Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1909-12-16

Il
conference Of the foremost labor
leaders Of the country, yesterday at
the Monographs house. returned its
report late thia afternoon. The re-
port concerns the fight to- be waged
by organized labor against the United
States Steel Corporation and other 81
gantic industrial concerns. 1t reads:
A crisis in the affairs Of labor has
arisen. The gigantic trust-the
United States Steel corporation-has
used and is using itS great wealth and
power in an effort to rob the toilers
not only Of livelihood. but of their
right Of American manhood and Of the
opportunity to resist its further en-
croaehments. Grown rich and power
full by the consent and good will 3
the people Of our country, this cor
poration Ia its mad greed and lust 70.
still greater riches and power sweeps
aside, makes and unmakeS law, its
enactors, Interpreters and executors.
and IL now engaged in an effort to
destroy the only faetor-the organiza-
lions Of It's employees standing be-
tween It and unlimited, unchecked
and unbridled Industrial, political.
social and moral carnage. II there
exists Any virile power in our time
and lie to check the absolute and
autocratic dominion Of civic. indus
trial and political life, our people and
our Republic 1t must be found in the
indomitable will and mission of the
northumberland and misrepre-
seated Organisations Of labor.
hTo United States Steel corporations
has declared war On labor. In its Sc
eret councils this cooperation has de-
creed that the only obstacle to its
compIete sway-organized labor
shall be- crusehd. This soulless cor
porAtion represents nothing but dol
lars, knowing neither body nor soul.
Its god il the almighty dollar.
The labor organizations consist Of
its employees, the workers (their
wives and little: ones), human fesh
and blood. It Is by their labor that
they live. They have no purpose
other than safeguarding their lives.
their character, their future. the
safety Of the republic, and humanity.
These factors now confront each
other. By their purposes, attitude
and action must they be judged.
On June /, 1909. the United States
Steel Corporation proclaimed its de-
cree OF hostility toward labor. The
right Of the workers to associate for
their common protection was no
longer to be recognized or tolerated.
Accompanying that decree was no
| ttfes, OF further reduction In the al
ready scant wages of the workers. The
decree went into effect July I, 1903.
Under these circumstances, what
was left for the workers to do?
Could they be expected to calmly sub
NIT to be bound hand and foot to the
tender mercies OF this moloch Of
grinding greed, this juggernaut Of
modern monopoly? The mere state
ment based on common knowledge
forbade. hTe safety of the workers.
their fellows. their dependents. the
hope for their future and the future
Of ali the working people, and all the
people, compelled resistance. They
did resist and are resisting manfully,
grandly, heroically. *-
This bilIion-dollar steel trust con-
trolls more than sixty per cent Of the
total tonnage Of the steel product Of
the country. According to its re
cent financial report, it has absorbed
at the rate Of $500 per year profit on
each Of its employees on business Sc
cured during a year Of industrial de-
preston. The earnings Of thousands
of its employees. working eleven hours
per day, amount to less than $500 pei
year each, when working full time.
seven days per week, Sundays and
holidays included. The reports Of the
corporation show that these men re-
ceive In wages 800 per year less for
their labor than the average annual
profit per man to the corporation.
Why should the United States Steel
yield $500 from each Of its employees.
willis thousands Of these workers re-
ceite less than $500 annually in
wagesf Where Is the justice Of the
ssystem9 why should the steel cor
poration seek to still further impov-
erish the men working IN its pIantss
It b engaged in the industry that has
received the greatest amount Of pro
/ tectiog from the congress Of tht