Norwich bulletin., 1919-10-13

Pittsburgh, Pa. Oct. 12.-Senators Investigating the steel strike situation spent all of Sunday afternoon and most of Sunday night listening to ev- idence A big crowd filling the Unit ed States court room in the federal building, followed the unusual proce- dure, and had to be disciplined sever al times by Chairman Kenyon Tor laughing at some of the answers made by witnesses. Representatives or the strikers devoted their efforts to man taining the charge, oft-repeated since the investigation began, that civil au- thorities, state troopers and other law officers were. misusing their power to break down the strike. They centered most of the testimony around incl- dents in the town of Monessen, West moreland county, and officials of the place, which is about forty miles from Pittsburgh, demanded and obtained from the committee permission 10 pc heard in defense.
 The United States Steel Corporation again took hand today, and was al lowed to put on before the commit tee a group of old, but lower paldfem- ployes and declared their satisfaction with conditions. hours. and wages
 Arthur Raymont, the first of these, said that he had worked B years in the mills raised aon1e family nS as 0a nlne noW drawing the highest pay he had ever received. 4S cents an hour.
 You're a good manager, senator Mcclellan of Tennessee, told him.
 Well we haven't gone hungry yet, Raymont said, "and men don't work near so hard as they did when l started
 James Lloyd. another veteran of as saw no reason why good, sensible men should be striking now" c. A. Lighthill, also man of long service, echoed his remarks. and explained that he considered the 10 and 12 hour day a good thing"
 Especially for young men" he said. Maybe after January when every thing goes dry it'll be different"
 Besides when the work is hard. they have two and three men on the job, to spell each other Lightill said. "A man works a half hour and rests half hour"
 T saw that Samuel Gompers told this committee in Washington that the steel company's hospitals were like prisons. where they held men incom- = municado, I think he said. Hes been badly informed, I know, because spent some time in the hospital last fall and my wife was allowed to come and even eat dinner with me once or twice."
 August Mann, superintendent of a wire plant at Donora, followed the employees and said the strike was "Out of 4.3oO men in the mill 3,2oO stayed out the first day il was called, Mann declared. Since thu 1,0s4 have come back and more return every day"
 The major portion" of his man. Mann said, had always wanted to stay on lthe job. Like other steel com fled, he assured the committee that the presentation of grievances to su- perintendents by men in the mills was always couuntenanced, and even en- couraged.
 Haven't most of the other indus tries in this country established tho eight hour day?" Senator Kenyon ask ed.
 'I haven't noticed in my travels" :" Mann said. Incidentally, he mention" ed efforts of the company to establish night schools for it's foreign-born em- ployes. and said that they had difh- cuIty in getting them to attend.
 What would you say to a law which English within five years after com ing here or be deported ?" Senator Walsh of Massachusetts asked him.
 Might be a good thing" Mann said. Anyway, we could only get eighteen in our night school class after can- wasting everybody"
 Gus Kristvitch formerly employed in the National Tube Company mill at Mex eesport, was the first striker called, and asserted that he had been discharged for joining the union. He was examined for some time by the committee on the point, his charge having been denied by steel company representatives on several occasions, but he stuck to his assertion. saying that the foreman had given him the req son.
 an American. followed him with a whole broadside of complaint to make against the company.
 T pretty nearly had to go on my knees to the company to get job back though I was one of the first fifty men in France" he said Then they put me to work in place where man has hardly any chance for his life, and where the grease and. the heat ruin your shoes every week. They kept me loafing five months be- fore they gave me that. Now I'm on strike for eight hours. more wages and safety first conditions
 Then Attorney w. B. Rubin. rep resenting the strike committee. cen tered his fire on Monessen, and brought in a battery of witnesses, nearly all of whom used interpreters in part or in whole. MT. Andrew called She weighed 11S pounds, and had been charged, the pair said. with defying a policeman with club" Released on $50 bond after being taken to jail. where they ap- peared for trial the next day they were told that their money was for feited They were Lithuanians but gave their story clearly. The woman said she had her baby on her arm when arrested and had no club and had said nothing to the special po- liceman.
 interrupted this case ought to be followed, and if the abuse of these foreigners is found to be what they say it is. the community ought to straighten it out There may be an other explanation, but the impression ought not to go out among these for eigners that our laws do not give them justice;'
 Banks insisted that his wife had merely been on the streets with hir when arrested She was waiting out side q. store while he went Inside = purchase cigarettes
 s"Nhy did you go on strlke?" Sen ator Sterling of Soutp Dakota. a.. cd him.
 Because Judge Gary Chairman of