New-York tribune., 1919-10-16
Steel Strikers Ask
Courts to Prevent
Closing of Meetings
Start Test Case in Pitts
bursh and Are Expected
10 Win Right of Assembly;
Lawyer Warns Officials

Staff Cores pO,dsNcs
PITTSBURGH. Oct. 15-Making a
test case of g meeting of their follow
crs in Pittsburgh tonight without q
permit, the national committee direct
ing the steel strike to-day started legal
proceedings to establish what they be-
lievc to be their right to hold meetings
without permits.
Although it was az first reported
that thu authorities would interpose
no objection and thus avoid meeting
Tie ISSUE, they appeared to have
changed their minds, for when the
strikers gathered at the hal, 1928 Jane
Avenue, the police Informed them that,
by order Of Police Commissioner Walsh,
no meeting could be held there without
a permit.
Rubin Warns Officials
Having thus established his founda-
ton, Attorney W. r. Rubin, counsel
for the national committee, will forth
with institute mandmus proceedings
against the city officials In letter
that he addressed to Mayor f. " Bal
cock, Of Pittsburgh, Sheriff Haddock,
OF Allegheny County, and all tho bur
gesses in the steel mil towns of Penn
syvania, Mr.. Rubin notified them that
interference with meetings on the "pre-
text that permit was necessary
would be regarded as an unlawful in
reference.
The outlook is that the strikers may
be victorious in their resort 10 the
courts, as q precedent was csta blished
in Homestead before the strike began
RIc tc(i l.
insisting that meetings could not be
held without permit conhning
speeches to the English language.
Mandamus proceedings were started,
but when the Mayor found out from
Judge T. J. Ford where he stood he did
not await All injunction, but proceeded
to grant permits for hall meetings.
Later, on order of the sheriff, the
Homestead meetings were restricted to
English speeches.
Moncssen Plant Closes
The Moncssen plant Of the American
Sheet and Tin Plate Company con-
fessed to the strength of the strikers
at that place when it paid off all en-
ployes to-day and decided to keep its
mills closed indefinitely. The hoop mill
Of the Carnegie company at the same
place is still closed.
At other places the steel companies
continue to show gains. The Ohio
plant Of the Carnegie company at
Youngstown has blown in two blast
furnaces, after having all its blasts
Shut down since the strike began. The
Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company
now has 1000 men out Of 10000 back
at work, and to-day some of the pickots
Joined the workers. The ninth blast
furnace of the Edgar Thomson plant at
Braddock was blown in last night.
As yet no efforts have been made by
the Steubenvillc. Ohio, and Wheeling,
". Va steel mills to resume At
Johnstown the failure to receive ben
ehts is proving hurt1ul to the strikers
cause. The women of the strikers there
are beginning to urge their husbands
to return to work
Labor delegates said to-day they
would be willing to drop the steel
strike resolution in case they can OBJ
tain a clean cut acceptance of the prn-
ciplc Of collective bargaining,' with
the right Of employees to select repre-
sentatives ''ust as the companies hire
counsel" Failure of the conference TO
arbitrate the strike or to accept their
view OF collective bargaining would
mean disruption of the conference,
some labor representatives went so far
as TO saw