New Britain herald., 1919-09-26
RIGHT OF FREEDOM
 OF SPEECH DEMANDED
Declares Point at Issue is Right of Workmen to Have Voice in Determining Con- ditions Under Which They Work.

Washington, Sept. 26.-The right of the employees to have some voice in determining the conditions under which they work is the paramount issue in the strike of steel workers, Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, told the senate Investigating committee today. Appearing as the second wit ness for labor, MT. Gompers was first asked by Chairman Kenyon to define the issues in the controversy.
 Want Right to Be Heard.
 The right to, be heard is what the steel workers are asking above all else" MT. Gompers said. The right to speak with their employers through their own representatives, to have some voice in determining con- ditions under which they work.
 '"The right of workers to associa- tion has been denied-denied with all the power and influence and wealth of the Steel corporation-denie by brutal and unwarrantable means.
 Foreign Labor Brought In.
 Tt has been said that most of the men taking part in this strike are of foreign birth and not naturalized citi- zens. That may be and no doubt is true. The largest proportion of Steel corporation employees are of foreign birth, but these men were brought here by the companies.
 There was for years a systematic effort to bring in these gangs from Europe. There was a systematic eff fort to eliminate Americans. They n steel companies brought about the state which they now complain of. .''
 Workingmen Ground Down.
 Under the efforts of the steel cor poration the hours of labor were always abnormally long. They never seemed satisfied until they had their men toiling seven days a week 365 days a year. When the shifts changed from day to night they got them working 24 hours a day.
 The right of association the at tempt to organize, met with the stern est opposition by the steel corporation
 "The appeals calling to us from their employees were for help in or ganizing. But most of the efforts were slaughtered by the detectives and the agencies in the company pay. More e1Ac1A oo pS1 CC1lI Ol dll CI0 detective agency efforts in this coun- try has been devoted to spying on em- ployes, in mines, and mills. They have been used as agent provocateurs to induce men to some overt act, tc get them to strike too soon."
 More Tales of Oppression.
 AS he describes the Jogging" o1 employees by detectives, Gompers em. phasized his words by pounding fire. quently on the table.
 Tn the steel industry" he contin. ued, men were discharged for mere ly talking of organization, or fol grumbling.
 There have been mum bers of mer watched so closely that when they rented hall the proprietor was tolc to lock the doors against them. Thei1 meetings on rented ground have beer broken up. The men wore run dowr and dispersed, and some assaulted" Can you give instances of that las l practice?" asked Senator Sterling, re 1 publican. South Dakot.
 "Yes, at McKeesport," Gompers re 1 sponded, ''since this strike the offlco | of the Iron and steel workers ther, have been closed against them" 1 "I suppose that has been done. 0, the theory that collection of crowd would create disorder" Senator Ster ling remarked.
 T don't know tho theory" MT l Gompers said. But I do know tn | purpose. It was to prevent the load CTS from counselling with the me, and making the strike effective"