Arizona republican., 1919-09-27
GOMP PERS STATES ISSUES INVOLVED
 IN STEEL STRIKE
Employees Want Right to Be Heard, to Organize and To Have Voice in Deter mining Conditions Under Which They Work, He Tells Senate Committee
Republican A. p. Leased wireI

WASHINGTON. Sept 26-The is- sue in the nation wide steel strike was defined today by Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, as recognition of rights of employees, Ito be heard, to organize and 10 have some voice in determining conditions under which they labor"
 Appearing as labors second witness in the senate labor committees in- vcstigation of the steel strike Presi- dent Gompers drew from his experi- ence as first chairman to organize the steel industry and traced the history of organized labor's efforts to union ize the workers. When he finished, the committee adjourned until next Wednesday, at which time Judge Gary, chairman of the United States Steel corporation has promised to appear.
 President Gompers condemned un- sbaringly civic authorities in the west ern Pennsylvania steel district and re- peated many charges made before the committee yesterday by John Fitzpat rick, chairman of the strikers commit tee.
 Blames Gary For Strike
 What ever helps the corporations against the workers, that the authori- ties of Pennsylvania would be found doing" Gompers said at one point. Full responsibility for the strike, he laid ait the door of Judge Gary. who could have stopped it. he said. by granting a conference to the strike committee.
 Counter charges against the steel workers involving the revolutionary radicalism of William z. Foster, strike committee secretary, in particular, was 1an Artf f(V1 that Foster no longer was a syndicalist or believer in violence.
 There were several interludes, once when Senator Phipps, republican of Colorado, read statements of President Wilson, made in 1909, to the effect that he was "a fierce partisan of the open shop" which brought quick as sertion from Gompers that President Wilson does not now hold with what Dr. Wilson then said
 Senator Sterling, republican, South Dakota, at another point read some steel company statistics in reference to greatly increased pay of workmen during recent years, and efforts made by the company to place it's stock among employees. In reply, the labor chief said that the company had iu- creased it's earnings 400 per cent. while increasing wollSmen's pay 100 per cent, and that it's stock selling enter ApAses were attempts to tie the men 70 the jobs
 Want Representation
 What we want is the right to have workers represented before their em- ployers" he went on, represented by lr0ounsel of ability, of courage, anG bf intelligence that can cope with the power of the corporation chiefs and can fitly set forth the evils and injus- tices of plant and mill life. This war was fought against autocracy and won against autocracy. whether autocracy of militarism or autocracy of industry The day is past when an employer, nc matter how great, can declare himself master of all he surveys"
 Chairman Kenyon, adjourning the session, left the future course of the investigation to be settled at another meeting, and the only certain date for its converting fixed the Wednesday ap- pointment with Judge Gary. The in tention 10 call William z. Foster to- morrow was abandoned, although members of the committee intend tc call him later.