The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-09-26
/ IS MT
PRIVATE
AFFAIR
Kenyon Says Public Has Inter
est in Steel Strike and Sen
ate Should Take
Action.
ARBITRATION POSSIBLE
If Judge Gary viii Make Promise at
Committee Hearing, Men May
Return to Their
Work.
ARBITRATION POSSIBLE
LBy Raymond Clapper, United Press
Staff CnrreSnnndent

[By Raymond Clapper, United Press
Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26.-An effort
to induce Judge Gary and the steel
employers to submit to arbitration
will be attempted as the second step
in the senate labor committees ef-
fort to end the nation wide steel
strike, it became known today.
Having obtained the statement from
John Fitz Patrick, strike chairman,
that the men would return to work on
promise of just arbitration, ending OF
the strike now awaits similar prom
ise by Judge Gary, 1t was stated.
This solution will not be pressed
upon the employers until Gary appears
next Wednesday before the senate
investigating committee.
The fact that Gary said he would
not deal with union leaders will not
deter senators from making an at
tempt to end the strike. Developments
between now and Wednesday may put
a new face on the situation, it was
pointed out
Senator Keyon, chairman of the in
vestigating committee, hopes to OBJ
tain from Samuel Gompers, who is
to be questioned, statement similar
to that of Fitz Patrick. 1t was Ken.
yon's questioning that brought Fitz
Patrick's announcement that the strike
could be ended by arbitration.
Senator Kenyon was aroused by Fftz
Patrick's story of the treatment of
strikers in the steel districts and de-
sires that special senate committee
be sent to the scenes to make an in
dependent invetigation.
These chIrges cannot De ignored;
they have BEEN put to us, and we
ought to investigate them" Kenyon
said today "The situation is here
upon us and congress has got to act"
Some senators privately stated that
Fitz Patrick's statements called for
an explanation from Gary, but they
are holding an open mind until his
side is heard.
This strike is not private affair
between two parties any longer" Ken
yon declared. "The public has an in
terest in it and we ought to do sotSe-
thing besides Investigating"
Kenyon hopes for a permanent re-
suit from the Investigation in the
form of a national arbitration board to
continue in some modified form the
ing industrial disputes.
Kenyon is still opposed to compul-
sorry arbitration, but believes that If
some public body had been in exis-
tence to act as an intermediary be
tween the strikers and their employ
ers. a strike might have been avoided.
VIM. e. Foster, secretary Of the
strikers committee will be heard after
Gompers.
Several senators on the committee
including Phipps, Colo, who was vice
president and treasurer Of the old Car
negie Steel company before the United
States Steel corporation absorbed it,
are not satisfied with the statements
made by Fitz Patrick. They believe
he has painted the working conditions
of steel employees much worse than
they are.
Labor's right to day in court is
the issue in the steel strike, Samuel
Gompers, head Of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, told the senate
labor committee today.
Gompers was the second witness
in the investigation ordered by the
senate.
THE issue Of this strike IS the
right of the employees to be heard
through their own representatives,
spokesmen of their own choosing; to
have an opportunity for their own
day in court-the employers office"
Gompers said.
In the last twenty-five years steel
workers have repeatedly been denied
the right OF association, he added,
and said:
This was done with all the power,