The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-09-11

The executive council Of the ~
unions represented among the WoTkee1
made known their decision In an a..
nounccment issued after they had re-
qucsted the President. by telegraph, for
a more definite statement a. to the pos
sibilitics Of arranging a conference With
steel corporation officials. and after
thos had received q reply from The
President asking that they withhold &C.
tion until after the industrial Sonfsgs
cnce.
The Presidents telegram vas not
made public by the steel union heaAss
but its context became known IL Wash.s
ington tonight through press dispatches:
In their statement the executive coun-i
Gil merely said they had not been ad.,
vised that the efforts Of the PreAi0eut
have been any more successful" tha1'
the efforts Of the men. s,g
Union officials tonight firmly refused
to indulge in any speculation regarding
the extent Of the strike. though Q declAe
ration attributed to Judge Gary. Of tho'
steel corporation, that the steel WORKERS
were not more than 10 per cent organ.
lied was ridiculed as erroneous. The
steel corporation was said to employ
about 262.000 persons. and the 'entire
industry nearly 100000. In some placeA
IT was said. the men arc IS per cent
and at virtually all mills organizers
have been active for weeks and still Aeo
working to obtain recruits for the ,unioH
Campaign OPPOSED.
This campaign Of organization. unioo
officials said, has been opposed viEof.
ously by the mill owners, who were said
TO have adopted every possible method
to defeat II. Claims were made that At
least 100000 men in the Pittsburgh DIS
trict. 1000 in the Chicago district aad
$4,000 in scattered areas. employed BY
independents" AZ we'll AZ BY the steel
corporation, had been brought into tAo
union and would answer the call b.
dropping their tools. In addition. union
ramiiications by It's other employer.
Evidence Of the bitterness existing IN
the relations between the unions ana
the steel mills was seen in allegations
made in the statement by the ud5pIsI
heads announcing the strike. SeveN
union members and orEanixers, thu:
statement said" had been killed by tle'
armed guards and thugs" employed ~
the companies.
The statement issued by the union
heads said:
tTlpc twenty-four international-
unions in the steel industry and a6lit.
ated with the American Federation of
Labor. having exhausted every honor
able and possible means OF securing -
conference with tho United States stesll
corporation for the purpose Of discussE
ing the intolerable and brutal con1t
tions under which the men are COM
pcled to work. and having failed in.
these efforts. have decided by unAni-
nous vote to cease work on Monday.
September %.
The representatives Of these inter.
national unions have for the past four
months tried every conceivable means
to secure O conference with Judeo
Gary. representing the United States
Steel corporation. A personal letter
from President Gompers to Judge 0afy
was totally ignored. Later on Q COM,
mlttee awaited on Judge Gary In New.
York and were refused an audience.
Subsequently they were advised through
letter signed by Judge Gary that ho,
would not deal with union labor repfp.
sentatives. which is an absolute 1ent4l
to his employees Of the right OF collOc.
tive bargaining. ~
THE executive council Of the Amefi.
can Federation Of Labor brought a.
situation to tho attention Of the ehiek
executive Of this nation. President VIII.
son. for the purpose Of securing his co.
operation in arranging conference pDy
until tho present time tho committee
has not been advised that the efforts q
the president have been any more sue.
ccssful than the efforts Of Presideas
ing the employees. 85
OutragsS Committed
While we were engaged In these e..
forts. the most un-American outrageo
and unlawful tactics were employed -
destroy our unions. In Western Penn.
sylvania We were denied tho rights OF
fre speech and free assembly, owners ok
meeting places were prevented frpN
permitting our gatherings in their balls,
Mass and street meetings were 0fokoo
up with the pretext that We did not hAye
permits for the same. In spite OF the
fact that II was impossible to securs
such permits from the steel mill town
officials who arc owned body ana soul
by the steel interests. Our orGtnisefo
have been Jailed and fined for st}s@pe.
ing to speak to our members. Oy1 meets
ings have been picketed by HUNDREDS o ]
gunmcn. thugs and company offieie1A
in nm effort to browbeat and tntimioate
tho workers from meeting togethef 90
discuss their grievances. THOUSANDS OK
our members have been DISCHARGED Tor
no other reason than having become
members OF our union. -
"All OF this. with the cold blooded ana
brutal murder OF seven OF our organ;x'
crs and members by steel mill guards
and professional gunmen during tho
past few days. have made It impossinle
10 restrain the employees any longer. IN
view Of the stubborn and uncompromie.S
ing attitude Of the steel trust offictaiA
there is no alternative left to the com.
mttce except to comply with the de.
mands Of tho steel workers FOR reieAes
and to declare n strike to become etfee.
two Monday. September %"
INJURIES HATA1. =