The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-13
THE FINAL STRUGGLE
vo BACK DOWN NOW BETWEEN
MEN AND COMBINE.
FIGHT is FAIRLY LAUNCHED.
s,yTY THOUSAND STEEL WORKERS
NOW ON STRIKE.

snpfntiOU 10 ScCuEC thC ftCttNG W.
operation of Men i'm Several West
ern Mills Has Been Disappointing.
Marnotes of the Steel Corporation
JnbiInnt, but Refuse to Talk.
Sbo0er Will Make Personal SUPER
vision.
Pittsburg, Aug. 12.-The struggle for
mastery between manufacturers and
men in the steel industry is now fairly
launched. and on the first show of
strength advantage is with the former.
The general strike order issued by
President Shaffer of the Amalgamated
Association has so far been obeyed by
only about ii, 900 men, according to the
hest figures obtainable here. The first
two preliminary calls were answered
bv about $4,000 men, so that the total
number now out is in the neighbor
hood of sixty thousand. The strikers
made gains here to-day over the show
ing of last night and their prospects
for further accessions at both Mckees-
port and Wheeling during the week
are very favorable. The action of the
Amalgamated men at Chicago, Joliet
and Bayview in refusing to come out
and their failure to secure any recruits
in the Carnegie group, throughout the
Kskiminetas valley, and the big plants
at Youngstown and Columbus, O., have
been markedly disappointing to them.
They are keeping up the fight,
however, in a spirited manner
and claim that they have strength
in reserve which will surprise
their opponents. They assert that they
have gained a foothold in the Carnegie
mills in this city and at the time de-
sired the men will come out. They are
pressing their advantages at McKees-
port and Wheeling and their organizers
are still at work in those two cities.
President Shaffer has decided to per-
sonaly visit Wheeling and will go there
Wednesday to address mass meeting
of his followers. He plans to spend to-
morrow here directing the fight and
conferring with his assistants as TO
plans for the future. An appeal for
financial aid has been made to or
ganized labor and the general public
and it is expected that the response
will be liberal. The Amalgamated lead
ers were not disposed to do much talk
ing to-day. They would not discuss
the desertion of their Western fellows,
although Mr.. Shaffer made what was
evidently intended for a brief reference
to them in short statement he gave
out at noon. Another declaration in
the same interview was regarded as
highly significant here. 1t was to the
effect that no effort would be made to
call out members of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor and that any action
on their part must be voluntary.
Corporation Men Mum.
The men who are directing the fight
in the field for the steel corporation
and it's constituent companies would
give no indication of their plans for
the future and would only discuss the
situation generally. Their reports show
ed that the Carnegie group, South
Chicago, Bayview, Joliet, Youngstown,
Columbus, the Kiskiminetas valley
group, Wellsville and Monessen, were
moving along full-handed. Bellaire,
their advices showed, was badly Grip
pied, but had held on until O'Clock
in the afternoon and would be started
up again tomorrow. They admitted
the loss to-day of the National Rolling
Mill at McKeesport, which they had
expected to hold and that the Boston
mill and Monongahela Steel Works at
McKeesport and here were still at work
but menaced by a possible shortage of
material.
Their tube men at Wheeling were
out, but the furnace and coke men
there were at work and their steel men
mere showed an inclination to stay on
unless intimidated. They also claimed
mat many of their men at McKees-
port desired to work, but were being
terrorized by the disorderly element
They also charged that many of their
men were being frightened from their
places at Wheeling and insisted that
adequate protection for the men there
would insure continued operations. 1t
was also stated by the steel officials
mat Clark's mill here was moving
along with it's non-union crews en-
gagged last week and that another mill
manned by old Amalgamated men had
started up at Wellsville representing
gain of one there since Saturday.
Tube Company Wants Protection.
officials of tine National Tube Com
pany and Mayor Black clashed to-day
over the question of protection for nom
strikers and property. A large crowd
OF strikers assembled around the works
ms morning and their pickets inter-
Vented tube workers on their way to
the mills. There was some excitement
ana the mill officers claimed that their
men were being threatened and in dan
ger OF violence, called on Mayor Black
10 10 clear the streets and protect them.
me Mayor said that he would only in
ter1ere to stop actual rioting and as
sdllt Two other appeals were made
" MN later in the morning, but he in
SSled that there was no danger of an
outDreak. Another crowd gathered at
noon when the men were leaving the
p,aht and while the workers were jeer-
"a no violence was offered The strik-
eIs say that il is only a question of
e me tube men must quit. Otherwise
=! UIne when material will give out and
1 is believed there would be serious
Uouble in McKeesport. Reports from
w heeling and Bellaire indicate that
mere may be trouble there
Inc Executive Committee of the
4allaIgamated Association will probably
make an exhaustive investigation of
Ci Cie action taken by the lodges at South
"cago, Bay View and Joliet In re-
using to make the strike. President
nhaiter has been urged to go West and
teisonally Investigate the matter. but
= is unlikely that he will be able to
sspare the time for the present. A rad
AAdl element in the lOcal lodges hit