El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-09-26
Strike PROBERS.
HEAR G0MPERS
Steel Corporation Reaps
AS It Solved, Says Vet
eran Labor Leader.

q du AdUUI AOdOOI.
CONTINUED from page II
from counseling with the men and
making the strike effective"
Only in the event Of war, the labor
leader declared. should the rights Of
free speech and assembly be restricted.
They should not be, he said, for a
I -'pTiva teering corporation"
I know that many Of the public
authorities in districts Of Pennsyl-
1 vania are under the direct domination
Of the United States steel corpora
ton the witness declared, pounding
the table
Organizer BIudgeOned, Dies.
IN response to the many requests
! for organization from the men we
sent few agents into the field some
I driven out Of the towns, one OF them
50 bludgeoned that he died. That was
l four or five years ago. He was JEFF
/ ferson Davis Pierce, OF Worcester,
: Mass"
Gompers told Of the final decision
/ Of the American Federation Of La
/ Dor in 1913 to organize the men and
! described the methods used to
I finance the work.
You have dealt with the policy Of
I the steel companies trying 10 exclude
union men," said senator Phipps, Re
] publican, Colorado. rs the policy of
the unions 10 try to exclude nonunion
mem"
IT is the policy OF the unions to
/ try 10 organize all workers.. Com
I pers said, adding that in all his ex-
perience he had never known work
man voluntarily refusing to Join
union OF his craft"
Wilson Statement Read.
Senator Phipps read a statement by
! woodrow Wilson in 1909. in which
I Mr. Wilson said he was "a fierce par
Jisan Of the open shop" and that the
present attitude Of labor in America
was TO give as little as possible"
Il think IL il rs unfair to quote
Mr.. Wilson Of 1909 as II Il TO
hold up statements OF ". Z. FOS-
ter, secretary Of the steel unions
committee. made At that time and
since diSavoWed- and say they
represent his attitude now said
GOmpers.
Now. Mr.. Gompers. can't we get
man Kenyon we would like to
know now why this strike was not
postponed, as the president requested,
until after the industrial confer
ence2"
Why Strike Not Put off.
Mr.. Gompers told Of the efforts by
president wilson to bring about a
conference between the men and the
steel corporation officials.
advised on September with the
the strike be deferred" Gompers con- {
tinued- "A general meeting was
called and the responsible officers of Z
the union resolved there to strike /
september p unless judge Gary
chairman OF the board Of directors /
a conference
4 got a telegram from the presi- /
cent asking me to use my efforts to /
secure delay ] dictated a message !
10 Mr. Fitzpatrick. chairman OF the I
steel workers committee. asking that !
the presidents request be compiled /
with He told me the men were in I
sucn a frame OF mind that they could /
not be prevented from striking even |
should the committee vote for delay" .
Knew Strike Inevitable.
Several Of the international union I
oIueers had declared in favor OF post I
poning, Gompers continued They 4
met in PittsburE September IT and IS 4
ana my letter was read Organizers
VINO Favored postponement reported Il
that they could not maintain their 4
position They voted almost unani- N
mously 70 strike on the original date. i
They knew the strike would have n
taken place anyway, unguided, dis
Jolntec and leaderless-- Their choice
was not that OF having no strike, but n
simply Of having a disorganized or
an organized strike, under the guild II
ance Of experienced men"
Papers are carrying communica-
tons from secretary Foster, Of the
committee, said senator Kenyon,
radical letters signed yours for rev
olution.' and carrying implications"
says Foster Less Radical.
I've made a brief reference to Nj.
Foster" Gompers returned He wrote
a book No one could have a greater
sntipathy TO this l. W. ". position
Foster took in 1919 than I do His
1amphler on syndicalism, his attack at
Zurich before the international labor
conference on James Duncan. who
represented the American Federation
II Labor-all those things prejudicei
ne But he changed. took construc-
i've position In view OF what he has
since done TO improve conditions Of
ne workers, he is entitled TO some
.hlng better than to have his mis-
AIKEN views OF the past held I'D 10 in
ure his usefulness. / have no hesi-
ancy in saying that these are not his
views.
He is not now an executive officer
II the strike He Is merely chosen to
perform the secretarial work"
Big steel Profits Made.
Discussing profits in the steel in
iustry, Mr.. Gompers cited a statement
" director general Hines. of the rail- 4
DAD administration, which showed II
hat in 1918 the steel corporation
made p percent on its common stock.
/ understood Mr. Fitzpatrick to say
hat the eight hour day was granted
" the steel corporation" remarked
enator Sterling.
BY the efforts Of the war labor
'oard, Gompers said. Conditions ,.
we're finally produced which Induced =,
he corporation TO order the eight Y
-oJr day. But understand IT is still y
n order and not an actuality"
Mr.. Gompers said he had no definite Il
Information en- wages.
Wages Increase; Profits More.
Senator Sterling introduced a steel s
orporation statement which said thatl