The Topeka state journal., 1901-07-17
sM1TH,s THREAT.
Says he Will Operate Wellsville Mill
With Non Union Men.

Win IN Oh Ou4Ou men,
Pittsburg. Pa, July 1.-THE threat of
District Manager Persifer f Smith, of
the American Sheet Steel company. to
start the WelIsville rolling mill and op-
crate it as it has been in the past by
non-union men was the new feature in
the strike situation and the eyes of all
interested were turned to that plant.
Up to 10 o'clock, however, nothing had
been heard from Wellsville by those in
authority at the headquarters of the
Amalgamated association in this city.
They refused to believe that the Wells
vile mill had started up ana said they
had every reason to believe the plant
was shut down and would remain SO in
spite of the efforts of Mr.. Smith. A
dispatch to the Associated Press from
Wellsville, O., at 1920 o'clock says:
1.-THE strike situation here remains as
1T has been ever since the men were
called out of the mill. p F. Smith,
manager for the American Sheet Steel
company for the Pittsburg district was
here today and in an address to the
mill men declared that the mill would
be run as a non-uniOn MILL He gave
orders for the mill to start this morn
ing. In response to Smiths order, about
80 went out to work, two of them were
members of the Amalgamated associa-
ton. The manager of the mill conelud-
ed that 80 men We're not sufficient to
man the crews, and the attempt for the
present mas DG6n abandoned. 1t is
said that non-union men from other
places will be brought here today in
which case serious trouble is feared
Now that Mr.. Smith has declared his
intention, 1t Is thought tha managers
OF the other non-unlOn mills will make
an effort to resume also within a few
days and developments of an exciting
nature can be expected It is known
that a gang of men are at work at the
Devices Wood plant of the American
Sheet Steel company at McKeesport
clearing up and making repairs and a
well defined rumor was prevalent on
the south side of this city today that
an effort was to be made by the mill
officials in the Pair terS plant to break
this strike by brEAging workers here
from out OF the city In confirmation
of this the watchnen arrived with
clubs and patrolled all sides of the mill
this morning. None Of the strikers was
to be seen about the property and ev-
erything was quiet. The mill officials
declined to discuss this matter and said
when they were ready to move they
would do SO without any noise For
the present nothing was being done be-
yond cleaning up the mills and making
repairs that had been neglected owing
to the rush of business The Wood
plant is closely guarded also and the
strikers look for the manufacturers to
attempt resumption next week.
In direct opposition to Manager
Smiths declaration and the evident
preparations at the Painters and
Woods works. an official of another of
the companies interested, who did not
want his name used. asserted that the
companies had no intention of starting
their plants. The same official said
something might be known in ninety
days, but he would not say whether
that was the time the officials expected
the strike to last. What the manufac-
turers generally think of the strike can
not be learned. All information at the
offices of the companies or at mills is
denied. The explanation given is that
there is nothing to give out or that the
order has gone forth forbidding any one
to talk.
an early settlement of the strike The |
information he received from the strike |
centers today was quite n eagre. This |
in interpreted to mean that the strike |
was going on we'll Nothing further |
has been done in reference to the is |
suance of a strike call to the Anal |
gamated men in the mills of the Unit |
ed States Steel corporation outside the /
three companies against which the I
fight is now directed President Shat /
fer said he would issue the order only |
when it becomes necessary.
1t is evidently the purpose of the as
sociation to confine its fight for the /
present to the three companies now in |
volved.
efforts of strike organizers at the Old /
Meadow works up to this time as |
fruitless. A number of employees de-
clared that they would not go out on /
SLIlk0 unQGT dAy ClICQllSlduCCSs A.
Salisbury everything is moving har-
moniously and as a strike is not ap-
pretended the plants are running IN I
full with three mills, and the men are
apparently a unit against striking.
The executive committee of the I
Amalgamated association sent a cir
cuIar this morning to sheet workers of
Vandergrfft Leechburg and Apollo,
making a strong appeal to them to or
ganize themselves into a branch of the
association. So far the men at these
places are still at work, and what
effect this circular win have can not be
stated as yet.
largest in the country the outcome will
be watched with great interest by the
two Independent concerns, the Licking
Rolling Mill company Of Covington, Ky
and the American Car and Foundry
Co. of Detroit, Mich, which sent a sign
ed scale to ATnalgalamated headquar-
ters this morning.
Only one furnace was in operation at
Lindsay and McCutcheon's today. An
announcement was made that if the
matter was not adjusted before even
ing all the strikers at the Lindsay and
AdcCutcheon would go to the Monon-
gahela Iron and Steel company plants
at Six Mile Ferry. where there is work
Ferry plant is an Independent one and
is union. At the Monongahela plant of
the American Tin Plate company, the
inishers were notified that the COM
pany would be compelled to close down
the department in two or three days on
account Of a lack of sheared material
1t was expected that the f1nishers
would be kept at work several weeks
vet Everything Is quiet about the