Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-09-26
Steel WORKERS STRIKE
Giants Of Industry Nix In Mighty
Clash.
BEGINNING OF A BITTER BATTLE

Extensive Preparations Made hx,
Both Sides and Evidence that the
Conflict May Have Serious EeenonsieS
Results.
! At the end of the opening dayssdfl
economic war between organized labor
and the greater part Of the iron aud
steel industry of the country, both
sides rested Monday night, apparently
satisfied with reports received from
the "far-fung line" reaching into
twenty states and affecting directly
or indirectly half a million workers.
After the first test Of strength, indus
trial leaders and commanders Of la
boris legions were willing to adiHit
they faced struggle which might
prove lcns and bitter Grim evidencs
of preparations made for the industriai'
conflict were seen In the armed guaEdE
surrounding all the mills, but the first
day of the strike ended with no signs
Of serious disorder except In New Cas-
tie, Pa, where seven persons were SHOT
in rioting following an alleged atterpt
to prevent workers from entering q
plant. tt stSy
Until the first smoke OF battle roiis
away, an accurate estimate OF tEe
number of workers who marched out
in obedience to the strike order &n}l
the number who- remained at their'
1. =
posts is not obtainable. ~
Claims Conflict. ssSs:2
From strike headquarters In Pitts
burg came claims that $4,000 men
had taken their places In the ranks
of the strike. but although no state
ment wag forthcoming from the steai
corporadon's headquarters in NeH;
York, company officials in the tzAEef
of action hastened to challenge the
estimate OF labor leadf rs. s,,.,s
The u. s. Steel Coz poration against
which the main offensive Is directed,e
was able to operate most Of It's plants
in the Pittsburg district according TO
company officials. In the Chicaeat
steel center some of tho largest plants
were forced to close down, but others
operated on reduced scale.
It was in the Mahoning Valley thai
the strikers seemed to make the mgst
headway, for with three large steel
mills in the. Youngstown district shut
down n and others 5rinnfhz only part
capacity, .the steel producing indus
try in that section was reported to be
fast approaching general paralysis. lns
the Cleveland district, too, the strik-
ers apparently made successful Ar
tack. Only. four Of the twenty plants Z
were In operation and according tos
labor leaders $4,000 men ere affected
Long Fight Likely. ~
Telegraph wires to headquarters OF
both capital and labor were kept warm,
as report followed report on conditions
at las plants affected by the strike or
der. AS 1t became evident that neitiler
the corporation had been able to keen
all its plants in operation, nor the
strikers has been able to pro-
duce a complete tieup of the indust,v5
leaders began to settle down to the
prospect of long fight. In this copr-
nection It was announced that an irar
portant parley of, union labor chiafx.
would be held tomorrow when 1t is
understood the question Of financing
the strike will be considered.
Officers of the Carnegie company
the steel corporations largest SUBJ,
sidiary in Pittsburg, claimed that al
though their forces had been depleted
by desertions, they had been able 10
reorganize their workers so as to keen.
all of the important mills operating at
almost 100. per cent. This brought
emphatic denial from the labor camp.
Vulnerable Spot. 5Gff
Steel officials admitted that in sotest
cases blast furnaces. which they said
they always had regarded as their
most vulnerable spots, had been bad
ly crippled. This situation was metfbT
banking some furnaces and concen-s
trating the remaining workers on
others. t1 ,fy.
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 wAik
out pending an attempt to obtain a''
conference with company officials.
An example of the wide differences
between estimates made by labor
leaders and corporation officials con-.
cerning the number Of strikers is
found in Pittsburg. According ato.
William U. Foster. secretary of the,
national committee OF, the steel workr
ers, Il, 900 men are out while in opposr,
ing quarters the number was set at
$4,000. ~.
In the Chicago district, company of
ficials estimated that from 10 to, 90 s
per cent. of their workers had F.reys
NAMED loyal, while at strike head
quarters while in that city 1t was,
claimed $1,000 had obeyed the strikes
call. set
Labor leaders in the Youngstown,
district stated $4,000 men were osfts,
in the district proper and $4,000 in the
entire district, which included Sharon