The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-09-27
Important Developments Pend
ing May Have Vital Bearing
on Outcome of Great Indus
trial Struggle.
SENATE COMMITTEE
HEARS SAM'L GOMPERS
Veteran Labor Leader Says Is
sue Is That of Unorganized
and Leaderless Strike or Or
ganized and Orderly Strike.

Three important developments We're
one of which may have a vital bearing
on the outcome Of the great industrial
struggle.
In Pittsburg the national steel work.
ers committee was to meet late today
and a definite decision was expected
in regard to calling out the 40, 900 work
ers in the Bethlehem steel plans Mon
day
In Youngstown, where the strikers
have succeeded in completely tying up
the steel industry in the Mahoning
valley district, meetings were announc-
ed of unskilled and semi i-skilled work
ers to discuss the question of return
ing TO work. Some mystery enveloped
these meetings as both the strike lead
ers and the mill managers protested
to know nothing of their origin.
The third development was promised
at Cleveland, where the executive COM
mittees of the Great Lakes Shipping
union, claiming to represent Is, 900 sea-
men, engineers and men of allied trades
met to decide whether their organiza-
tions would declare a sympathetic
strike Such a strike already has been
authorized by the internal unions.
With conditions in the steel centers
remaining virtually unchanged, the SEN
ate investigation at Washington was
the focus of attention on both sides.
Samuel Gompers, veteran head of the
Arx1<.
ed before the committee late today.
In the meantime the usual conflict
ing claims were made by the opposing
generals in the pivotal backgrounds of
Pittsburg and Chicago, but all defi-
mite news indicated no important
change in conditions.
Washington, Sept. 26.-After hear
ing Samuel Gompers president of the
American Federation of Labor for more
than three hours, the senate committee
investigating the steel strike today
abandoned its plans to examine to-
morrow William z. Foster, secretary of
the steel workers committee, who has
been attacked in the house of repre-
sentatives as radical and an /. w. W.
Chairman Kenyon announced the in
quiry would not be resumed until next
Wednesday when Judge Elbert H
Cary chairman of the board of direc-
tors of the United States Steel Corpora
tion, will be heard. He gave no rea-
son for not hearing Foster tomorrow
but other members of the committee
said later Foster would be called be-
fore the committee at some future time
Foster was defended before the com
mittee today by Gompers, who said the
union committee secretary had changed
the radical views he held some time
ago and that had he not done SO the
witness would not have consented to
serve with him in the steel strike.
Gompers recited in detail the causes
leading up to the strike of steel work
ers and told of his efforts to prevail
upon the workmen'S committee to
comply with the presidents request
that the walkout be postponed until aft
er the industrial conference which is
to be held here October by call of
the president.
Some members of the committee were
favorable to postponement. he said
but they reported that even should
they vote to hold up the strike the
men would not comply. Consequent
ly, he said the issue before the commit
tee was that of an unorganized and
ledoSIiSSS SlTlhe OF dll organized ana
orderly strike.
The right of the employees to have
some voice in determining the condi-
ton under which they work is a para
mount issue in the strike of steel work
ers. Samuel Gompers, president of The
American Federation of Labor told the
senate investigating committee today
Appearing as the second witness
for labor. Mr.. Gompers was first asked
by Chairman Kenyon to define the
issues in the controversy.
THE right to be heard is what the
steel workers are asking above all else" !"
Gompers said. The right to speak
with their employers through their
own representatives, to have some
voice in determing conditions under
which they work
The strike ~of
The right of workers to associa ton
has been denied-denied with all the
power and influence and wealth of the
steel corpora ation-denied by brutal and
unwarrantable means.
cit has been said that most of the
men taking part in this strike are of
foreign birth and not naturalized citi-
zens. That may be and no doubt is
true The largest proportion of steel
corporation employees are of foreign
birth. but these men We're brought here
by the companies"