Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-23
CLAIMS MADE BY
RIVAL FACTIONS
IN STEEL STRIKE
ARE At VARIANCE
WaIkout Takes Place As
Scheduled, But It Is Uncer-
tain Just How Many En-
pIoyes Have Left Posts,
PREPARATIONS MADE
FOR LONG STRUGGLE
Industrial Leaders and Union.
Generals Agree On One
Thing---That the Fight Is.
To Be Long and Bitter
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At the end of the opening day OF
economic war between organized labor
and the greater part of the iron and
steel industry of the country, both
sides rested last night, apparently sat.
isfied with reports received from the
far-flung battle line reaching into
twenty states and affecting direct y or
indirectly half a million workers
After the first test of strength, in
dustrial leaders and commanders Of
labor's legions were willing To admit
that they faced q struggle which
might prove long and bitter Grim evil
dence of preparations made for the
industrial conflict were seen in the
armed guards surrounding the mills
but the first day of the strike end
except in New Castle. Pa. whore
seven persons were shot in rioting fol-
lowing an alleged attempt to prevent
workers from entering plant.
Until the first smoke of battle rolls
away, an accurate estimate of the
number Of workers who marched out
In obedience to the strike order and
the number who remained at their
posts will not be obtainable.
$4,000 Men Out, Claim.
From strike headquarters in Pitts
burgh came claims that 2S4.000 men
had taken their places in the ranks of
the strikers, but although no statement
was forthcoming from the steel cor
poration's headqu9 rters in New York,
company Officials IN tho zone or ac-
S;sas SssFzl'sfsits ---zssassstas
of labor leaders.
The steel corporation, against which
the main offensive is directed. was
able to operate most of it's plants in
the Pittsburgh district, according TO
company officials. In the Chicago
steel center, some of the largest plants
were forced to close down, but others
operated on reduced scale.
1t was in the Mahoning Valley that
the strikers seemed TO make the most
headway, for with three large mills in
the Youngstown district shut down
and others running only part capacity,
the steel producing industry in that
section was reported to be fast ap-
preaching general paralysis.
Sixteen Cleveland Plants Idle
In the Cleveland district too. the
strikers apparently made successful
attack. Only four of the twenty
plants We're in operation. and accord
ing to labor leaders, 1900 men are
affected
Telegraph wires leading into head
quarters of both capital and labor
were kept warm, as report followed
report on conditions at 145 plants af-
fected by the strike order As it be-
came evident that neither the corpora
ton had been able to keep all its
plants in operation. nor the strikers
had been able TO produce a complete
tieup Of the industry, leaders began to
settle down to the prospect of a long
fight. In this connection 1t was an
nouneed that an important parley of
union labor chiefs would be held to-
morrow when it is understood the
question OF financing the s,rke will
be considered.
Officers of the Carnegie company,
the steel company's largest subsidiary
in Pittsburgh. claimed that, although
their forces had been depleted by de-
sertions, they had been able TO reor-
ganize their workers so as to keep all
of the important mills operating at
almost 100 per cent. This brought
emphatic denial from the labor camp.
Blast Furnaces Badly Crippled.
Steel officials admitted that in some
cases blast furnaces. which they said
they always regarded as their most
vulnerable spot. had been badly Grip
pied. This situation was met by
banking some furnaces and concen-
trating the remaining workers on oth-
ers.
An important announcement came
during the day from representatives
of the $4,000 workers employed by the
Bethlehem Steel company. This was
to the effect that they would not walk
out pending an attempt to obtain
conference with company officials
An example of the wide difference
between estimates made by labor
leaders and corporation officials con-
cerning the number of strikers is
found in Pittsburgh According to
William D. Foster, secretary of the ma
tional committee of steel workers. II, n
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