The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-12-15
A WAR FORMALLY DECLARED
AGAINST U. S. STEEL cORPOR-
ALTON BY LABOR UNIONS
"OPEN SHOP" IS DENOUNCED
Policy of Steel Corporation to Hire
Non Union Labor Strongly Scored
headers Meet in Pittsburg and
Adopt Resolution-WiIl Inform Taft
and Legislative Bodies.

formally declared upon the United
States Steel Corporation by leaders
of organized labor throughout the
United States and Canada at the close
of a two days conference today. The
decision to battle against the stand
taken by the steel corporation in its
policy Of open shop was reached by
the labor conferees after hours Of de-
bate.
At the conference Samuel Gompers,
president Of the American Federation
of Labor, presided, and, through him,
the measure was put upon the record
books of the executive council of the
federation.
The grievances of organized labor
against the steel corporation as set
forth in the resolution have been for
warded to President Taft, TO the Uni
ted States senate and to the house of
representatives. Governors Of the
states in which the United States
Steel Corporation owns plants or has
intrests will also receive copies. The
resolution in part follows:
Say Trust Robs oilers.
"A crisis in the affairs of labor has
arisen. The gigantic trust, the Uni
ted States Steel Corporation, is us
ing it's great wealth and power in an
effort to rob the toilers of their right
of American manhood and of the OPP
pcctunity to resist its further en-
croachment. Grown rich by the con-
sent of the peop'e of our country, this
corporation, in it's mad greed for still
greater riches, sweeps aside, makes
and unmakes law, it's enactors and
executors, and is now engaged in an
effort to destroy the only factor
the organizations Of it's employees
standing between it and unlimited, un-
checked and unbridled industrial, po-
litical, social and moral carnage. If
there exists any viri,e power. in our
time and life to. check the absolute
autocratic domination of civic, indus
trial and political life Of our people
and our republic, it must be found in
the indomitable will and mission of
the much misunderstood and misrep-
resented organizations of labor.
Decree Has Gone Forth.
1.-The United States Steel Corpora
ton has declared war on labor. In
it's secret councils this corporation
has decreed that the only obstacle to
it's compete sWay-organiZed labor
shall be crushed. The labor organi-
cations consists of it's employees, the
workers (their wives and little ones)
human flesh and blood. It is by their
labor that they live; they have no
oil, u, ~
lives, their character their future,
the safety Of the republic and human
ity. These factors now confront each
other. By their purposes, attitude and
actions must they be judged.
con June 1, 1909, the United States
Steel Corporation proclaimed it's de-
cree Of hostility toward labor. The
right of the workers to associate for
their common protection was no long
er to be recognized or tolerated. Ac-
companying that decree was a notice
of a further reduction in the already
scant wages of the workers.
THE decree went into effect July
L, 1909. We therefore urge that an
earnest effort be made thoroughly to
organize all employees in the iron,
steel and tin plate industry and sub
sidiary correlated trades. Owing to
immediate pressing necessity caused
by the present strike and the indie
feasible hostile attitude of the United
States Steel Corporation we earnest
ly cal on ali national and interna-
tional unions of America to send at
least one organizer to assist in this
work
AL Must Cooperate.
1--WE further urge and recommend
that in all places where mills are
located the central labor organizations
appoint special committees with in
structions to cooperate in this work.
For educational purposes we recon-
mend that this manifest be made
special order in all central labor or
ganiZations at the first meeting in
January, 1910.
1--WE recommend that the executive
council of the American Federation
Of Labor issue circular to all unions
of America and appeal for financial
contributions to aid the striking iron,
steel and tin plate workers.
1--WE further recommend that the
amount of such contribution should
not be less than ten cents per mem
ber
In view. Of the great wrongs per-
petrated by the United States Steel
corporation, not only against the
workers but the pubic generally, we
recommend that a committee be APP
pointed by this conference to wait
upon the president of the United
States. the president of the United
States senate, the speaker of the
house of representatives and such
members of their house Of congress as
may be deemed advisable for the pur-
pose Of laying before them the grew
ances from which labor suffers at the
hands of this corporation.
Want Wrongs Righted.
"At the instance of the United
States Steel Corporation. officers OF