The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-07
BY DOROTHY DALE.


NEW CASTLE, Pa, Feb. T.
The last stand Of the once great
Amalgamated Association of Iron
and Steel Workers against the
United States Steel corporation
the steel trust, which has made
life slavery in every mill where
it has destroyed the union-is de-
veloping heroines as well as he
roes.
Here in New Castle $500 tin
workers, almost all of them sturdy
W. shmen, have been on strike
&-ce last July. At that time, with
steel products and the cost of liv-
ing both rising, the trust cut down
wages nine per cent and refused
the customary recognition of the
union. 1t was, of course, a cold,
deliberate plan to put the workers
organization out of business, and
so the men in every union tin mill
owned by the trust walked out.
But it Is with the home and the
women's side of 1t that have to
do. When the story was tele-
graphed out that 26 of the wives OF
leading strikers here at New
Castle had been arrested for vio-
latfng an injunction against ap-
preaching or interfering with
strikebreakers, ! came to see what
1t all meant.
That first evening of my visit 80
of the strikers wives and daugh-
terS met to rehearse for church
concert. They were clear skinned,
clear eyed women, with the rich,
deep voices and pure English
speech that mark all corners from
the British west country. Their
simplicity and cordially of man
ner were beautiful. And how they
could sing!
The solemn. compelling strains
Of Jesus. Lover of My Soul made
the small rooms ring cathedral
like. Then, without a bit of fuss
ing, young woman with a Won
derful appeal in her contralto,
stood up and sang, unaccompanied.
HE Was Despised and Rejected"
The concert ended with a light,
lifting love serenade, and then
there was move to go home.
But not in body. They got up
two by two. And there was an in
terval between the going of each
pair.
"You know we women can't be
seen on the streets in numbers
greater than two," explained Mrs.
Thomas Thomas, who has 10 men
relatives in the strike. "The court
has enioined u.s."
And that's the way 1t Is. There
is no chatting on the mill side of
New Castle city. You do not see
three women stop anywhere to
talk about the last bargain sale or
even about the prevalence of the
measles. They dare not. The
great United States Steel corpora
ton has an Injunction against
them.
But the 26 who dared? Oh, they
laughed at the strikers, according
to the Wsrrants under which they
were arrested. Then 1t is solemnly
sworn and subscribed to that some
Of the women called "Scab."
Maybe they were right. And one
desperate woman is even charged
with loudly stating her opinion
that certain striker was "BIack
Pot" Thus are American Iiber-
ties jeopardized by women with
tongues in their head!
"All OF us women who were ar
rested are out on 5000 bail till our
trial" said Mrs. Thomas. But
well go to Jail IL we have to, and
be proud OF 1t for such a cause"
"Why. what those men did in
going back was the worst thing
man could do" added Mrs. Annie
c. Jones. another of those ar
rested. "They deserted their com.
rades on strike and went back to
be slaves and tools after accent.
Ing strike relief for seven months.
I'm not ashamed to say that I
pleaded with one for the sake of
his little children to come out
again because his action would
hurt them as well as him"
"And if we do go to Jail we'll
stand 1t just as our men did who
were sent for contempt and kept
there 80 days." said Mrs, Thomas.
'While they were there we took