The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-13
PHASES OF THE STRIKE.


1t is difficult TO form an opinion as
to which side in the great steel work
ers' strike has scored the most points
thus far. Each side has points to its
credit The failure of the members of
the Amalgamated Association in
the West to obey the strike order of
President Shaffer must have been Sc
we're disappointment to the strikers. 1t
is evident that the association depend
ed upon every one of its members join
ing the strike.
1t looks now SIS If the association was
not united in its purpose to force the
United States Steel Corporation to ac-
cept its terms. The Western members
of the association say that they have
no grievance. and that while they will
assist the strikers they see no reason
why they should give up their jobs.
They have just as much of a grievance
as those who have struck. The strikers
have no complaint to make of wages or
hours of labor. They struck because
the United States Steel Corporation re-
fused to sign the union wage scale for
those of its mills which were not union
lied. That is as much of a grievance
of the Western members of the associ-
alton as it is of it's Eastern members.
1t is probable that one of the effects of
the refusal of the Western members of
the association to join the strike will
be to weaken public sympathy for the
strikers, and to make the Federation of
Labor question the advisability of as
sisting them.
1t is stated that the United States
Steel Corporation has refused to refer
the differences between itself and the
Amalgamated Association to arbitra-
ton. That is to be regretted, and the
refusal may have the effect of creating
a feeling of hostility to the corpora
ton. There is a deep-seated feeling
that all of these labor troubles ought
to be settled by arbitration. 1t is true
that the question at issue in this strike
may be one that the board of arbitra-
ton could not settle-at least one
which it could not settle to the salts
faction of both the parties inter-
eSleu, Slice IL IeidlSS " Tic
unionizing of non-union mills. Still
the public will think that it ought to
have been tried. The public is a deep
ly interested party to the strike. 1t
will be the greatest sufferer from the
strike, and hence its wishes in the mat
ter ought to be consulted.
All the indications point to determ-
ination on the part of the United States
Amalgamated Association in it's mills.
The fact that it has ordered two of its
mills dismantled and moved to other
localities is interpreted to mean that
it intends to get rid of the association
if it can. If it could do that it would
have everything pretty much its own
way, though, perhaps, it would con-
tinue to pay association wages and
grant association hours, simply for the
purpose of avoiding trouble. 1t would,
however, gain several advantages
which would be of considerable value
to it. But it will not succeed in de-
stroying organized labor. If it should
win in this fight the chances are that
there would be another organization
formed in the mills of the corporation
that would be even more powerful than
the Amalgamated Association. The
right of labor to combine is unquestion-
able, and it will continue as long as
capital continues to do so.