The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-09-26
COMPERS TALKS
At STEEL PROBE
Labor Leader Denounces
Brutality" OF Owners
Continued From Page One

/ Continued From Page One
The strike situation has reached
a white heat. members OF the lnves-
tigation committee feel. and the
time has arrived for direct at.
tempt az settlement.
Continuing his testimony. Com.
pors charged that steel companies
had been guilty Of systematic
effort" to eliminate American work.
ers from their plants and substitute
foreigners.
To this end, he declared. the steel
corporation was "ln combination
and collision with shipping com.
panie- TO bring labor from southern
Europ. and the Balkans
GomperH said he had documents.
gathered By the American Fedora.
ton Of Labor for some years. TO
prove the coiluHion between the
steel corporation and Germa n.
American and other shipping com
panieH. lie promised 10 lay these
before the committee.
Scores Esptonage
Gompers declared the steel corpor.
alton maintained an elaborate espion.
age system over It's men ~ part OF
It's plan to prevent unionization.
They had detectives. rpotters.
agents and provocateurg.' said
Gompers. who doFTed men. tagged
them. followed them TO their homes.
tried 10 provoke them 10 commit
overt acts. TO strike prematurcly, or
do something bcoauAc OF which they
could be discharged.
Men were discharged because
they grumbied about conditions. or
because they dared express n wish
90 be- unionized.
Men on their way TO attend meet.
Jngs 10 discuss union organization
have had to pass between lines of
steel company detectives and thugs.
Halls where they planned to hold
meeting have been locked and the
meetings broken up. the men beaten
and injured.
Workers Thrctued
since I came here today have
been informed that at McKeesport.
Pa. III. workers have been denied
the RICH, 10 hold meetings"
Senator Sterling asked whether
the purpose OF preventing meetings
in the strike district was not 10 pre-.
vent disorder.
The purpose rnId Gompers. els
10 proven, tho men from furtherfng
their interests in this controversy.
Private meeting rooms. some OF
them capable OF holding about 10
men. have been invaded and meet.
ings prevented.
Many Of the authorities in the
Pennsylvania steel district are direct
~ under the domination OF tn. steel
| corporation. Whatever is TO the in
terrst of tho steel company IN done. {"
Continuing his story OF the steel
unionlxation Of the industry. Com.
pcrn said.
The organizers We nent into the
steel districts were attacked. beaten.
bounded. driven out OF town. one OF
them was no badly beaten that he
died some months aft~rward"
Having obtained the statement
from John Fitzpatrick. strike chair.
man. that tho men would return To
work on promise Of Just arbitration.
ending of the strike now awaits n
similar promise by Judge Gary. 1t
was stated.
This solution will not be pressed
upon the employers until Gary ap
pears next wednesday before the sen
ats investigating committee.
The fact that Gary said he would
not deal with union ieaders>wiil not
deter senator's from making an ut.
menta between now and "Wednesday
may put n new face on the situation.
IL was pointed out
| Senator Kenyon was aroused by
Fi,zpairick's story Of the treatment
of strikers in the steel districts and
desires that n special senate commit.
tee be sent TO the scenes 20 make an
independent investigation.
| These charges can not be ignored
| tueN nave UffH put w 10 uN, anu wv
Ought 60 investigate them" Kenyon
said today. THE situation Is hero
upon us. and congress has got 10
act"
Some senators privately stated that
Ffxpatrick's statement called for an
cxpianation from Gary. but they ARE
holding an open mind until his side
is heard.
| No Private Affair
| This strike is not n private AFFAIR
between two parties any longer"
Kenyon declared. THE public has
an interest In IL. and we ought 10 do
something 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 work OF the war labor board in
adjusting Industrial disputes. Ken
yon still is opposed TO compulsory ar
bitration. but believes that II some
public body had been in existence to
lact as an Intermediary between the
strikers and the employers n steel
strike might have been averted.