The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-10-06

Headed by the big steel strike now
endangering the Industrial fabric, the
strikes and lockouts now in effect
throughout the country and those
threatened have reached their high
est number, and in their variety they
are without precedent. Hundreds of
thousands of workers are on strike,
with more than a million persons af-
fected by these conflicts. The strikes
during the past eight months have
cost the people Of the United States
as much as $1O,OOO.000 a day in lost
wages, rent, retail trade and wasted
industrial productive resources. ac-
cordng to Stephen G. Mason, presi-
dent of the National Association of
Manufacturers.
This alarming condition Of the
country, and the necessity of over
coming it, caused President Wilson
to call the conference of leading
minds that began it's sessions to-
day.
The conference undoubtedly Will
give deep consideration to the big
steel strike now gripping the nation.
This serious problem will receive di-
rect consideration of the conference
and not come indirectly under the
general scope of industrial policies
formulated by the conference, as
other labor conflicts probably will. 1t
may receive priority over all other
subjects. In fact. some observers here
claim that Judge f. Fl. Gary, head of
the United States Steel corporation,
was appointed by President Wilson
az delegate of the general public at
the conference mainly to bring to a
head discussion of the steel strike,
and so that an amicable settlement of
at may Tins come out of the. confer
ence.
Questions Certain to Come Up.
with Judge Gary at the conference
the steel strike is certain to come up.
as among the conferees named by
Samuel Gompers. president of the
American Federation of Labor, there
is NJ. r. Tighe, president of the Anal
gamated Association of Iron, Steel
and Tin Workers, which is one of the
most prominently affected organiza-
tions in the steel war. Also, Gompers
was chairman of the subcommittee of
the national committee for organiz-
ing the iron and steel industry, and
officers of other labor unions direct
ly affected in the steel strike are
among Gcmpers' delegation to the
conference.
Another question upon which the
country is eagerly waiting to hear
from the president at the conference
is "the doctrine of socializing the
coal and oil industries and national
highways of road and water, that
these may be taken control of by the
people Cor themselves as the peoples
property" which former Senator
James Hamilton Lewis, often called
the confidant of the president. said
in a recent Chicago address that the
president soon would announce. Spec
ulation concerning this cryptic and
highly interesting remark of the for
mer democratic whip" of the sem
ate, is now rife in the national cap
itol, but it has been impossible to
obtain any reliable and verified ad-
ditional information here regarding
it, 1t is entirely problematical
whether such a doctrine" will be
the president confirm Senator Lewis
statement, however. and announce
such a policy, it is certain that his
address will be epochal.
But out of the maze of wild prog
, nostication that is being passed about
| in Washington as to the nature and
results of the deliberations of the in
/ dustrial conferences, 1t was consid-
cred certain here today. as the as
/ sembly gathered in the capital, that
! two general and Fundamental ques
! tions will be taken up by the confer
ence to determine whether they shall
form henceforth underlying policies
| of Americas industrial life.
First-Profit-s sharing to employees
| in industry which is expected to bt
advocated by several representatives
of the employer and general public
groups at the conference, but which
will receive the vigorous and con
certed opposition of the American
,Na,tt rras-