The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-10-23
GARY REFUSES ANY
STEEL ARBITRATION
Tells Conference His Corporation
Won't Change Attitude.
GOMPERS REGRETS STAND
Labor Leader Says the Workingman
Knows Who to Turn to for Assist
ance-4Bitter in His Reply to
Corporation Magnate.

Washington, Oct. 21.-Arbitration of
the steel strike, demanded by the la
Dor group, should not he considered
by the national Industrial conference,
Ebert II. Gary, chairman Of the board
of the United States Steel corporation
and member of the public group, told
the conference.
The corporation will not agree to
any arbitration and stands firmly on
its previously announced policy as re-
CARDS the question, Mr. Gary said. 1t
was his first announcement to the
conference.
81 desire to make a brief statement
in relation to the question under dis
cussion. as well as Others submitted
20 this conference" Judge Gary said.
Further explanation of any vote
may register will probably be unnec-
essary.
Like other members of the confer
ence, recognize that the public inter
est must always be considered as first
Importance, that all private interests
must be Subordinated.
Arbitration When practicable"
81 am heartily in accord with the
desire of the president to firmly estab-
fish proper and satisfactory relations
between all groups of citizens connect
ed with industry, including, of course,
what has been designated as capital
and labor.
81 believe in Cancellation, co-opera-
ton and arbitration whenever pracd-
cable without sacrificing principle.
II am of the fixed opinion that the
pending strike against the steel indus
try of this country should not he ar
bitrated or compromised, nor any ac-
ton taken by the conference which
bears upon that subject.
"Also that there should be main
tanned in actual practice, without in
terruption, the open shop, as | under
stand it-namely, that every man,
whether he does or does not belong to
n labor union. shall have the oppor-
funity to engage i'm any line of legiti-
mate employment on terms and con
dltions agreed upon between employee
and employer.
81 am opposed TO n policy or prac-
tlce which unnecessarily limits pro-
duction, increases costs, deprives the
workmen from receiving the highest
wage resulting from voluntary and
reasonable effort binders production
or advancement in accordance with
merit. or otherwise interferes with the
freedom of individual action.
"As unorganized labor, which en-
braces the vast majority of working
people, has no special representation
in this conference, deem 1t appropri-
ate to say that all labor should receive
due consideration and that ii Is the
obligation and ought TO be the pleas
ure of employers at all times and in
every respect to treat, justly and lib
orally. all employees, whether unor-
ganized or unorganized."
Gompers Expresses Disappointment.
Mr.. Gary had scarcely finished read
ing his statement before Samuel Com
pers, president of the American Fed
erntion of Labor and chairman of the
tabor group, was on his feet to ex-
press the disappointment of labor at
the announcement of the steel cor
poration.
Mr.. Gary's statement was Identical
with the steel executives letter adj
dressed to subsidiaries of the steel
corporation more than a month ago.
Admitting there might be differences
Of opinion on the open shop as on all
other questions, Mr.. Gompers charged
Mr.. Gary with taking the attitude that
,there is no other opinion on the mat
ter"
Declaring the devotion Of American
Federation of Labor officials to the
cause of the laboring man, Mr.. Comp
ers exclaimed in voice filed with
emotion:
"If we cannot help them, my God
(and I say it reverently) we will not
hurt them" The labor leader accused
the steel corporation of "glving out
to the newspapers that the steel strike
had been lost" and added that he
hoped 1t was not true that Hundreds
of thousands of men had been COM
PEELED to yield because they were too
hungry to hold out"
Warns Conference.
Mr. Gompers warned the conference
that "if what has occurred in the
United States recently in the industri-
al controversy has not offered an op-
portunity for a reason for a new I'M
derstanding, then there is no reason
for vote in this conference on this
question"
Attacking the bourbon" who has
''never forgotten anything because he
has never learned anything" Mr.
Gompers said it was useless to con
tnue the conference If the real indus
trial issues of the day were to be
passed over.
You cannot improve the super
structure safely until you have
strengthened the foundation" he said.
"and the millions of tollers in The
United States are the foundation up n
whose shoulders rests the entire super