The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1919-10-10
STEEL UNION LEADER
ANSWERS QUERIES
SAYS STRIKE COMES BECAUSE
WORKERS DENIED RIGHT TO
PRESENT GRIEVANCES
REMARKS on STRIKE BRIEF
President Gompers Appeared Before
Committee and Attacked Some Of
the Points Judge Gary Empha.
sized in His Testimony

Washington, Oct. 4.-Chargins that
he had not been fairly treated by the
newspapers. William z. Foster, secre.
tary of the steel strikers committee.
told the senate yesterday that he
would answer question as to whether
he was in favor Of organized govern.
lnent If the correspondents were ex.
cluded from the room.
The committee took no action on
the request and Senator McKeller and
Chairman Kenyon pressed for an an.
swer to the question, which had been
put by the former. Foster said his
views had changed, but that he was
unwilling to say how far in the pres
ence of the correspondents.
When Senator McKeller first asked
his question. Foster laughed. The SEN
ator then read from book. which
Foster agreed he had written, declar.
ing social revolution in the United
States was necessary to secure work.
ers' rights.
"I've repudiated that pamphlet"
said Foster. hut don't want my
views banded about by lot Of preju.
diced. lying newspapers to the dam.
age Of the strikers"
Foster said his own views had not
been used in the steel strike; that he
had adhered to the principle of trade
unionism. He said he was raised in
the slums and that when he wrote
the book he was "a follower of the
Spanish. French and Italian union
system" Today. he added, he had be.
come little less radical, possibly"
and was "a believer in American and
English trade unionism.
At the outset Of his testimony. FOs-
ter. by direction of Chairman Kenyon,
outlined at some length the reasons
for the strike.
May l say Mr.. Foster. there are
some members of this committee In
sympathy with labor, but it opposes
violence" Senator Borah. Republican,
of Idaho remarked. You cannot rem
der any better service to Your men
than to tell us now what your views
are. The reporters vii send out the
facts correctly, whatever the editorial
pages say
Il can't agree with YOU" Foster
said.
"Are YOU seeking now, have you
ever sought to circulate those doc
trines in that pamphlet among steel
workers." asked Senator Borah.
Not at ALL" Foster answered. Il
apply the principles of the American
Federation Of Labor with the censor
ship of "a union presidents over me-"
President Gompers, with apparent
amusement. listened to the senators
read Fosters essays on the American
Federation Of Labor written before he
joined it as an organizer, wherein he
asserted that labor unions are in.
Tested with takers. He explained that
today he considered the blanket
charge not tenable.
His remarks on the present strike
We're comparatively brief.
ut came because the workers were
denied an opportunity to present their
grievances" he said. ut could not be
delayed at President Wilson's request
because of the steel corporations
policy in instituting wholesale dis.
charges.
President Gompers came back be-
fore the committee when Foster had
concluded, 'to straighten out a few
matters" he said. and attacked briefly
some of the points Judge Gary. chair.
man of the steel corporation, EN-.
phasized in his testimony before the
committee.
1.-The steel corporation in 1901 passed
resolution declaring itself unalter-
ably opposed to union labor" Mr..
Gompers said, notifying all of its sub
sidiary officers that it stood against
any extension"
He defined an "open shop" as "a
place where the principle of collective
bargaining cannot exist"