Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-22
Reports of Walkout Con
fiict-Chiefs Claim Re
spouse Is General.

Pittsburgh, Pa, Sept 81
Several men had their heads
dubbed and 20 arrests were
made today in the borough Of
| Clarion when the Pennsylva-
mia state police had another
brush with crowds that refused
10 dispense. Several shots
were fired by each side, accord
ing TO Clarion police head
quarters.
The preliminary skirmish in the
great Industrial struggle which
! opened today between the labor
unions and the United States Steel
| corporation which directly or indi-
/ rectly affects a half million wage
| earners, produced the usual con
/ 1icting claims by the generals on
both sides
Many Thousands Out.
In the great strategic Centers OF
! the struggle, the Chicago and
, Pittsburgh districts, many thou
sands Of workers obeyed the strike
order, but early reports stated that
comparatively few plants had been
compelled to close. At a large
number Of the outlying points Off
Gals Of smaller plants reported
they were operating as usual.
Ebert II. Gary, chairman OF the
board Of directors OF the steel cor
poration, refused TO make any COM
ment on the situation.
Secretary Foster OF the steel
workers union issued a statement
expressing satisfaction with the
outlook and claiming that reports
from outside the Pittsburgh district
showed that the shutdown was
general.
Bethlehem Men Stay.
An important feature Of the sit
uation was the announcement by
representative OF the $4,000 work
ers employed by the Bethlehem
would not join the strike pending
an attempt 10 obtain a conference
with the company officials.
Some of the blast furnaces in the
Pittsburgh district were banked.
but the majority of the plants were
in operation although admittedly
with forces reduced from Is per
cent to &C per cent. In the Chi
cago district, including Gary and
Hammond, where 10000 steA
workers are employed, similar con
ditions were reported. At Cleve-
land the union leaders claimed
that $4,000 men were out and that
Is mills Of the American Steel and
Wire company, employing 5000
men, were closed down.
Strike at YOUNGSTOWN
At Ohio's second greatest steer
center, Youngstown. the strike
leaders also claimed that the great
majority OF the workers had struck
and at Steubenville. where three
plants Of the Carnegie Steel com
pany are located. il was asserted
suspend operations.
At the less important points In
Ohio and Pennsylvania, including
Portsmouth. Warren, Canton, To-
ledo. Columbus. Lorraine. Potts
willie. Reading and Harrisburg Of
fcials Of the various plants an
nounced that their men had re-
NAMED loyal and operations in full
swing
One notable exception was Johns
town, Pa. where 1900 men were
reported 10 have struck
Normal Conditions Reported.
Outside the great pivotal states
OF Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania,
conditions we're reported nearly
normal with a few important eT-
ceptions. At Buffalo, where the
great Independent plants ~ tho
Lackawanna Steel cC6npany are To-
Gated the union chiefs claimed that
70 per cent Of the workers had
obeyed the strike call At Wheel
ing. W Va, it was asserted that
5000 men were idle and the Colo
RADIO r'uel and Iron company's
plant at Pueblo, Colo, was closed
down when its 1000 employees
walked out.
The mills Of the Illinois steel
company at South Chicago were
closed, the unions estimating that
50 per cent Of the 1000 men on
the day shift had struck.
Pittsburgh, Pa. Sept. 22.-The
struggle between organized labor
and the employers In the steel IN
dustry was In full swing today In
the Pittsburgh and nearby districts
many thousands Of men obeyed the
orders of their leaders and failed
to report when the whistles blew
for the day shifts to go 10 work.
How many Joined in the walk-out
and with what degree of effective
ness the strike was initiated was
not known definitely by either side
in the contest in the early hours
Of the day.
Ready for Emergency.
Dawn found mRl guards.
borough and city police. the mount
ed Pennsylvania state police, vol
unteer guards. deputy sheriffs. de
tectiyes and other guardians of the
law on duty for any emergency.
the strike leaders IA
every steel mill community was
abroad instructing strikers and
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