Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-07-16
0H..FOR A DANIEL.

There Is a chance or setting the Bled
strike in the mills of the L. S. Stee
Corporation-if the trust is willing.
If the giant combine of capital want!
to do the fair thing, as it claims, con
ceding to the organization of its EN-
ployes the same privilege OF organiza
ton which capital enjoys to an unpre'
ccdented extent in this greatest Of al
combines-a settlement can be effect
ed easily.
If, however, the U. S. Corporation i:
bent. on, exterminating the labor union
while 1t may be powerful enough to dc
Z it, it will be only at awful cost to the
iron and steel industry Of the United
States and to the whole country, for
iron and steel are largely the basis of
the entire industrial fabric.
The Amalgamated Association may
be expected to fight to the death, for
1t is a question of life and death with
the organization as the matter now
stands.
In the published statements Of the
dispute the trust comedies the union the
right to organize the ~non-union plants,
but declines to force it's n%on-union en-
ployes to join the union by making it
a condition of employment.
This point, however, is not clear and
there is a discrepancy between the pub
IL 80 ~ ,,c IN thtC nom
nection and the statement of President
Ehaffer of the Amalgamated Associa-
ton. who says:
The A~malgamated Association does
not ask the manufacturers to compel
their men TO join the organization.
~4-sere- aEe men in many of the union
asked TO join because they have scru-
pies against it. We have asked the
manufacturers to pay the union wage
scales in all their mills. and not dis
charge such of their men as may join
our organization. 1t has beer said that
tic manufacturers have offered to 7cr-
Ill lHAG " NC oOlt ~ oatAi q PfoPcoA
ton has never peer made to US. If it
can be made to a mediator, an agree
ment can be, perhaps, reached, and with
little delay
Here we seem to have the milk in the
%cccoanut. If the billion trust accord
ing to President Shaffer, means what
its spokesman say and is willing to per-
init no discrimination between its non
union and its union employees, there is
no point of difference and no reason
for a strike. The whole question APP
parently is narrowed down to the
query: is the trust acting honestly
with the union? According to Presi-
~SeAI Shaffer, the Association asks only
a fair field and no favor.
Speaking of the possibilities of a set
Element Mr.. Shaffer said: IAN outsid-
er might successfully mediate in the
matter. 4 believe that this could be
done, though there might be difficulty
in finding a mediator who would be
acceptable to both parties. | believe
that there are men On the manufactur-
ers committee who met us last weeh
who would jump at a chance for settle
ment Of this strike by any proposition
that they could accept with honor tc
themselves. Men who were not allied
to either the labor organizations or the
steel business could be found wit
might find a way out OF the presen'
difficulty"
1t now remains to find the DAME
who will come to judgment in this dis,
pute. AS the Amalgamated Associa.
tons stands willing to accept the med.
iation of a third party On these lines
and asks nothing that the spokesmer
for the trust say the corporation is no
willing to grant, it would seem tina
there is no serious difference and reall,
no obstacle to a settlement.
Is the trust sincere in its claim tina
it has no war with organized labor?