The Washington times., 1910-04-06
President Declines TO Involve
Administration In
Strike.
EMPLOYEES ALLEGE
WORK IS NOT GOOD
Taft Decides Continuance of Con
tracts Depends on Quality.
of Material.

Declaring himself forcibly as opposed
70 the boycott, as involved in the Bath-
lehen steel strike. President Taft 80
Ooio delegate OF fifty business and
professional men representing the Dor
ougn OF Bethlehem, that so IOnz As the
Bethlehem Company turns out good
work Il VIII be given Government con-
tracts. despite the efforts Of the strik-
ers 10 take away its Government oon-
tracts.
The delegation, representing the In
dustr1aI Commission Of Bethlehem. prs-
sented a resolution 70 the President. de-
plorinE the efforts Of the strikers 10
turn the Government business away
from the Bethlehem Company.
Members Of the delegation say thar
mere are now IN Washington represen-
lalIVes or the strikers. who are v-orir
ING among members Of Congress sr7
experimental chiefs. claiming that tha
Work OF the bethlehem Steel COmnany
= = OF OF an inferior quality. TUNED out b.
after q speech BY H J. ATevers p-Lo
AeaGed me delegation. q COPY OF the
Lesul1lloh was given 10 the President.
Among It's clauses were:
Think Work Uuimpaired.
We condemn the publishing Of the
names Of reputable citizens Of Bsrhle-
hem borough as 'scabs' by professional
agitators, and We know that II does no.
represent the opinion Of the citizens Of
Bethlehem - "a
We condemn the action Of tbes. sol
-atols ~ L0IA l-rclng 70 members Of Con
sFess and representatives OF foreig1
governments requests to Withhold CO..
tracts Tor work from the RethIehey7
See company as a most vicious means
oL oDldlllnS personal ends. We are con
i.t.-, s,L, s..tL re etnciency Of the Beth
Leileln Stee4 company has not been F--.-
pared Dy the acSiCu OF the few hun
areo employees led by professional agi-
~ Meyers. n explaining tie resolutions.
Seld LhaL the work being zone al Beth
lenein on Government contracts IS beIne
cone oy men Of long experience. and
competent IN steel Uo-k
Opposed to Boycott
In reply President Taft said in part.
am utterly opposed 10 the princfDls
OF a boycott Every issue ought 10 be
settled On It's Own merits. II the Beth
-ehem work isn't up 70 contract. then
the Government ought not 10 give the
contracts 10 Il II IL is then the contract
ought 70 60 10 Il without regard 10 any
controversy the Bethler EN- COMPANY
may have with third persons Whether
those persons are consumers OF en-
pIoyes-
The merits Of the controversy berwee1
Bethlehem and its employees. IN so far
as the public is concerned. viI be
settled or the merits OF that controversy
ana the mutual re eiatIGus or lack Of r1la-
lions, between The Bethlehem covnsrv
aLd lLeir employees an dthere is no
re-s-l-1n between the one conrrOverSv
and the oilEr. because say thar Win
emphesiS-becauSe 10 hold o. -1e-vriss il
10 introduce INTO Government methods
the system upon which The bovcorr rests
10 WI, that tlIrd persons are 10 be in
VOWED against their viii in a corr---
NeFSy Win respect 20 which they have
no natural relation
Fight Not With Government.
Therefore. without knowing anythias
about the facts, / say 10 YOU that Il
Bethlehem doesn't DO good work IL Is
for the Government 10 md out and 20
act on 1t and 10 refuse rs contracts on
that ground, and not because IL IS con
ceTEe1 IN lGEL or n q controversy.
50 far as the public or the Govern
meut or part Of the public IS interested
Ia the controversy between the en-
plOyes and the Company-that IS deter
mined on the merits OF that controversy
business
That IS the position I occupy. It is
the position my Administration. as far
as I can control IT, VIII occupy
After their interview with the PreSi-
dent the delegation visited Secre-
tary OF the Navy Meyer, Secretary OF
War Dickinson, and Senators Oliver and
Penrose Of Pennsylvania
Delegations OF Jhe striking employees
er Bethlehem are also in Washington
lf rsaa
plasned that although the business men
C0nteNd that the closing Of the steel
works would mean financial loss 70 them
and all Ocher business men in South
Bethlehem. that they are acting indi-
rectly as the agents of President
Schwab, Of the steel company
FavOrtism Is Alleged.
According 70 the strikers they have a
number Of charges 20 make IN eonnec-
ton with the operation OF the steel com
pany. one Of which duplicates officials
Of the Government, who, the strikers
claim, have been showing favOritism 10
the steel company In this connection
an inquiry viii be made by the commit
tee at certain Of the Government depart
] r. Deenan. a merchant Of South
bethlehem. is at the head Of the busi-
ness mems delegation, and A. Tazelaar.
REPRESENTATIVE Of the American F'eoera-
ti0n of Labor, is at the mead OF the
strike committee
The latter group, while n Wasnlns-
ton, VIII resume the Work commence
3 - Il vfrsyl in washington last week IN
I erousina interest among members or
I Congress in the manner in which the
steel company is being operated Ih7y
( are eudeavOrlng 10 nave q reS9l lutlon n. n.
frod1cetf by Representative Rainey o.
Z TIf{Dofs. providing for the discon1nuance
/ ~ government work at the Bethlehem
Steel Company until the. company can
/ sSo-r mat n is not employing inferior
,,-o-lr1eu. passed BY Congress
Ths lapor delegation VIII confer with
F~esident Gompers and Secretary Nor
ris0u Of the American Federation OF
/ Labor. this evening