Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-09-27
SAYS EMPLOYEES
RIGHT TO HEARING
IS THE REAL ISSUE
Federation Chief Declares
Refusal of Conference.
Caused Walkout.
CHARGES STATE OFFICIALS
ARE WITH CORPORATIONS
Alleges Pennsylvania Authorities
Will Do Anything Mill
Owners Desire.
STEEL HEAD NENT WITNESS
VIII Appear Before Senate Invcsti.
gators Wednesday to Give His
View Of Situation.
CHARGES STATE OFFICIALS
ARE WITH CORPORATIONS
STEEL HEAD NENT WITNESS
tBy Associated Press. !

NASHlNGTON, Sept 26.-Thc issuc
IN the nation wide steel strike was do
nned today by Samuel Gompcrs. prcsi-
dcnt OF the American Federation or
Labor as recognition of the rirh, or.
employees ito be heard. 10 organize
ana TO have somc voice in dc,crminin-
conditions under which they labor.
Appearing AS labor's second witness
IN the Senate Labor Committees. ~;
vestgation of the steel s;riLc proni ,u-
ucht GompcrS drew from his cyporicnro
as Chalrman of tho first committees TO
the e'niEe his,c .hc steel industry and traced
me history OF organized iabors efforts
20 un.1niZc the steel workers Whc,,
nc nn.Shcd. the committee adiourned
untIi next Wednesday,. at which timr
Judge Gary. chairman OF The i.niinJ ,'',,d
States steel Corporation. has PROMISED
I" appear.
Condemns Civic Authorities.
,;i rFes,dent I Gomners, in the course OF
| cehtcrs and repeated many Of thn
eharges made before the committees
YESTERDAY by John Fitzpatrick, chair
| man OF tho strikers committee
"hatover helps the corporations
tsn'nst ,is. me workers that the authori-
| ,lcs OF PcnnSylvania Will he found
doing" Mr.. Gompcrs said at ono noint
Fun responsibility for the strike he
iaid at the door OF Judge Gary. who
could have stopped it; he said. hv
granting conference 10 the strike
committee. N
ori'nrn G9nnter- charges against the steel
radicalism of William 4. Foster. strike
committee SECRETARY. in particular,
Vas Vas met by Gompers with the asser-
syndicaliS' or believer in violence
President Wilson vs.. Dr. Wilson.
There were several interludcs, once
Whcn Senator PhiDps, Republican, of
Colorado, read statements of President
Wilson. made in 1909 20 tho effect
that he was "A fierce partisan of the
open shop" which brought a quick as
Sertion from Gompcrs that "f'rcsidcnt
Wilson now does not hold with what
Or; r. Wilson thsn said"
some steel company statistics in ref
erSncs to greatly increased pay Of
iorts made hy the company 10 place
ITS stock among employees. In reply,
the labor chief said that tho company
while increasing workmcn's pay 100
per cent. and that its stock selling en-
terpriscs 'wcrc attempts to tic the men
to the jobs
Desire Able Representation.
What VIC want is the right to have
workers, represented before their om-
ploycrs,' he went on. represented by
counsel of ability. of courage and OF
power of the corporation chiefs and
can fitly set forth the evils and in
justices OF plant and mill litc. This
war was fought aGainSt autocracy, aud
won against antocracy. whether au
tocracy OF militarism or autocracy of
industry. The day is past when an
employer, no matter how great, can
declare himself master of all he sur
veys."
Chairman Kenyon. adjournng the
session. left the future course Of the
investigation To be settled at another
meeting. and the only certain date for
it's convcning fixed Was til" Wednesday
appointment: "ith Judge Gary. The in
tcntion to call Willam H. Foster to-
morrow was abandoned. although
members Of the committee intend to
call him later