The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-11-08
BOTHLABOR AND
CAPITAL BLAMED
BY SOLONPROBERS



The report was signed by Senator Ken
yon OF Iowa, chairman, and Senator's
sterling Of South Dakota, Phipps of
colorado, Republicans, and Mcclellan Of
tennessee. and Walsh Of Massachusetts.
Democrats.
Treating OF cause Of the strike, the
committee expressed the opinion that
the Walk-out was ~preclpitated by the
determination of the American Fedora
lon OF Labor to organize the steel in
dustry. Wages are not a factor in the
strike, the committee held. being high
enough to give no reason for dissatis-
faction. Hours OF the workers, how
ever the senators believed, are too
long.
further behind the strike. the com
mittee found. was massed "a c~onsidera-
pie element" of revolutionary radical
Ism, OF which 1t is said there is no Dues
ton but that William r. Foster, secre-
tary Of the general strike committee.
was a leader. With Jacob Margolis, at
torney for the ]. w. W., and assistant
n organizing the strike, Secretary Fos-
ton,
The laborers in the steel mills had a
Just complaint relative to the long hours
OF service on the part Of some Of them,
n the right to have that complaint
heard by the company" said the COM
mittee, summing up its formal find
ings.
"They had the right to have represen-
tatlves OF their wi choosing present
grievances to the employers. Some
members of the committee believe that
more friendly relations would be main
tained between employer and employe IL
the representatives who are chosen to
present grievances to the employers
were actually working in the industry
and that such representatives ought not
to be from outside the industry
With the system Of working hours in
the steel industry, the committee dis
agreed strongly, and cited as one OBJ
lection thereto the existence Of large
numbers Of non English speaking work
ers In the mills, who should be given op-
portunity to become Americanized.
Work Too Long.
we believe that a large majority O;
the men actually working in the mills
work 10 n IL hours a day" the re-
port said. Men cannot work 10 and IL
hours a day and attend classes in night
schools. An eight-hour day with a liv-
ing wage that will enable men to sup
| port their families and bring up their
children according to the standards of
| American life ought to be a cardinal
part of our industrial policy, and the
sooner the principle is recognized the
better 1t will be for the entire coun-
try"
Testimony before the committee. the
report said, sustained the contention of
the steel companies that a large proper
ton Of the strikers are foreigners or
non English -speaking peoples.
Touching on the subject OF radicals
ism In the strike, the report said:
THE committee Is Of the opinion that
the American Federation Of Labor has
made a serious mistake and has lost
much favorable public opinion by per
hitting the leadership of this strike
movement to pass into the hands of
some who have heretofore entertained
tho most radical and dangerous doc
%trines."
Such men" said the report, abiding
to Foster and Margolis, are dangerous
to the country, and they are dangerous
to the cause of union labor, 1t IS unfair
for men who may be struggling for their
rights to be represented by such lead
ers. II Mr.. Foster has the real interest
of the laboring men at heart he should
remove himself from any leadership, II
he will not remove himself from leader
ship, the American Federation OF LABOR
should purge itself OF such leadership
In order to sustain the confidence the
country has had In It d leadership
Of Mr., Gompers."
Dealing tentatively with the charges
by strikers that the civil authorizes ana
courts Of Western Pennsylvania were
controlled by the steel companies
against them, the report said:
"The. action In many cases has been
such as to lead one side Of this %contro--
yersy to the belief that the Officers OF
he law were acting on the side of the
steel company. Such a situation Is I'M
fortunate and helps to breed diseon-
tent"
In regard to the suppression Of pub
lie meetings In the strike onss, the
committee observed that the suppress
sion Of frank discussion only serves 10
accentuate u bad situation"