The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1919-09-03

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from placing pickets around the plant.
August 5 and 8 the case was heard be-
fore Judge Baker. and a decree was
handed down restraining four men out
Of a total OF forty men from doing
picket duty. on a Wednesday. Thurs
day and Friday. early each morning,
men, women and sympathizers congre-
gated on street corners. The company
had e~ndeavored to get a large guard 70
protect the plant. and it was made to
appear thats the striking employees
threatened their property. Employees
denied the accusation. However, the po-
lice and a force of deputy sheriffs were
assigned in squads to patrol that end. OF
the city. our investigation shows that
there was no trouble until the private
watchmen of the plant began to usurp
authority outside OF the plant. Sympa-
thizers did approach men and urge them
% stay away from the works all OF
which received a deaf car. and defiance
was hurled at the men. which led to dis
turbance and caused trouble.
The sheriff. mayor and an alderman
attempted to mediate the trouble They
failed because the employees would
nave nothing TO DO with a verbal prom
Use from the company. Il was also re-
jected because many OF the men did not
thoroughly understand it. The company
refused to sign the proposition and this
too caused the men to- turn IL down.
Each craft. or union. was first addressed
by international representatives. not
business agents from chicago. as stated
BY the mayor. according to a newspaper
interviews; then later by the sheriff.
mayor and alderman. and this was fol-
lowed by a vote. each union being given
a fair and undisturbed opportunity to
voice their sentiment on the proposition
as then presented by the mayor. sheriff
and alderman. In the meantime the In
ternational Representative FASTENED to
Chicago to confer with the Federal Rep
resentative. and even pledged their un-
divided support to bring about a peace
full and satisfactory solution. and for
a short time it locked very hopeful. The
result Of the vote was not known to the
international Representatives. until af-
ter their return TO Hammond. which
was nearly 8 p. m. While they were
comforting with the committee that was
selected TO announce the result. the
mayor. sheriff and alderman appeared
and they were appraised Of the decision
f the MEMS Sheriff Barnes then stated
he would have 10 notify the Governor.
adding that the situation was beyond his
control and beyond the leaders. The
international Representatives requested
the sheriff not TO permit the troops TO be
brought in. that there was no rouble or
even threatened trouble: that the srik-
ers were quiet and not aroused. Despite
this request. the troops appeared in
Hammond early the following morning,
five days after trouble had ceased.
on Friday. August 22nd. the Federal
Representatives called at the office of
the company and held a conference with
the works manager. which lasted sew
eraI hours. He Immediately conferred
with the international Representatives
and a large committee. representing the
employees. tho latter having obtained
power 10 act for the employees. The
Federal Representative advised the COM
mittee tina he had made such splendid
progress that he felt a satisfactory set
tlement would be reached so that all
men could return 10 work Monday. That
the inability to settle the difficulty at
this time was due to the fact that Mr..
jerks. vice president OF the
was out Of the city; that he was in con-
ference with Mr.. Hanson. president OF
the company in Pittsburgh. but would
return Sunday.
Sunday noon. August oath. the Fed
eral Representative did call on Mr..
jerks and the latter emphatically stated
ell negotiations were of and he had
nothing to offer. That If a settlement
was made it would have to be made by
himself and no one else. He made It
plain that if the men wanted and set
Element they must return TO work the
same as when they walked out. which
meant the same conditions and system
which they are protecting. This ended
the conference.
In view Of the fact that soldiers were
on the scene costing the state and tax
payers about $1,000 daily. and that there
was no trouble of any kind or even
threatened trouble. we sought a con-
ference with Governor Goodrich and ar
ranged to meet him Monday evening in
indianapolis. The conference lasted
three hours and the Governor talked
over the long distance phone with Mr..
jerks. The latter refused to bulge.
Notwithstanding he was putting the
state to a tremendous expense keeping
the troops there.
Governor Goodrich then stated he
would send Mr.. Roberts. of the Indus
trial Board of Indiana, TO Hammond.
TO investigate the situation. We pointed
out To the governor that a big blunder
had been made by permitting troops 70
be there, also recited how men had been
intimidated both by the police and sol
diers. Particular attention was called
to the treatment Of strikers received at
the hands of police, driven from the
streets. dubbed over the head. ordered
from in front of thir own premises.
stopped on the street a mile and a half
from the plant. searched and kicked.
then ordered back home, denied permIs-
sion to 60 to the city to do shopping
Before leaving the governor we told him
that the international representatives
had met and counseled with the strikers.
urged cool and careful thought. and in
return the strikers expressed themselves
more than willing to do their part 70
observe the law. but did not want to
be slugged by police merely because
many were from foreign nations. The
International representatives al o
warned the men against influences from
the outside coming from Chicago,
speakers who represented organizations
of destructionists instead of construc-
t~ionists. The men were willing to do.
but unwilling to be driven. In many
instances these men were painted black
er than they should be. and some ignor-
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