Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-08-29

TO ASK WILSON
FOR HIS HELP
Claim Corporation Is Trying
to Force Strike Before
President Can Act

Washington, Aug. 29.-President
Wilson is to be asked to take a
hand in the controversy betwene the
steel workers and the United States
Steel Corporation in an effort to
prevent a general strike.
This announcement was made to-
day by the committee of the steel
workers, who charged that the steal
corporation was trying to force the
issue before the President could
have an opportunity to pass on the
merits of the controversy.
In a telegram to the union of
steel workers at Gary, Ind, the
committee said the workers were
not to strike under any circum-
stances" until the strike date hao
been set by the committee. The
Gary union had telegraphed that
the steel workers were being dis
criminated against and discharged
wholesale for the purpose of forcing
strike"
The Telegram
The telegram, addressed to James
Mulholland, secretary of the Gary
Allied Iron and Steel WorkerG
Council, follows:
Your telegram received, stating
that steel workers are being dis
criminated against and discharged
wholesale for purpose of forcing
strike. The steel companies are do
| ing the same in many other places.
But in spite of this persecution, try
| to hold men at work until all
amicable means of settlement have
been exhausted.
The executive council of the
American Federation of Labor Is
negotiating for a conference with
| President Wilson to-day. The steel
companies show by their actions a
determination to force the issue be-
| fore the President has had chance
/ 10 pass on merits of controversy.
! We are doing all possible to secure
! justice for the men and to prevent
| the national disaster of a general
| strike in the steel industry. Do not
! strike under any circumstances un-
| til the strike date has been set by
your committee"
The steel workers have sought
! conferences with officials of the
stel corporation to discuss wage,
hours, working conditions and col
| lective bargaining, but thu S far
/ their efforts to obtain such confer
ences have been unsuccessful.
+, Announcement that a strike of the
| union steel workers of the country
! would be enforced unless the United
States Steel Corporation granted an
! interview to the workers committee
| within the time set is contained N
a letter to Z. H. Gary, chairman
of the board of directors of the cor
poration, made public here last
night.
The letter was dated at New Yorl
! Wednesday, but was withheld until
the steel workers representative
could confer with Samuel Gompcrs
president, and other officials of tho
American Federation of Labor al
the executive council of that body
! here.
The letter, which was given out
by William 2. Foster, secretary oi
the subcommittee representing the
steel employe, is in response to The
latter's refusal to confer with the
members of the subcommittee.
The subcommittee informed Judge
Gary in the letter that the lirs
paragraph of his letter was under
stool to mean that the Steel Cor,
porat:on absolutely refused to con
cede its employees the right of col
lective bargaining. The falsity .
this. it was said, could only bC
proved by putting the strike into
effect, but it was hoped that Gar
would not force this, Judge Gary.
assertion of the interest of the cor
poration in it's workers was ali
swered by a declaration that thel
standards of living were "beyont
description" 1t was also common
knowledge that the corporation an,
its subsidiaries had for years Tough
all attempts at organization by 1T
men. The letter closed with an
other request for a conference, re
fusal of which would leave the com
mittee no choice but to enforce Lh,
decree of the employees and strike.