The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-08-10
WILL AID STEEL STRIKERS
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LA-
 BOR ENTERS THE FIGHT.


 Amalgamated Association to the Full Extent ofIts Power, Both Morally and FinancialIy-Trust Orders the Dis mantiing of the Do Wees Wood Plant at McKeesport-To be Removed to Another Place.
 Pittsburg, Pa., Aug. The develop ments in the strike situation to-day were important. The United States Steel Corporation moved decisively ln it's strike campaign with a peremptory order directing that the great De Wees Wood plant at McKeesport be disman- tied and removed to the kiskimenetas Valley. President Gompers, of the American Federation of Labor, after two days conference with President Shaffer and his associates, issued for nal statement tonight speclhcally pledging the Federation's moral ana financial support of the Amalagamated His written review of the tram or events leading up to the 1ndustrlal quarrel sustains the course of the Amalgamated Association and declares that not hing remains for labor but to battle for the cause of unionism.
 The official announcement of the or der to dismantle the De Wees Wood plant came this afternoon and US lm- portance was such that it claimed the serious consideration of the men on either side of the great industrial con- flict now being waged here.
 The publication of the order was great surprise and McKeesport received it at first with doubt. Actual prepara- tions were made later in the day for the dismantling of the mill and there is little room for doubt that it will be torn down and taken apart piece py piece. The strikers heard the order III il spirit of defiance. They simply sa1d that 1t showed that the steel corpora tion was convinced that 1t could not reopen the plant in the face of the op- position of the Amalgamated Assocla- ton. Strike leaders here said that the order was a bluff that had been worked unsuccessfully before and declined to take it seriously.
 representative of the Associated Press showed District Manager smith statement to President Shatfer. have nothing to say about the order to dismantle the De Wees Wood plant, was all that he would say
 The steel officials declined to give any reason for the order, but 1t is openly stated here that the pronounced sym pathy of citizens and city officials at McKeesport with the strikers is respon- .l ic a1c plant of the National Tube company at McKeesport will be abandoned and the old Carnegie plan for tube plant at Coneaut, O., revived.
 The National Tube company has in contemplation improvements at Me- Keesport of an extensive nature. put it is now said that owing to their dis appiont ment at the fact that their men have been drawn into the Amalgamated dispute and the policy of the people at McKeesport they are seriously consid- ering a plan to move
 No official statement on the subject could be obtained from any of the na-s tionai officers.
 The De Wees Wood plant was found- ed about forty years ago and is one Of the best known works in Pennsylvania. Its yards and buildings cover between twelve and fourteen acres; 1t has em- ployed 1900 men at it's busiest times and it's cost is placed at $5,oOo,oOO by of- ficials of the steel corporation.
 President Gompers, of the American Federation of Labor, was at the strike headquarters again this afternoon with Secretary Morrison and was closeted with the advisory board of the Anal gamated Association for more than three hours. Before he left the meet ing he gave his promises to support the strike. but it was not until o'clock that he gave out the following state ment:
 since the arrival of Secretary Nor rison, of the American Federation Of Labor, and myself, we have been in al most continual conference with the ad- visory board of the Amalgamated As sociation of Iron, Steel and Tin Work CTS. We made thorough investigation of the present strike, of its members, formerly in the employ of the United States Steel Corporation and it's con- stituent branches; the causes which led to the strike; the present situation of the controversy anu we uilHeplldlllSlJ y declare our Judgment that the position of the Amalgamated Association is ab- eolutely justified and essential to its continuance and effectiveness as a union of the workers in the trade, as we'll as the protector of the rights and interests of its members.
 Tt is true that the Amalgamated As sociation in the first conferences asked that the United States Corporation sign the union scale of wages for all the mills operated, owned and controlled by that company, but it is also true that the request was withdrawn and one substituted so that the union scale should apply to those mills only in which the members of the Analgamat- ed Association are employed In other words which are we'll known to be union mills This the United States Steel Corporation refused to concede, insisting that the scale should apply only to those mills which were union last year, even refusing to allow two mills to be included, which by specie of hectoring and systematic opposition of the company had become non union during the year.
 'Even the first demand for the scale to be applied generally throughout the jurisdiction of the company was com
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