Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-24
STEEL TRUST HAS
COUNTLESS MEN
SWEEP inc FLOORS
Despite Strike, Southern Mills
Claim to Have a Labor Sur
plus and Many Are CIeaningI
Up the Plants,
(By the Associated Press.)

Organized labor gained ground in
Chicago, Youngstown and other west
ern centers on the second day of the
great steel strike. which was marked
by increased violence. but. according
to officials of the United States Steel
corporation and various Independent
companies made but little headway
in Pittsburgh and other eastern mills.
From the south were received decid-
edly conflicting reports, such as from
Birmingham, where union leaders
claimed 1000 men were out, and plant
officials asserted there was such a
surplus of labor that hundreds OF
nen wero set to sweeping floors for
lack of other tasks.
In the Chicago district. where
union leaders claim an additional l0,-
900 men had gone out, more steel
plants were closed in South Chicago
and Indiana Harbor, although at the
latter place officials of an 'inde-
pendent" plant explained their shut
down had been ordered merely to
avoid responsibility for industrial
warfare Yesterday only the Gary
mills Of the United States Steel COR
poration, some small plants in East
Chicago and five independent mills
in Harmon attempted operation.
In the Youngstown district proper,
strikers achieved their most marked
success. causing complete suspension
of work in every plant in the Mahon-
ing valley by calling $4,000 men
away from their posts,
Union leaders boldly heralded n
spread of the strike, declaring that
Af Enn mn
workers affected had marched out
of the mills on the opening day. their
ranks now numbered 327.100. They
predicted that today or tomorrow
would see the closing of many more
plants and announced they hoped to
extend the strike to Great Lakes sea-
men and union trainmen.
Industrial leaders. while withhold
ing their own figures, challenged the
claims OF labor's leaders. Represent
atives of the Carnegie company, the
largest subsidiary of the United States
Steels corporation, declared that the
situation was much improved" An
estimate was made that in the Pitts
burgh district alone 21,00O men had
returned to vat and furnace.
Rioting at Several Points.
The second day of the struggle was
marked by rioting. Mondays dis
orders in New Castle and Farrell. Pa,
were renewed with increasing cas-
ualties, so that additional numbers
of state troopers were sent there to
reinforce the military already on
duty while in Pittsburgh. which had
its first serious disturbance last night.
several persons were injured in street
fighting. In Buffalo, N. Y, Monday
nights disturbances assumed more
menacing proportions for last night
one man was killed and four persons
wounded when guards at the Iacka-
wanna Steel company are alleged to
have opened fire with shotguns on
5000 strike sympathizers massed
near one of the gates. after the crow |
had hurled bricks and stones
With the increase of disorder in the
PENNSYLVANIA steel towns. William u.
Foster secretary of the national com
mittee of steel workers, VINO pre-
viously had stated no pieketing had
been ordered and the men had been
told to stay away from the plants,
charged that much of the disorder
was due to presence of the state
troopers who, he alleged. had made
"unprovoked assaults upon innocent
strikers"
Another factor was introduced yes
terday into the strike situation,
when congress ordered the senate
labor committee to investigate their
industrial struggle to ascertain If the
situation can in any way be renewed
by federal action" The inquiry viii
begin and before it ends it is expected
ETbert H. Gary, directing head of the
United States Steel corporation;
Samuel Gompers, president Of the
American Federation of Labor, ani
John j. Fitzpatrick, organizer of the
steel workers, will appear before the
committee.
The national strike organization
committee will meet today in Pitts
burgh to lay plans for what the labor
leaders say they believe will prove a
long struggle. 1t was said that Mr..
Gompers would not attend the con-
ference, but that he would be repre-
scented by Mr.. Fitzpatrick.