The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-09-19

Federation of Labor. held in June.
 1919 Following a report made to that
 convention MT. Gompers sought con ference with MT. Gary, chairman or the
 finance committee of the United States
 Steel corporation. on that subject in
 the hope of avoiding grave industfial
 conflict. Mir Gompers. whose con
 struotive patriotism is beyond any
 question, was denied even the courtesy
 of a reply. Then the men insisted
 upon action. and following authoriza
 ton for taking a vote upon strlke
 beginning with July 20 and endlnS
 August 20, this year. 9s per cent ot the men voted for strike.
 GARY REFUSED CONFERENCE "Following the vote taken a commit tee representing the crafts involved went to MT. Gary for the purpose of obtain ing a conference in the hopeNof avoiding the strike. MT. Gary refused to see the committee or deal with any one Of them 1 The committee, still desirous of avoid ing the conflict laid the entire matter before the executive council of the l American Federation of Labor. MT. ! Gompers and the executive council in dorsed the action of the men. Never ! theless, in the hope of averting con- 1 flict, an appeal was made to your honor. INT. Gary, obstinate in his deniel to l 8
 as to necesstate calling meeting of | the presidents of the "A crafts involved. After a thorough calm and deliberate 1 review and study of the entire situation. 1 these A presidents, representing over I 100000 organized men, indorsed the strike and set September 22 as the date therefor The date was deferred to Sep 1 tember 22 against the best interests of the strike solely in the hope that MT. i Gary and his assistants might in the | meanwhile reconsider their position so as to avoid the otherwise inevitable con 1 flict.
 l 'In a meeting called on September r at Pittsburg of the representatives of l the aforesaid crafts for the purpose of devising ways and means of conducting ! the strike. your communication through 1 Mr. Gompers requesting that the date of the strike be postponed was read. Two days of consideration were given to the same Your request for postponement
 would have been gladly granted were | it nor for the following facts:
 REASONS FOR REFUSAL "1. MT. Gary has asserted that his men need no trained representation in pre-
 senting their grievances. notwithstanding 1 that they cannot. either economically. by l lack of means, nor intelligently, by lack 1 of schooling. cope with him or his rep 1 reSentatives.
 1 "2. That ever since the men started to organize Systematic persecution was instituted, beginning with discharge and ending with murder, recalling to us Il vividly the days of Homestead and the reign of despotism in Russia
 "3 Through the efforts of the repre- sentatives of the steel industry. officials 1 in various localities have sensed the men. free assembly and free speech. 1n- stances are too numerous where meet iags have been suppressed. men arrest ed, tried cn various unfounded charges excessive bail required and cruel punish ment imposed, all without warrant in law and justice.
 ITX. As one of many. examples-in the lefty of McKeesport meeting held by the men within their constitutional rights was broken up and men arrested and thrown into jail charged with riot and held to the excessive bail of 5000 each. while one of the hirelings of the steel industry, arrested for the murder lof a woman speaker at Breckenridge Pa, is being held ur4er bail of but $25OO Another patent example is Hammond Ind, where four defenseless union men were charged upon and killed by hired detectives of the steel industry, and ir behalf of their survivors have been SC intimidated and maltreated that ths truth of the killing was suppressed. GUNS IN PLANTS
 5. Guns and cannon have been plant
 ed in mills. highly charged slectri