Evening star., 1909-09-12
Department of Justice Re.
ports Facts to Governors.
LATE STRIKE AT PITTSBURG
Testimony Declared to Show Ne
cessity for Prosecutions.
STATEMENT OF CONDITIONS
Alleged Employment Of Strike
Breakers at McKees Rocks With
out Fair UNDERSTANDING.

Formal announcement was made at
Acting Attorney General Ellis has ad-
dressed letters to Cows. Hughes of New
York and Stuart of Pennsylvania, calling
their attention to the results Of the in
vestigation of the Pressed Steel Car Com
pany strike at Pittsburg, and submitting
evidence for such action as the state
authorities may wish to take. The act
ing attorney general officially announces
that 1t does not appear from the report.
the evidence taken and all the facts OBJ
tained that a prosecution for violation
of the so-called peonage law or OF the
labor section of the immigration law or
any federal statute can be sustained,
but that much of the testimony tended
to show violations of the New York and
Pennsylvania state laws.
Conditions at McKees Rocks.
The letters to the two governors point
out that the Department Of Justice has
just completed an investigation of the
conditions at McKees Rocks at the plant
of the Pressed Steel Car Company: that
the investigation was conducted by the
United States attorney for that district
and by special agents directly assigned
by the Attorney Generals office.
These federal representatives have
made their report. The acting attorney
general advises the governors that the
evidence taken showed that employment
agencies had induced men to go to the
scene Of the strike to take the place or
the striking employees without telling the
new men where they were going. what
the labor conditions were at the plant
or the nature of the work that they were
to be called upon to do, and without giv-
ing them a written contract in their own
language setting out these things. in
Guiding the matter OF the wages which
would be paid.
All these requirements were under the
state laws.
Copies of Testimony.
The letters written by Mr.. Ellis are ac-
companied by copies of the testimony
taken by the agents OF the department
at McKees Rocks and at Pittsburg. The
governors are advised that the federal
agents will hold themselves In readiness
to assist the state authorities in any
way in any prosecution for any onenses
which the state authorities may find to
have been committed in this case. The
department advises the governors that
the licenses of the employment agencies
may be revoked, or the agencies may be
prosecuted, or both.
Of the state executive was that there
were many acts of brutality committed
at the plant, which, however, 1t Is point
ed out is one to be dealt with by the
Pennsylvania authorities.
Mr.. Neill to Make Report.
Commissioner of Labor Charles P
Neill, who has been investigating labor
conditions at the Pressed Steel Car Com
pany's plant at McKees Rocks. near
Pittsburg, Pa, returned here yesterday
and conferred with Acting Secretary OF
Commerce and Labor McHarg. The
strike is settled and Mr. Neill and Mr.
McHarg discussed details of the work
leading up to the adjustment of the
trouble between the plant and its men.
Mr. Neill will prepare a report on the
subject. He declined to discuss the case,
but it is understood that number OF
special agents are still at the scene Of
the late strike continuing the investiga-
ton of the labor conditions there.
Gov. Hughes Comment.
SARANAC INN, N. Y, September H.
Gov Hughes said today that he knows
nothing of the alleged violation of state
laws in the employment of strikebreakers
at Pittsburg by the Pressed Steel Car
Company.