to do so would
involve the deliberate violation Of their
les. and they announced that they did
not wish to establish precedent which
would amount TO a stigma on organized
labor With such an honorable and I'M
assailable reason for taking the course
they did. II is hardly probable that they
can be induced 10 change it
The Steel Trust Is quoted as claiming
that. whereas before the strike its daily
output aggregated twenty-eight thou
sand tons Of finished steel products. fl
Is now able To turn out twenty six
thousand tons. 1t is admitted that the
plants stin running may be producing
more than they did formerly but al
lowing for that. there IS a certain short
age in sight due 10 the closing Of the
McKeesport plants and others A con-
servative estimate would probably give
the trust a present production Of TWEEN
ty thousand tons and no more. If
that be a fair calculation, il is losing
the profit on eight thousand tons per
day. Still, there is no sign OF weaken
ing on the part Of the Morgan combina-
ton, and, according to press reports
and the general understanding in Pitts
burg. it viii take its old men back. if
at all. only as individuals, and refuse
to recognize the Amalgamated Associa-
ton anywhere or at any time in the
future. Possibly the difficulty Of secur-
ing skilled workers in sufficient mum
bers on any terms, may lead TO a modi-
fication OF this determination. That
point will develop later.