The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-09-23
CONFLICTING CLAIMS
BY CONTESTANTS
Nearly All the Chicago Dis
trict Was Shut Down or
Was Seriously Crippled
Possibility of Spread of
Movement Was More I'M
minent To-day.

The second day of the great struggle
between the labor unions and the United
States Steel corporation opened with the
question as to the extent to which the
industry has been affected by the strike
still uncertain, confused as it is by the
conflicting claims of the leaders on either
side. That the industry has been grave
ly crippled in the great centers of Pitts
burg, Chicago and Youngstown was GER
tain and early reports to-day recorded
several gains for the strikers.
In the Pittsburg district several of
she Carnegie Steel company's plants
were closed and the Braddock and Rank
in plants of the American Steel g. Wire
Co., both.of which attempted to continue
operations yesterday shut down to-day.
These two concerns employ approximate
ly 10000 men.
In the Chicago district similar condi.
tions prevailed. Nearly all the plants in
that region, including Gary and Ham
mond, either were closed to-day or oper-
ating at greatly reduced capacity The
strike leaders claimed that IS per cent
of the 10000 workers were out and that
in Gary the percentage was 95. Steel
company officials refused to concede q
higher percentage than 20.
In the Mahoning Valley district, of
which Youngstown is the heart, all re-
ports agreed that the strikers had
achieved their most marked success The
strike leaders claimed that $4,000 men
had quit work and their claims were
supported by the fact that many large
plants were closed, three in particular
which employ alone l6,500 men Plants
which still were operating admittedly
had greatly reduced forces
The possibility of the spread of the
strike to as yet unaffected plants was
more threatening to-day. AT the Bethle-
hem works of the Bethlehem Steel cor
poration, where $4,000 men are employed,
the union leaders announced that no re-
ply had been received as to their request
for a conference with the company off
cials and that preparations were being
completed for calling out the workers.
At Cincinnati the executive board of
the International Iron Moulders' union
is in session and will decide what action
will be taken by that body.
At Buffalo, switchmen on the South
Buffalo railway quit work when ordered
to move cars into the Lackawanna steel
plant.
Rioting which broke out at the close Of
the first day of the strike, was resumed
at different points this morning. The
known casualties so far are one man
dead, three Others so badly wounded that
they may die and scoreG more or less Sc
verely wounded The fatality occurred
in the Pittsburg district Every mill in
Farrell, Pa, was closed this morning but
this did not prevent renewal Of vio-
lence in which Ii persons were wounded.
simultaneously with the outbreak Of
rioting at Farrell, pitched battle be-
tween mill guards and strikers took place
at Newcastle, Pa, in which | persons
are known to have been wounded, two of
them women. Three of the injured men
may die
The situation throughout the Pitts.
burg district to-day was regarded as SO
menacing that reinforcements of state
troopers were sent there.
At Buffalo, where the great independ-
ent plant of the Lackawanna Steel com.
pany has been forced to suspend opera.
tions, according to police reports, rioting
occurred last night and was resumed this
morning. The disorder here however
apparently was not so serious as in
Pennsylvania. The Donner Steel com
pany, a sister plant of the Lackawanna
announced that operations would cease
tomorrow.
Incipient rioting also was reported
from Youngstown.