New-York tribune., 1919-09-20
Company Officials Con.
cede IS Per Cent of
Men Are in Unions:
Strikers Claim More
No Effort Planned
To Operate Mills
One Independent Con-
cern Agrees to Confer;
Others Likely to Follow
By Theodore NJ. Knappen

BY Theodore M. knappen
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 19-Unwillins
to wait for the formal opening of the
steel strike. steel workers who intend
to obey the strike order have already
begun to leave the mills. The Pitts
burgh Steel Company was closed to-
day by this silent strike. and other
plants reported al unusual percentage
Of absentees
AS some of the "sooners" took to the
nils to start their outing. thew passed
patrols of the business-like state con-
stabulary. who have begun to diffuse
themselves through the Pittsburgh dis
trict IN anticipation Of disorder when
the strike opens. BY Sunday night
there will be about 100 of these fornid-
able law enforcers patrolling the steel
towns around Pittsburgh.
Men Are Uncommunicatiye
ASIDE from somewhat reduced forces.
ana the one plant already closed. even
the most strongly organized plants pre-
sented their usual aspect of humming
industry to-day. Even III shops where
1t was positively known that 95 per
cent OF the men were prepared to
strike, work was proceeding as brisklv
as 1t they were looking forward to un-
interrupted employment. The men.
however, were tactturn and uncom-
munlcative. Those who are going ONT
1eel their responsibility. and those who
VIII be forced out are worried over
What the future may have in store OF
hardshlps and troubled relations with
their associates.
nevertheless the mill managementa
are not taking any extraordinary pre-
cautions 70 meet the situation that
Monday may present. The plant po-
ice Will be on the qui vive. and cham
neis have been opened for quick ap-
peals to the local and state authori-
Ties IN case disorders develop.
No Attempt to Operate
Inc genera policy oI managers and
upernlenaents is to proceed lust as
II notning were expected to happen.
II the lnen are there the mills Will
run as usual Ii they are not no ef-
tort will be made to operate with in
suricient forces. The mills VIII simply
be closed untll sach time as the man.
agcmcnt thinks it possible TO resume,
Local executives OF the steel cor
porauon estimate that not more than
80 per cent OF their men nave joined
the unions IN any OF the plants in
tins district They calculate tnat out
OF $4,000 men in six plants about
5000 are enrolled in the labor orranj-
cations. A. tnat, they concede that
Chairman Fitzpatrick and Secretary
Foster of the American Federation
"a Labor Organizing Committee are the
only persons who know how MANY men
nave joined the unions.
Foster. said this evening. when tha
foregoing figures were communicated
to him, that they were ridiculous, end
submitted apparent proof that at one
plant more men had Joined in single
trade than the corporation executives
allowed for the entire plant.
Strikes Extent Unknown
Foster admits, however, that he does
not know how many men will strike
here or in the other steel centres. The
minimum, he says, viii correspond to
the membership, but thousands OF
others Will walk out.
The strike leaders recognize that
their financial situation is precarious.
as all they get out of each new mem
Der as he joins is 81, the other 50 of
the specially reduced initiation fee 60
ing TO the appropriate international
union. The need is felt Of identifving
the international unions and treas
urles more intimately with the strike.
consequently the presidents of the
twenty-four international unions in
vo,ved and the executive committee Of
the American Federation OF Labor will
meet with the strike committee here
within two weeks-possl some time
next week-to solidify and coordinate
the labor forces and take stems tcward
raising a large campaign fund Two
million dollars is talked of as tha
amount needed
Independents May Yield
Strike headquarters was much cheeres
this evening by the decision of q small
company to go into conference on the
twelve points of the labor demand. nnd
predlcted tnat many of the smaller CON-
Germs would follow suit. Every erort
Will be made by the committee to come
TO an understanding with the indenend-
ents IN order to concentrate the fight
on the United States Steel CORPORATION.