Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-09-25
(By the Associated Press)

The third day of the great steel
strike passed without either capital
or labor having made any apparent
! material gains Last night attention
: was being focused on Washington
where the inquiry into the industrial
struggle by the Senate labor commit
tee is to open to-day.
From their respective headquar-
| ters. industrial leaders and directors
! of the strike issued their usual con-
| flicting statements, which left still in
| doubt the exact number of workers
who have walked out William 2. Fos-
ter. secretary of the strikers national
committee claimed that, in the various
steel centers, $4,000 more men had
abandoned their posts, bringing the
total to $4,000, but in the crucial
Pittsburg district, officials of the Uni
ted States Steel Corporation and sew
eral Independents asserted that the
| stream of labor had turned and was
flowing into the mills.
According to reports from Pittsburg
where union labor leaders held a gen.
eral parley to consider conduct of the
strike. managers of the plants are seek
ing how to take the offensive. Not
content with merely holding what
| forces remain, they are said to be try
| ing to induce wavering strikers to re-
| turn. On the other hand. labor's re-
| cruting forces are not inactive. as
shown by the fact that organizers from
the mine workers union have been
| called to reinforce agents of the steel
workers union in enrolling non-union
workers.
Despite the prediction of Mr.. Foster
that, though the work of these or
rrn nj twill ha -
gradually to shut down all the i'm
portant works in the Pittsburg dis
trct, employers of labor claimed that
yesterday they had been able to in
| crease production in all important
plants including those in Homestead
Clarion, Braddock. Duquesne and the
Pittsburg city mills of the Carnegie
| company.
AS in Pittsburg. the situation in Chi
cago alsa was clouded by conflicting
reports. The industry in that section
though crippled by the closing of many
plants, was no means tied up and COM
pany officials claimed additions had
| been made to the reduced forces with
which they were continuing operati
| In the Youngstown district, where ad-
vances were claimed by the strikers, the
strike spread yesterday to fabricating
I
the Youngstown Pressed Steel company
Paralysis of production In the Mahoning
Valley. caused by idleness of 1900 work.
ers. continues, every plant being closed.
From Canton. Ohio, came the announce.
ment by the general manager of the
Canton Sheet Steel company that his men
numbering 1,2O0 had voted to return tc
work.
In the Colorado district, plants of the
Colorado Fuel & Iron company in Pueblo
winch closed Monday. remain idle, and
according to officials. will make no effor,
to operate with strike breakers.
Yesterday was marked by sharp de-
crease in violence. Although roting oc
Cured in Cleveland, order reigned ir
Buffalo, N. Y, and Pittsburg, Newcastl,
and Farrell. Pa. the storm centers Tues
day
On the heels of these riots came charge.
from strike headquarters that in Buffalo
the trouble had been ''incited" by "hiret
detectives" for the purpose "of bringine
in the State constabulary
/ Pittsburg, Pa, Sept. 24.-While or
ganized labor's board of strategy wa,
in session here to-day mapping on
further plans to bring victory to tn,
union steel workers of the country II
their struggle with the employers, tn,
operating executives of the corpora
tions involved were straining ever,
nerve to check spread of the strike
The present phase of the conflic
Is regarded by both sides as a critica
period Reports indicated that ther,
has not been a great movement o
men into or out of the plants in thu
| ha h
walkout and each side Is guarding
against stampede. The various larg'
plants and smaller concerns are Grip
pied in varying degrees. according t.
reports, and managers responsible TO
the operation of steel mills are II
some cases not only trying to hol'
what they have but are trying to ge
on the offensive.
The leaders of the strikers. n
shown by their declarations that tn
strike is spreading. are not giving vi
the attack, but predict that with tn
coming of more organizers they vii
gradually shut down all the importan
works, Secretary william Y Foster, o
the strikers national committee. SAT-
to-day that he expected the grea
; Homestead plant of the Carnegi
Steel company, principal subsidiary o
the United States Steel Corporation
would be shut down by the end of tn
week
: Secretary Foster announced late to
day that $4,000 men in the industr
are on strike and that the situation
was well in hand. This is a gain O
: $1,000 compared with his figures o
, yesterday.
, Buffalo, n. Y. Sept. 2-Leaders of tn