The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-05-29
COMBINES ALSO.
STEEL TRUST HAS A FIGHT ON
ITS HANDS.
General Strike for Shorter Hours and
Higher Pay-Biggest Strike in San
Francisco's History.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 21.-Fifty
thousand men engaged in the iron
trades throughout the United States
struck yesterday in obedience to the
orders of the national bodies. At the
East the great majority of the strikers
are maChlnists, the allied unions nav
ing gone out in but a few instances.
In san Francisco and on the Coast the
trouble involved ali iron workers ex-
Cept the moldeTs and coremakers, who
are awaiting the expected order to joln
their fellows, and in this city in parti-
cular 1t is estimated 1000 are out.
Neither here nor in the East was the
strike attended by any friction and
both here and in the Last the men re-
ported surrenders on the part of the
employers. The local shops said to
have signed the agreements are eleven
in number and are of minor Importance,
the larger concerns standing together
in a declared determination never to
yield There are the usual expressions
Of confidence in ultimate victory by
both sides.
Seven thousand union mechanics in
san Francisco dropped their tools and
went on strike because refusal of their
demands for the nine-hour day and an
Increase of l2la per cent in wages, to
bring the compensation up to the figure
received under the ten-hour regime.
The iron mOlders and coremakers of
the unions represented in the Iron
Trades Council alone remained in the
various shops. These mechanics will
probably go out in day or two. They
are awaiting word from their National
organizations.
The strike is the greatest ever inau-
gurated in this part of the country.
()nPrD nj TT,,in
are practically at a standstill. At the
Risdon, Fulton and other big concerns
the same state of affairs exists.
Some hundreds of laborers and ap-
prentices in the aggregate are still at
work in the Union, Risdon, Fulton and
other large concerns, but they can ac-
complish little, it is alleged by the
strikers, without the mechanics who
are now absent.
Something like 23O shops are involved.
These include, besides the iron works,
boiler shops, pattern shops and other
establishments where machinists, boil
ermakers, pattern makers and other
trades connected with the iron indus
tries are employed.
The leaders of the Iron Trades Coun-
Gil claim eleven shops as conCeding the
demand Four had signed the agree
ment in anticipation of the trouble,
while In the other seven shops the
hands were given to understand yes
terday that their demands would be
conceded the men in consequence re-
naming at work. 1t is said by the
labor leaders that these eleven shops
employ about 200 men.
The strikers were orderly and no in
stance was reported of disturbance.
The strikers expect a settlement
within the next three days. The reason
they give for their faith is that the
Walkout is so general that it has Grip
pied the shops and no business of con-
sequence can be done. This favorable
view was shared by the majority of the
strikers, who attended the meeting in
the afternoon at the Turk-stree Tenn
pie.
The charge of the strike has been in
trusted to the Iron Trades Council.
which represents the nine unions in the
iron trades. The executive board of
the council will attend to all the de-
tails of the fight and arrange for any
conferences that may be had with the
employers. This board met last night
in room Ill, Emma Spreckels Building.
and discussed, in secret. its policy.
Opposed to the Iron Trades Council
is the Metal Trades Association. rem
resenting the employers. This orpaniz-
alton comprises the Union Iron Works,
the Risdon Iron Works, the Fulton
Iron Works and many of the lesser
concerns of San Francisco. Speaking
Tor the companies represented in this
aggregation, George E. Dow, the secre-
tary. yesterday declared that the senti
ment of the employers is to stand out.