The Cordova daily times., 1919-10-24

KneW, that tnlS nad happened just be- cause on one night spark of his old manhood and independence had famed up and he had gone to a union meeting to learn how he and his brother-workmen might bind them selves together and secure some meas ure of self-protection against the | blind, autocratic force in opposition to which Flanagan. and all the other thousands of men, acting separately, | were powerless. Flanagan was driven to desperation, and there arose in all his friends a deep and intense anger and an abiding desire for vengeance.
 "Now, Flanagan was only one of hundreds of steel workers grievously | injured by the same autocratic inva- sion of their most sacred rights. Not all had been so long in the company's service. Few were as trusted and as generally revered by their fellow-work- CTS. But all had friends, and all knew that they were the victims of cruel in- justice, arbitrarily exercised.
 At the same time Flannagan's case does not stand alone in any respect. Down in Johnstown, Pa., where the | Cambria Steel Company has its plants, there is deaf mute, William H. Si- bert, who worked for the company more than twenty years and became one of it's skilled employees. One night he, too, attended a meeting, joined the organization and was discharged on a minutes notice. Sibert's life had been given to steel. He knows no other trade, and his infirmity makes it i'm possible for him to get work in any other plant.
 "The steel companies apparently hoped that by picking out the veter- ans-men with families or men who are paying for homes-they would ere ate fear in the hearts of the rest of the men, but instead they have ere ated only a dangerous hatred and surging unrest.
 Company Plan of "colective Bar
 gaining"
 The situation is rapidly nearing a crisis, and if the boneheads who have been dictating the labor policy of the steel companies continue to control, there can be no other result than an other Homestead, thousand times magnified.
 Some of the companies, it is true, have made a feint at establishing a new and more enlightened policy. The Cambria Steel Company, for example, several months ago inaugurated what the officials called plan of collective bargaining but which the men called the company union.' At the first cleo tion practically all the committeeman elected were bosses or other safe men. Collective bargaining was in high favor with the heads of the com pany, and articles were written about the new era of good feeling.
 "A little while ago, however, new election was held, and large number of union men elected upon the com mittee. Suddenly collective bargain ing fell into disfavor, and, upon the most transparent of pretiexts, the com pany proceeded to discharge all the union men on the committee who had the courage to speak about the grlev- ances of those whom they represented.
 Most of the steel companies, how ever, have not even pretended enllghl- enment and have apparently proceed ed on the theory that if they did not drastically cut wages until the streets were full of unemployed and we're ruthless enough in the suppression Of attempts at organization, there was no danger.
 "As an undercurrent to the great tide of unrest which is sweeping over the Pittsburgh district and the sur rounding steel towns is rapidly grow ing distrust of government, and of all who speak in the name of the law. The only government with which the steel workers come in contact is the rporation-controlled government or the steel towns, which they have con- stantly seen perverted to crush their most elemental rights. Such govern ment they hate, and they know no othier.
 q commend the steel industry to the attention of the Overman commit l ice IS the most nrNlific threading place